Ghost Killer – 2025

Opposites unite through an unlikely supernatural link between the living and the dead in Kensuke Sonomura’s ridiculously fun “Ghost Killer”, a title that could have been the namesake of a horror movie but which is put to its best use under Sonomura’s direction. Co-led by Sonomura regular Masanori Mimoto and one half of the deadly “Baby Assassins” duo Akari Takaishi, “Ghost Killer” is as aggressively action-packed as Japanese action fans expect, and under it all also a surprisingly warm and heartfelt that happens to be laden with expertly crafted martial arts and gun fu.

Trailer

Cast

Masanori Mimoto and Akari Takaishi jointly led “Ghost Killer” as Kudo and Fumika, an deceased assassin and a living college student respectively who becomes supernatural allies. Mario Kuroba also portrays Kudo’s old associate, Toshihisa Kagehara, Ayaka Higashino in the role of Fumika’s friend Maho Iida, and Hidenobu Abera appearing as Masaki Katayama. Additionally, Katsura Naohiro Kawamoto makes a tremendous impression as the final boss of “Ghost Killer”, the formidable Katsura.

Plot

Professional assassin Kudo finally meets his end on his latest assignment. However, Kudo’s restless spirit gets a shot at revenge when young college student Fumika comes into possession of the bullet that ended his life, which inexplicably grants Fumika the ability to see and communicate with Kudo. Even more surprising for both of them, the pair discover that Kudo can take possession of Fumika’s body and unleash his powerful fighting and assassination skills through his living host, with Fumika allowing Kudo to do exactly that to save her friend Maho from an attack. Despite Fumika’s initial reluctance to get involved and Kudo lamenting that he’s stuck with a college kid worlds removed from the life of assassination he once knew, Fumika and Kudo join forces to take down Kudo’s killers.

Action

“Ghost Killer” Lets Its Supernatural Plot Percolate For A Bit

“Ghost Killer” kicks off strong with Kudo’s last stand the ultimately leads to his demise, and the movie surprisingly takes more time than you might expect setting up Fumika’s supernatural transformation into a warrior. For the most part, the first half concerns itself with the dry comedy of the yin and yang that Kudo and Fumika are as a duo, and there’s more comedy at play than you might expect from a movie titled “Ghost Killer”. Thankfully, the perfect casting of two opposites in Masanori Mimoto and Akari Takaishi makes their unlikely pairing one with plenty of mileage.

“Ghost Killer” Nails Its Pairing Of Opposites From Beyond The Grave

Akari Takaishi, well known for her portrayal of Chisato in the “Baby Assassins” franchise, essentially takes that series’ concept of “Deadly assassins disguised as a Japanese college girl” one step further with Fumika’s complete lack of familiarity with the simple act of throwing a punch, and now finding herself along for the ride with the genuine contract killer article. Takaishi’s naivete as Fumika is a splendid pairing with Masanori Mimoto’s hardened focus as an assassin who gains some unexpected perspective on the perils of his profession after he’s no longer able to do anything about it.

It’s certainly not a “Rush Hour” style of zany comedic banter, but the partnership of Fumika and Kudo is engaging, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming. Two people who could not be more different gain something meaningful from one another through supernatural means. Much of the humor comes from Fumika being completely out of her element as Kudo’s unwilling avatar, especially when she argues aloud with a ghost only she can see. The gimmick of Fumika speaking as both herself and Kudo while planning fights delivers plenty of laughs, as confused bystanders question her sanity. Akari Takaishi’s earnest naivete contrasts perfectly with Masanori Mimoto’s hardened assassin demeanor, creating a dynamic that feels natural rather than forced. Beneath the comedy lies a sincere emotional core, as Kudo gains perspective on his violent past while Fumika finds unexpected courage. Their bond grows organically, balancing humor, action, and warmth throughout the entire film.

