The Ghost and the Darkness

Set in 1898, this movie is based on the true story of two lions in Africa that killed 130 people over a nine month period…

• Director:Stephen Hopkins
• Genre:Action / Adventure / Drama / Horror / Thriller
• Runtime:105 minutes

Cast

Michael Douglas : Charles Remington
Val Kilmer : Col. John Henry Patterson
Tom Wilkinson : Robert Beaumont
John Kani : Samuel
Bernard Hill : Dr. David Hawthorne

Sir Robert Beaumont, the primary financier of a railroad project in Tsavo, Africa, is furious because the project is running behind schedule. He seeks out the expertise of John Henry Patterson, a military engineer, to get the project back on track. Patterson travels by train to Tsavo, where he meets supervisors Angus Starling and Samuel, a native African (and the film’s narrator), and the doctor, David Hawthorne. Hawthorne tells Patterson of a recent lion attack. That night, Patterson kills an approaching lion with one shot, earning the respect of the workmen. The project gets back on schedule. However, not long afterwards Mahina, the construction foreman, is dragged from his tent in the middle of the night. His half-eaten body is found the next morning. Patterson then attempts a second night-time lion hunt, but the next morning another worker is found dead at the opposite end of the camp from Patterson’s position.

Soon, two lions attack to camp in the middle of the day and kill Starling. Patterson attempts to kill them, but they both escape. Samuel explains that there has never been a pair of man-eaters before because they are always alone. The men, lead by Abdullah, begin to turn on Patterson due to the lion attacks. The men dub the lions “the Ghost and the Darkness” because of their notorious methods of attack. Work is stopped on the bridge to fight the lions. Beaumont visits the camp and tells Patterson he will ruin his reputation should the bridge not be built on time. He tells Patterson he will contact the famous hunter Remington to help. All of Patterson’s attempts to kill the lions fail.

Later, Remington arrives with skilled Maasai warriors to help kill the lions. Their initial attempt fails when a gun Patterson borrowed from Dr. Hawthorne misfires. The warriors decide to leave, but Remington offers to stay to help Patterson. Remington builds a new hospital for all the lion victims, and attempts to draw the lions to the old one by covering it with animal parts. The lions, however, outsmart Remingtion and attack the new hospital, killing all the patients and Dr. Hawthrone. Abdullah and the rest of the men soon leave, leaving Patterson, Remingtion, and Samuel alone with the lions. That night, Remington kills one of the lions by waiting in a clearing with a baboon as bait. The next morning, Patterson finds the remaining lion has dragged Remington from his tent and killed him. Grief stricken over Remington’s death and now desperate to end the bloodshed, Patterson decides to burn the tall grass surrounding the camp in order to drive the lion towards the camp where he hopes to ambush it. Read more

Watch full The Ghost and the Darkness online streaming for free