Ghost Machine (film)
A 2009 British sci-fi film about a deadly virtual warfare program.
Ghost Machine is a 2009 British science fiction film. Chris Hartwill directed it, and the screenplay was written by Sven Hughes and Malachi Smyth. The cast includes Rachael Taylor, Sean Faris, and Luke Ford.
The story begins with a bound and hooded woman being brought to a military-run jail. Nine years later, military technicians and video gamers Tom and Vic run a training exercise for special forces candidates. They bring a secret virtual warfare program into the same abandoned prison to test it on two candidates. What starts as a thrill turns deadly when an outsider seeking revenge hijacks the software and abducts them. Their friend Jess hears about this and starts a nearly hopeless rescue, but she too gets pulled into the virtual world, which can be as lethal as real combat.
The cast also includes Jonathan Harden as Benny, Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir as Prisoner K, Sam Corry as Iain, Richard Dormer as Taggert, and Josh Dallas as Bragg.
Filming took place in September 2008 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the Crumlin Road Gaol. The film is based on a storybook by British screenwriter Sven Hughes. The score was composed by American country artist Bill Grishaw.
Ghost Machine premiered in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2009. It was released in the United States as a direct-to-video production on 22 December 2009 by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
- release_year
- 2009
- country
- United Kingdom
- director
- Chris Hartwill
- screenwriters
- Sven Hughes and Malachi Smyth
- stars
- Rachael Taylor, Sean Faris, Luke Ford
- genre
- science fiction
- composer
- Bill Grishaw
Quick Facts
- Director
- Chris Hartwill
- Producer
- Simon Bosanquety / Mark Huffam
- Writer
- Sven Hughes / Malachi Smyth
- Starring
- Luke Ford / Rachael Taylor / Sean Faris
- Music
- Bill Grishaw
- Cinematography
- George Richmond
- Editing
- Emma Gaffney / Dayn Williams
- Studio
- Generator Entertainment
- Distributor
- Anchor Bay Entertainment
- Released
- 2009 · 2 · 1 · df=y
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Country
- United Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film opens with a tied and hooded woman being taken to a jail run by the British military. Nine years later, military technicians and video gamers Tom and Vic perform a training exercise for candidates of a special force. They smuggle their top-secret virtual warfare program into the disused prison to experiment with two candidates. What begins as a thrill becomes deadly when a vengeful outsider manipulates the software and kidnaps them. Their companion Jess hears of this and begins a rescue mission, but is drawn into the virtual world, which proves as deadly as real warfare.
Reader's Guide
Ghost Machine was shot in September 2008 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the Crumlin Road Gaol. It is based on a storybook by British screenwriter Sven Hughes. The score was composed by American country artist Bill Grishaw. The film premiered on 1 February 2009 in the United Kingdom and was released in the United States as a direct-to-video production on 22 December 2009 by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film's significance lies in its use of a real prison location and its exploration of virtual warfare themes, though it remains a lesser-known entry in the British sci-fi genre.
Did You Know?
- The film was shot in September 2008 at the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- The score was composed by American country artist Bill Grishaw.
- It premiered in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2009.
- The film was released in the United States as direct-to-video on 22 December 2009 by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
More in British science fiction films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record