The Ghost and the Darkness

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The Ghost and the Darkness

R

1996

2h 5m

History

Drama

Adventure

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Sir Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson (Val Kilmer) to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project's foreman (Henry Cele), seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.

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Critics Consensus

The Ghost and the Darkness hits its target as a suspenseful adventure, but it falls into a trap of its own making whenever it reaches for supernatural profundity.

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Tasha Robinson

Polygon

Dec 17, 2024

82/100

Overlooked and underrated over the years. But in an era that appreciates pulp cinema for its own gleefully cheesy values, Ghost and the Darkness represents a fairly unique marriage between lowbrow creature feature and highbrow historical epic.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Jun 18, 2002

1/4

The picture is too lightweight, too posturing and too self-important to go in an introspective direction.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Apr 12, 2002

2/4

Ranges in quality from adolescent boys' adventure stories to Heart of Darkness.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

Sep 29, 2022

2.5/5

The film has a core competency - being a meat-and-potatoes thriller about killer lions - and as such, it's kind of frustrating how much time it spends not doing that.

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Travis Johnson

Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)

Aug 30, 2022

It’s a handsome, robust, old-fashioned adventure yarn, packed with spectacle and action, and populated with colourful characters—the kind of solid, entertaining programmer we used to make dozens of every year.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Feb 12, 2022

3.5/4

The Ghost in the Darkness tries to give the audience a connection between the desire to finish what one has started with the notion of fatherhood, but some of that salience is lost by the films exciting finale.

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Steve H

@Sharl74 Sep 5, 2026

Excellent acting and story based on a true story.

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Thady O

@ThadyOB Jul 14, 2026

Very Enjoyable Film - has aged very well, compelling story with strong cast. Some minor issues with pacing but worth the watch.

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Farah R.

@Farah Feb 15, 2026

Val Kilmer is charming as ever, but this film was a tad bit over the top for my liking. The story is incredulous and the acting is cheesy. It’s well-made though.

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Shaun R

@Shaun666 Sep 2, 2025

Underrated film. Well worth a watch. Michael Douglas’s blink and you miss it dancing scene is unbelievable.

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Benjamin A

@Benjamin0128 Jul 17, 2025

I live close to the museum with the lions

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 12, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Val Kilmer as John Henry Patterson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $38,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Stephen Hopkins

Director

Michael Douglas

Charles Remington

Val Kilmer

Col. John Henry Patterson

Tom Wilkinson

Robert Beaumont

John Kani

Samuel

Bernard Hill

Dr. David Hawthorne

The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Killing The Last Lion

3:00

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Meet Charles Remington

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - The Lion Trap

2:22

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Lions Attack The Hospital

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Shoot Him!

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Man-Eating Lions

2:52

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Killing The First Lion

3:00

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Eating His Wife and Child

1:50

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Dragged off and Killed

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The Ghost and the Darkness: Official Clip - Lion Hunting

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Synopsis

Sir Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson (Val Kilmer) to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project's foreman (Henry Cele), seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.

Director: Stephen Hopkins
Producer: Paul B. Radin, Gale Anne Hurd, A. Kitman Ho
Screenwriter: William Goldman
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama, Adventure, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $38.6M
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround

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