Indonesian genre directing master Joko Anwar returns to Fantastic Fest with a horror comedy that takes some big swings, Ghost in the Cell. After reporter Dimas (Endy Arifan) comes back from an assignment where a number of suspicious murders have taken place, his boss dies under gruesome circumstances and he is jailed in the process. But shortly after entering the prison, things quickly take a turn as a malicious spirit that has attached itself to Dimas now has an ample playground for its possessions.  You see the spirit feeds on anger and aggression, two things in abundance behind bars.

The issue that faces a film like Ghost in the Cell, where the audience is required to side with the inmates that are mainly there for valid reasons, is giving them another more despicable villain to make the inmates more relatable. Anwar establishes this in two ways, First is with a spirit that creates over the top grotesque ‘art pieces’ with its victims, a celebration of practical effects work. Second, he also establishes another common enemy in Jefry (Bront Palarae), an egotistical sadist that is the head of the guards. Jefry’s most constant target is Anggoro (Abimana Aryasatya), a revolutionary that can’t help but rebel against the system and de facto leader of one of the cell block’s cliques.

While there is the occasional questionable piece of CGI involved, Ghost in the Cell is a masterclass in practical effects with some truly impressive displays. And while the broad comedy  can be hit and miss, when it does work it’s laugh out loud effective. In the end, Anwar has crafted a gory, over the top crowd pleaser that should be seen in front of the loudest and rowdiest crowd possible.