Kensuke Sonomura Kills It Again With The Action Of “Ghost Killer”

Of course, with the increasingly revered royalty of Japanese action Kensuke Sonomura in the driver’s seat, “Ghost Killer” is a truckload of fun for action fans. As mentioned above, Sonomura takes his time after Kudo’s fateful opening brawl with Fumika breaking in having Kudo as her ghostly associate. When the action the finally does kick in with Fumika putting an abusive boyfriend of a girl she bumps into in his place, “Ghost Killer” establishes the fun tag-team style rules of its story with Fumika slapping Kudo’s hand whenever she needs his fighting skills, enabling Kudo to step in and effectively possess Fumika as an indomitable fighting machine. A rookie martial artist primarily trained for the “Baby Assassins” movie be damned, Takaishi is phenomenal is her fight scenes with the layering of essentially being a flesh-and-blood video game character acting out the button mashing of, well, a ghost killer.

The bar fight midway through “Ghost Killer” really delivers on the movie’s core premise , Takaishi zig-zagging between delivering lines as Fumika and Kudo as she takes down opponents with close-quarters combat and weaponry as improvised as a simple dart. The growing comfort Fumika and Kudo have in fighting side-by-side also really pays off in the third act, with Sonomura’s action direction delivering a masterful ballet of gun-fu with the two protagonists against a garage full of Kudo’s old associates.

The Final Showdown Is One Of Kensuke Sonomura’s Best

For all the cheeky humor “Ghost Killer” mines from Fumika being out of her depth as Kudo’s avatar, the film goes fully serious in the final one-on-one between Kudo and his former ally Kagehara. Sonomura’s fast, sleeve-rustling choreography is always thrilling, but he surpasses himself here with one of his finest martial arts showcases and one of 2025’s best fight scenes. The only drawback is Fumika’s reduced presence, as Kudo largely dominates the climax. Even knowing Fumika is physically performing the combat while Kudo controls her movements, more visual interplay between Akari Takaishi and Masanori Mimoto could have strengthened the sense of teamwork. Still, this minor issue does nothing to diminish the relentless seven-minute showdown, which ultimately serves as Kudo’s final battle for redemption and peace. The finale finds Sonomura, Mimoto, and Kuroba at their peak, delivering a perfectly landed supernatural martial arts conclusion for action fans.

Summary

Like the very mortal temple of every of one us, the essence of “Ghost Killer” is its spirit, one that is breathlessly action-packed, with a deft sense of humor, and a tender warmth towards to the possibilities of redemption and becoming more than what one sees on the surface. The duo of Masanori Mimoto and Akari Takaishi gives “Ghost Killer” that very spirit in their united performance as an unlikely who become paired supernatural warriors, while Kensuke Sonomura’s command of the language of martial arts action remains among the best in Japan and the entire action cinematic landscape. Even with a protagonist who is technically dead on arrival, “Ghost Killer” has an immortal strength that elevates it as a fun and hilarious supernatural action blast!

Trivia

Masanori Mimoto’s many other action movie credits include “Alien vs. Ninja”, “Hydra”, “Re:Born”, “Baby Assassins”, “Bad City”, and “Prisoner of War”.

In addition to directing the movie, Kensuke Sonomura also served as action director for “Ghost Killer”.

Naohiro Kawamoto served as action coordinator for “Ghost Killer”. Some of his other credits in stunts and fight choreography include all three “Baby Assassins” movie, the “Rurouni Kenshin” franchise, “Hydra”, “Kingdom”, “One-Percenter”, “Big Brother” with Donnie Yen, and “John Wick: Chapter 4”.

Favourite Quotes:

“I wish I could have possessed a soldier or something!” – Kudo.

“It’ll be me who gets arrested!” – Fumika, when Kudo suggests they kill an opponent (leading Kudo to modify his strategy.

Film rating – 8.5/10

“Ghost Killer” is now on VOD and Blu-ray from Well Go USA! Have you seen “Ghost Killer”? What are some of your favourite supernatural or superhuman martial arts films? What are your thoughts on Kensuke Sonomura’s amazing fight choreography in “Ghost Killer”? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (And be sure to dive into KFK’s FU-niversity of movie reviews and exclusive interviews, grab your official KFK gear and subscribe for more action on YouTube, as well!)