Ghost in the Shell (2017)
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In an ultramodern near future where the line between humans and robots is blurring, a cyborg supersoldier must investigate her past while stopping a mysterious terrorist.
The story
In a near-future world where humans are augmented with cybernetic improvements, the megacorporation Hanka Robotics creates a 'shell' to house human brains. Mira Killian, a cyborg supersoldier and the sole survivor of a devastating cyberterrorist attack, is chosen as a test subject after her body is damaged beyond repair. Now a member of the counter-terrorism unit Section 9, Killian struggles with hallucinations and a fractured memory of her past. When her team thwarts a terrorist attack involving a hacked robotic geisha, Killian is forced to dive into its AI to find answers, leading her into a dangerous conspiracy involving a mysterious entity known as Kuze.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a near-future world where humans are enhanced with cybernetics, Mira Killian is a cyborg soldier for the counter-terrorism unit Section 9. After a series of incidents, she discovers that her memories are being manipulated by Hanka Robotics. She eventually encounters Kuze, a failed test subject who reveals that she was originally a Japanese woman named Motoko Kusanagi. The two were once anti-augmentation radicals. After a violent confrontation with Hanka's forces, Killian embraces her true identity as Motoko and reconciles with her past, eventually returning to her duties in Section 9.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 107
- Production countries
- United States; Hong Kong; China
- Original languages
- English; Japanese
- Directors
- Rupert Sanders
- Writers
- Jamie Moss · screenplay; William Wheeler · screenplay; Ehren Kruger · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Scarlett Johansson · Major Mira Killian; Takeshi Kitano · Daisuke Aramaki; Michael Pitt; Pilou Asbæk · Batou; Chin Han; Juliette Binoche
- Genres
- cyberpunk; action; thriller
- Themes
- identity; human-machine boundary; memory
- Tone and mood
- serious; dystopian
- Premise and plot tags
- cyberpunk; cyborgs; artificial intelligence; memory loss
- Source material / true-story basis
- Japanese Ghost in the Shell franchise envisioned by Masamune Shirow
- Franchise connections
- Ghost in the Shell
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, praised for its visual style and performances but criticized for its plot and lack of character development. It also faced significant controversy regarding the casting of a non-Asian actress in a role originally envisioned as Asian.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 43% · review count: 298; Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: 100 · review count: 42; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- HPA Award · Color Grading · win; Motion Picture Sound Editors' Golden Reel Awards · Most Innovative Advertising · nomination; Academy Awards · Visual Effects · shortlisted; Academy Awards · Hair and Makeup · shortlisted; Make-Up and Hair Guild · Best Contemporary Make-up · nomination; ASCAP London Music Awards · Top Film Score · win
- Production trivia
- The film's score was recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna in Austria.; Taylor Swift's music video for "...Ready for It?" referenced scenes from the film.; The film was originally scheduled for release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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