Ghost in the Shell

James Cameron called it “a stunning work of speculative fiction . . . the first to reach a level of literary excellence”. The Wachowskis used to take a DVD of the movie to pitch their project The Matrix to producers, telling them, “We want to do that — for real.” Ghost in the Shell was the first anime feature to make an impact in North America, and it clearly made a strong impression on American filmmakers. But more than that, it’s a remarkably prescient story which anticipated how AI blurs the lines between man and machine.

2029: Cybernetics are encroaching on what used to be the exclusive domain of human intelligence. When a rogue hacker known as “The Puppetmaster” brings brain-hacking into the political arena, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.

Staff Pick: Juan

Thirty years ago, Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell didn’t just debut as a cyberpunk masterpiece; it cracked open the future, peering into a world where identity, consciousness, and technology fused in unsettling ways. As we stand in 2025, submerged in the age of generative AI and biometric surveillance, Oshii’s vision feels less like fiction and more like prophecy.

Wael Khairy, rogerebert.com

This is a work of profound and melancholic beauty; every bit as essential in the 21st century as it was in the 20th.

Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph

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