Prolific, renegade Japanese auteur Sion Sono (WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL?, TOKYO TRIBE) makes his English-language debut with the genre-defying, dystopian action mystery-fantasy thriller PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND, starring Nicolas Cage.

In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber (Cage) is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor, whose adopted granddaughter Bernice has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within five days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption. With Bill Moseley, Nick Cassavetes, Sofia Boutella.

“The most absurd thing about Sion Sono’s ‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’ — a sukiyaki psych-Western that casts Nicolas Cage as a criminal on a mission to rescue a runaway girl from a post-apocalyptic wasteland before the bombs attached to his balls explode — is that it didn’t already exist… Their collaboration is a meeting of the minds that immediately delivers on its orgiastic promise.” (IndieWire)

“With Cage as his lead, Sion Sono––one of Japan’s most creative, kinetic filmmakers––embarked on his English-language debut ‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’ following his life-altering, death-defying heart attack. The results are a madcap ‘Mad Max’-esque, Gilliam-style fever dream that throws everything at the screen that its limited, but resourceful budget can muster up.” (The Film Stage)

“The actor himself calls this ‘the wildest movie I’ve ever made… and that’s saying something.'” (Arts Technica)

Tuesday, September 14
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

Thursday, September 16 Final Screening
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE | $15 at the door

Due to reduced capacity, advance tickets are recommended for all shows to ensure seating. Online sales for every screening automatically end 1 hour before any given showtime.

*Minors permitted in the balcony. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*If you are looking to redeem your tickets to either a canceled Rio Theatre screening or a Rio Theatre gift certificate, please email <[email protected]> with info including your name, canceled receipt number, gift certificate info, what you are wanting to see and when, and we can make the switch for you in advance. Alternately, you can bring this information with you to the venue, and we will do our best to help you at the box office.

PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND (Sion Sono, 2021 / 103 mins / 18A) A ruthless bank robber is sprung from jail by a wealthy warlord and sent on a dangerous quest to find his adopted granddaughter, who has gone missing.