City of Ghosts (2017)
90%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
City of Ghosts takes a hard-hitting, ground-level look at atrocities in a part of the world that may seem foreign to many viewers, but whose impact will be no less devastating.
City of Ghosts” is like a rollercoaster ride, but instead of loops and drops, it’s a heart-wrenching journey through the eyes of brave journalists fighting against ISIS. The film may not have a Hollywood ending, but it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of a free press and the sacrifices made by those who risk their lives to tell the truth. It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the reality of the war on terror and the human cost of fighting for justice.
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, The Steve Tisch Company, Wendy Finerman Productions,
Distributor
IFC Films, Amazon Studios
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Bangkok, Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some violence
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):English, French, Central, Khmer, Russian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 2017 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 26, 2017
Genre(s)
Documentary/War
Keyword(s)
documentary, war, Syria, ISIS, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, Matthew Heineman, produced by Matthew Heineman, directed by Matthew Heineman, reviewed by Suzi Feay, reviewed by Donald Clarke, reviewed by Calvin Wilson, reviewed by Matthew Lickona, reviewed by Marc Savlov, reviewed by Barbara VanDenburgh, rated R, English, box office gross $124.5K, Aziz, Mohamad Almusari, Hamoud Almousa, Fuad Hasan, Hussam
Worldwide gross: $1,277,187
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,070,156
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,406
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 225,753
US/Canada gross: $357,197
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $578,971
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,295
US/Canada opening weekend: $30,547
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $49,513
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,211
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $17,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $28,365,256
Production budget ranking: 1,179
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $15,274,690
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$41,569,789
ROI to date (est.): -95%
ROI ranking: 1,997
Mohamad Almusari – self
Hamoud Almousa – self
Fuad Hasan – self
Hussam – self
Matthew Heineman – Director, Producer
Director(s)
Matthew Heineman
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Matthew Heineman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (104) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (2)
Astonishing viewing – but it will haunt you.
June 8, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Suzi Feay
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
There are the makings of a gripping story in these elements. But somehow City of Ghosts never quite comes together.
August 15, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
This film will give you a new appreciation for the freedoms that are often taken for granted in a democracy.
August 3, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/4
Calvin Wilson
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
An important story that loses something in the telling.
July 28, 2017 | Rating: 2/5
Matthew Lickona
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
There is zero “fake news” here.
July 27, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
“City of Ghosts” isn’t merely about the personal sacrifices of these men, but a testament to the necessity of a free and open press the world over.
July 27, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Barbara VanDenburgh
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Vital and insistent, “City of Ghosts” is a movie that haunts you long after walking out of the theater.
July 1, 2020 | Rating: A
Brent McKnight
The Last Thing I See
As powerful a profile on courage and the war on terror as you’ll ever see.
May 11, 2020
Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
City of Ghosts works urgently…the grainy and grisly images contrast deeply with the Islamic State’s own slick filmic efforts that ironically and blatantly mimic the language of Hollywood movies with unsettling efficiency.
February 27, 2020
Elissa Suh
MUBI
Documentaries don’t get any timelier and pressing than director Matthew Heineman’s follow-up to Cartel Land.
January 28, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Jorge Ignacio Castillo
The Canadian Crew
The film is worth seeing for its personal stories and its realism, because real life rarely has the neat endings of fiction.
April 26, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
Cate Marquis
We Are Movie Geeks
The story, as assembled, therefore reflects the refugees’ shifting situations, with a naturalistic combination of horror, tenderness and the vicarious heroic kick of seeing journalists sticking it to wrongdoers.
March 1, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Calum Baker
One Room With A View…
Plot
A con man flees to Southeast Asia when an international scam he was involved in goes sour. Suspecting he’s been double-crossed by his long-time mentor, he sets off to Cambodia for his promised cut. What he finds there is a mysterious and hostile environment where even the most polished criminal can end up on deadly ground.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Director Matthew Heineman also directed the critically acclaimed documentary Cartel Land.
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