Rodney Ascher’s Ghost Boy is a fascinating documentary, one produced with intelligence and a deep humanity. It is technically constructed with an arresting formal style and a wonderful inventiveness. For Ascher, who came to fame with his documentary Room 237 about Kubrick’s The Shining, it seems a powerful step forward.

The film is narrated by its star, South African web developer Martin Pistorius. When he was 12 he fell ill – catastrophically so – and declined into a vegetative state. Four years later he woke up, but was effective paralysed: unable to move or speak, or give any indication that he was aware at all. He was locked inside his own body without help for years, and his nightmarish ordeal and subsequent rescue form the core of Ghost Boy.

It gets harrowing, and viewers should be aware it leads to discussion of abuse. At the same time it is ultimately uplifting, as the present-day Martin – still in a wheelchair and speaking via text-to-voice software – presents such an accomplished figure. The journey from nightmare to freedom, in a sense, forms the narrative of the documentary. It is never less than fascinating; it is regularly and tremendously powerful.

There is a lesson for us all in Ghost Boy, which smartly avoids any sense of inspiration about Martin’s life. Instead it demonstrates the value in supporting and accommodating people with disability, and the profound worth a life can have if society is prepared to enable it. In a key early moment, Ascher – offscreen – asks the adult Martin a question. Martin thinks, and types, and types, and the audience is left to wait patiently while he slowly composes an answer on his keyboard. When it comes, it is erudite – almost poetic – and each viewer’s patience is rewarded with insight. It is a hugely powerful moment, and a valuable lesson.

The film combines the present-day Pistorius with actors performing recreations of his life, all shot within the confines of a small studio. It gives the film a strangely formal quality, but one that is deeply evocative of its star’s lived experience. Archival footage and photography is there to support the recreations, and altogether it presents a highly watchable account. George Feucht’s photography is crisply effective, as is Heather McIntosh’s musical score.

Ghost Boy resonated with me on a personal level, although I have never experienced anything close to what Martin Pistorius has. That said, like Martin I experience a neurological disability and am always impressed when these kinds of lived experiences can be shared with the broader world. It is hard to get inside one’s own head, and appreciate such a personal journey. Ghost Boy does exactly that, from the initial illness through to a charming and happy semi-recovery. Pistorius seems like a wonderful guy. It is a privilege to spend these 90 minutes in his company.

Ghost Boy is screening at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival. Click here for more information.