Ghost in the Shell

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Ghost in the Shell

1996

1h 23m

Sci-Fi

Action

Anime

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In this Japanese animation, cyborg federal agent Maj. Motoko Kusanagi (Mimi Woods) trails "The Puppet Master" (Abe Lasser), who illegally hacks into the computerized minds of cyborg-human hybrids. Her pursuit of a man who can modify the identity of strangers leaves Motoko pondering her own makeup and what life might be like if she had more human traits. With her partner (Richard George), she corners the hacker, but her curiosity about her identity sends the case in an unforeseen direction.

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Critics Consensus

A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the medium.

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Wael Khairy

RogerEbert.com

Feb 26, 2025

As the world edges closer to the ideas that it once speculated, these images resurface in my thoughts like fragments of a future that was always meant to find us...“Ghost in the Shell” didn’t predict the future; it dissected it before it arrived...

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Willow Maclay

RogerEbert.com

Mar 8, 2019

5/5

Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell will always strike a chord with those directly affected by bodily displacement.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Aug 16, 2017

3/4

The drawing style is remarkable in a story that reveals a Japanese preoccupation with roboticized culture and hard-edged sexuality.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Jun 1, 2024

A sci-fi classic with stunning animation

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Apr 8, 2023

[Mamoru] Oshii’s dazzling science fiction work mixes adventure, mystery, and metaphysics in a future where humans are routinely augmented with bionics and electronic implants, and then follows it into the next evolutionary step.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Nov 26, 2022

2.5/4

It’s a film of unique and divergent opinions that remain heavily debated 25 years after its initial release.

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A L R

12 hrs ago

A definite must watch for one of the iconic cyberpunk anime films ever made. Remarkable VFX for an anime movie from 1995 given the limited computer technology back then. Even after watching the new 2026 anime series with a more faithful adaptation of the original manga source this film is practically a condensed version except that it only came out 30 some years ago.

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Yen

Mar 31, 2026

This and Akira are the two classics that set the bar for visionary cyberpunk anime. Well ahead of its time, it's worth watching it more than once to truly get the symbolism and foresight of issues we are facing in the present day with AI, 30 years after the movie was made

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Daniel

Sep 24, 2021

This movie is and will always be a masterpiece of the cyberpunk genre and movies in general. The 4K treatment did wonders. I only wish they also had a showing with the English cast as the dub for Ghost in the Shell was amazing. I also wish my theater had the posters that were given out at other locations, I was really looking forward to getting one and came early just for that.

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Thomas B

Sep 24, 2021

This movie changed way I appreciate film. Very few movies shape culture as greatly as this one has.

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Christopher G

Sep 23, 2021

a seminal anime film that everyone with even a slight interest in the medium should see.

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Rob

Sep 23, 2021

Such an awesome experience! A must watch in IMAX! Can’t wait to see more Anime on the IMAX screen

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Mamoru Oshii

Director

Richard Epcar

Bateau

Mimi Woods

Major Motoko Kusanagi

William Frederick Knight

Chief Aramaki

Tom Wyner

Project 2501

Christopher Joyce

Togusa

Barb Wire

28%

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Synopsis

In this Japanese animation, cyborg federal agent Maj. Motoko Kusanagi (Mimi Woods) trails "The Puppet Master" (Abe Lasser), who illegally hacks into the computerized minds of cyborg-human hybrids. Her pursuit of a man who can modify the identity of strangers leaves Motoko pondering her own makeup and what life might be like if she had more human traits. With her partner (Richard George), she corners the hacker, but her curiosity about her identity sends the case in an unforeseen direction.

Director: Mamoru Oshii
Producer: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Ken Iyadomi, Ken Matsumoto, Yoshimasa Mizuo
Screenwriter: Kazunori Itô
Distributor: Palm Pictures
Production Co: Production I.G., Bandai Visual Company, Kôdansha
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 1996, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 2026
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2010
Runtime: 1h 23m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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