The unusual genre hybrid Prisoners of the Ghostland features an eclectic cast headlined by Nicholas Cage. The movie is the first English-language project by Japanese cult director Sion Sono, and as such has a multicultural group of actors from multiple continents. While Cage is the biggest name in Prisoners of the Ghostland, there are a number of other interesting actors in the film.
Prisoners of the Ghostland is set in a post-apocalyptic vision of Japan that includes elements of the samurai tradition, technological modernity, and the Wild West. The film's two main locations are Samurai Town, ruled over by the villainous Governor, and the Ghostland, an area haunted by the spirits of those who died in a nuclear explosion from which it is impossible to leave. This world is populated by an array of unusual characters.
While Cage is the face of Prisoners of the Ghostland marketing, at least in America, the movie features an eclectic cast of characters, many of whom will be familiar to international film buffs. With that in mind, here are all of the film's cast and characters, including where you've seen these actors and actresses from:
Nicholas Cage as Hero
At the center of Prisoners of the Ghostland's bizarre story is Hero, the otherwise unnamed protagonist. Hero is a notorious criminal who was involved in a bank robbery gone wrong that killed several people, and who is haunted by the memory of a young boy who was shot during the incident. He is offered a chance to redeem himself by the Governor, by retrieving one of the Governor's runaway "granddaughters." To control him, Hero is placed in a suit filled with explosives that will detonate if he goes away from the plan.
Hero is played by Nicholas Cage, one of the most distinctive and prolific actors working today. A part of the illustrious Coppola family, Cage came to fame in guilty-pleasure thrillers like Con Air and Face.Off, but has also had critically acclaimed performances such as his turn as twin screenwriters in Adaptation. Cage was reportedly Sono's first choice for the role, and his willingness to take parts in lower-budget movies has meant Cage has appeared in a number of similarly gonzo films over recent years such as Color Out of Space, Pig, and Mandy.
Sofia Boutella as Bernice
Bernice is one of the Governor's "granddaughters" who flees Samurai Town in the opening scene and is pursued by Hero. She is fixated on avoiding the powerful man's control, repeatedly stating her refusal to be a "prisoner." While initially silent, Bernice eventually finds her voice and assists Hero in fighting the Governor and his army of samurai.
Boutella is a French-Algerian actress who began her career as a dancer. Her first major Hollywood movie was the Mark Millar comic adaptation Kingsman: The Secret Service, where she played the assassin Gazelle. She has since appeared in movies such as Star Trek Beyond, Hotel Artemis, and The Mummy, where she played the title role. Her semi-lead role in Gaspar Noé's Climax allowed her to demonstrate both her exceptional acting and dancing talents.
Bill Moseley as The Governor
The Governor is the tyrannical ruler of Samurai Town, who owns what is seemingly the area's only functioning car and is constantly accompanied by a small army of samurai and a chorus of geisha. He also keeps a group of so-called granddaughters who are implied to be his sex slaves. The Governor is played by Bill Moseley, who is well-known as an actor in cult movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses, and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Moseley also appeared as Possum on the HBO series Carnivale.
Nick Cassavetes as Psycho
Psycho is Hero's ex-partner, whose name suggests his short temper and propensity for violence. Cassavetes previously appeared alongside Nic Cage in Face/Off, and has also had parts in movies like The Hangover Part II and in TV shows such as Entourage, where he played himself. The son of legendary independent director John Cassavetes, Nick is primarily known as a director of emotional movies such as The Notebook and My Sister's Keeper. Prisoners of the Ghostland eventually shows that Psycho has a larger role in the mythical ghostland and the incident that lead to its creation.
Tak Sakaguchi as Yasujiro
Yasujiro is the strongest samurai in the Governor's personal guard and a rival to Hero. He is an honorable man who is forced into the Governor's service to protect his sister, one of the "granddaughters." Sakaguchi is a real-life martial arts expert who is skilled in various disciplines and also works as a choreographer, stunt man, and director, having worked on films like Godzilla: Final Wars. He has previously worked with director Sion Sono on Why Don't You Play in Hell.
Charles Glover as Enoch
Enoch is the leader of the outcasts trapped in the Ghostland. He tries to ward off the ghosts in various ways, such as by encasing people in the shells of mannequins, but is ultimately pessimistic about the possibility of escaping the area. Glover is an actor and producer who has specialized in playing Westerners in Japanese films. Recent credits include Ambassador Lansing in Shin Godzilla and John Foster Dulles in a biopic of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
Prisoners of the Ghostland Supporting Cast
Yuzuka Nakaya as Suzie: Suzie is the youngest of the Governor's "Granddaughters" who ends up playing a major role in Prisoners of the Ghostland's climactic ending. Nakaya is a child actress whose only previous role was in the Japanese TV series The Forest of Love and its sequel.
Young Dais as Ratman: The leader of the monstrous group that rescues Hero in the Ghostland, Ratman is a mutant and a tinkerer. Young Dais is best known for appearing in Japanese projects, including in The Forest of Love: Deep Cut alongside Nakaya and Devilman: Crybaby as the voice of Kukun.
Lorena Koto as Stella: Stella is one of Bernice's friends who help her escape at the start of Prisoners of the Ghostland, alongside Nanci, played by Canon Nawata. Koto is a Romanian-Japanese actress born in Transylvania who Sono has previously directed in movies like Why Don't You Play in Hell and Make the Last Wish.
Takato Yonemoto as Sherriff Takato: One of the first indicators of Prisoners of the Ghostland's wild genre fusion is Sheriff Takato, a Japanese man in the garb of an old-West sheriff who is one of the Governor's fairly hapless subordinates. Yonemoto was scouted off the street to appear in the samurai epic 47 Ronin, and has since acted in Netflix projects like Love and The Naked Director.