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Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider

Long ago he made a deal to save someone he loved.

2007110 minPG-13Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Director
Mark Steven Johnson
Starring
Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott, Wes Bentley

In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from the pure-hearted Roxanne Simpson, the love of his life. Years later, Johnny's path crosses again with Roxanne, now a go-getting reporter, and also with Mephistopheles, who offers to release Johnny's soul if Johnny becomes the fabled, fiery 'Ghost Rider'.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Ghost Rider?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Ghost Rider to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Ghost Rider?

Ghost Rider earns 4 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Overhyped.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Ghost Rider worth watching?

Ghost Rider's Midcredits score is the 21st percentile of all films, from 638K ratings across 6 sources. 29% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

21st percentile

Better received than 21% of films

34th percentile among Action21st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)24th
Approval (how many liked it)21st

53 /100

24th percentile of all films

38th percentile among Action24th percentile among 2000s

Critics 35 · Audience 54

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.5 — solid but not unanimous.

29% liked it

21st percentile of all films

34th percentile among Action19th percentile among 2000s
29% rated it 7–1071% rated it 1–6

Critics 28% · Audience 48%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 11 noms overall

99th percentile

638K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$110M
Opening weekend$45M
Domestic gross$116M
Worldwide gross$229M

Returned 2.1× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree that Ghost Rider is a campy, effects-driven spectacle with a shallow story and Nicolas Cage in full eccentric mode.

Fans praised

  • Spectacular visual effects and flaming skull design
  • Nicolas Cage's committed, unhinged performance as Johnny Blaze
  • Pure, mindless comic-book fun with cool action set pieces

Detractors panned

  • Cheesy dialogue and laughable one-liners
  • Weak, underdeveloped villains and rushed fight sequences
  • Thin, illogical plot with no emotional stakes

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

Flaming skull and bike effects praised; some CGI criticized as dated or repetitive

ActingDivisive55

Cage's manic energy divides; Sam Elliott praised as mentor, Eva Mendes panned as wooden eye candy

HumorDivisive50

Unintentional comedy from bad lines divides; fans enjoy the camp value

Pacing40

Slow first act before Ghost Rider appears; then rushed fights and uneven rhythm

Characters30

Thin character writing; Blaze functional, villains like Blackheart called lifeless and non-threatening

Plot and story25

Simple Faustian origin story; deemed illogical, rushed, and full of plot holes

Originality25

Derivative superhero formula; borrows heavily from Blade, Spawn, and western tropes

Dialogue20

Cringeworthy clichés and cornball one-liners; some fans find them amusingly campy

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Ghost Rider like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Adventurous · 11% of filmsCampy · 4% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneGhost Rider holds its pulpy comic-book material with a straight-faced, earnest seriousness, even as it dips into camp and melodrama.
The rideThe film sustains a looming supernatural dread and action tension from the first deal to the final confrontation.
StructureThe film follows a straightforward three-act structure: Johnny's deal with the devil, his transformation into Ghost Rider, and his final confrontation. A brief frame is provided by the historical prologue of the Phantom Rider, setting up the world and the contract's importance.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you entertained by its over-the-top action and Cage's charismatic performance, with a light sense of hope from Johnny's rejection of the devil and new purpose as a protector.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe central conflict is Johnny Blaze, as the Ghost Rider, opposing the demonic Blackheart and his forces to prevent Hell on Earth, fitting the overcoming_the_monster archetype. The subtype 'oppressive_state' is a loose fit for the demonic forces that hold power over the world, and the rebirth element is present in Johnny's arc from a cursed pawn to a self-determined hero.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSacrificeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Sacrifice · 4% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeBlaze's deal with the Devil and his quest are framed around the price of his soul and the chance to reclaim it.
StanceThe film embraces Johnny's self-sacrifice and his choice to fight evil, framing the deal and its consequences as a heroic destiny.

The world

Early 21st centuryRuralUrbanIn transitFantasy
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Christopher Young
SettingDesert highways, stunt arenas, and a demon-haunted western town (San Venganza) in the present day.
MusicThe score mixes brooding orchestral motifs with a western-guitar edge, underlining the supernatural action.

Content guide

Is Ghost Rider okay for kids?

PG-13

Ghost Rider is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for horror violence and disturbing images” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (63/100), sexual content at mild (20/100), language at moderate (40/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at intense (71/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • BGC
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • GreecePG
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • SK12
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 50% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 79%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 29%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 44%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 28%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 92%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Ghost Rider have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Ghost Rider?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Nicolas Cage
as Johnny Blaze
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Eva Mendes
as Roxanne Simpson
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sam Elliott
as Caretaker
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Wes Bentley
as Blackheart
Peter Fonda
as Mephistopheles
Matt Long
as Young Johnny Blaze
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Brett Cullen
as Barton Blaze
Raquel Alessi
as Young Roxanne Simpson
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Donal Logue
as Mack
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Tony Ghosthawk
as Team Blaze
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Ghost Rider?

Movies like Ghost Rider include Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), Elektra (2005) and I, Frankenstein (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, most are fantasy films, and several are stories about demons.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: superhero. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Ghost Rider?

559 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: chosen one. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.