Ghost in the Shell (1995)
★★★½ — Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Mamoru Oshii adapted this from Masamune Shirow's 1989 manga of the same name, producing what would become one of the most influential animated films ever made, and one that visibly shaped the look and texture of science fiction cinema in the years that followed (the Wachowskis have openly cited it as a direct reference point for The Matrix). Made on a relatively modest three million dollar budget through Production I.G and Bandai Visual, with UK co-production money partly funding the ambition, the film arrived in 1995 at a moment when Western interest in anime was growing but still far from mainstream. Oshii had previously directed Patlabor 2 (1993), and Ghost in the Shell pushed his interest in slow, contemplative storytelling considerably further.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) is a landmark in animation, an atmospheric, philosophically dense cyberpunk masterpiece that looks and feels like nothing else from its era. Set in a futuristic world where humans merge with machines, it follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg cop hunting a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. The 90s art style is stunning: hand-painted cityscapes drenched in rain and neon, mechanical bodies moving with eerie precision, and a haunting score by Kenji Kawai that hums with melancholy and mystery. It’s beautiful, cold, and deeply immersive, like stepping into a dream about the future. The gore is visceral and matter-of-fact (bodies torn open, minds hacked, identities erased) and it all serves the film’s central question: what does it mean to be alive when your body is artificial and your memories might not be your own? It’s heavy stuff, and honestly? I was confused af throughout. The dialogue dives deep into existentialism, consciousness, and digital souls without spoon-feeding answers. You’re meant to sit with the ambiguity, not solve it like a puzzle. But even if you don’t fully grasp the philosophy, you feel it. The mood, the visuals, the quiet moments of introspection, they pull you in. And by the end, whether you understand every line or not, you’re left with something profound, unsettling, and unforgettable. Not always easy, never boring. One of the greatest anime films ever made, and a massive influence on everything from The Matrix to modern sci-fi.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 1995 | Watched: 2025-11-03
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Mamoru Oshii: Angel's Egg (1985)
More from Japan: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · Blue (1993) · The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More animation: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Alice in Wonderland (1951) · Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025)
