Ghost Elephants

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Movie Info & Cast

Release Date:

Feb 26, 2026

Runtime:

1hr 38m

Synopsis

In the highlands of Angola, conservation biologist Steve Boyes sets out on an epic journey to search for a mysterious, elusive herd of ghost elephants - creatures long believed to be a myth.
Moviegoers are saying
Werner Herzog's 'Ghost Elephants' captivates audiences as a deeply philosophical documentary following an obsessed scientist's quest to find rare elephants in Angola, with viewers praising Herzog's ability to weave together elephant poop discussions, underwater cinematography, and existential musings about mankind's destructive relationship with nature. The film premiered at Venice Film Festival 2025 and showcases the 80-year-old director's continued ability to find profound humanity in the most remote corners of the world.
Top Mentions
Deeply-Philosophical
Visually-Stunning
Existential-Journey
Nature-Mysticism
Poetic-Documentary
Herzog-Magic
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
15.6K
4.1K
4.6K
RATINGS 17 FANS
3.7
  • Aug 27, 2025

    Maybe I’m romanticising, but surrounded by chickens , this feels like pure bliss

    608 Likes
    Patrick W
    Patrick W
    Aug 28, 2025

    Totally blown away by the sole idea of going big hunting with cameras instead of rifles and then even with smartphones used as knives for small guerrilla. All with the huge goal of seeing something nobody has seen and maybe doesn't even exist. In 2025!!

    264 Likes
    Gabriele Niola
    Gabriele Niola
    Aug 27, 2025

    what's better than to start the Venezia 82 experience than with Werner Herzog talking elephant poop, mythical scatophagous bugs and the humans constant fight vs biodiversity. he meets an African King and dives deep into the deserts and jungles of Angola, observing mystic…

    252 Likes
    shookone
    shookone
  •
    Aug 27, 2025

    So beautiful. There is one sequence in this film that is shot under water that I truly think is one of Werner’s best moments captured on film. Very poetic and human.

    183 Likes
    Harley
    Harley
    Jun 12, 2026

    I have a ton of affection for both Werner Herzog and Elephants so this worked well. Obviously lacks the complete wackiness of a Grizzly Man but carries much of the same deeply human fundamentals. Rather poetic.

    139 Likes
    Sethsreviews
    Sethsreviews
    Apr 6, 2026

    Keep white people as far away as possible from anything magical still left in the world

    111 Likes
    iqwrestler
    iqwrestler
  • Apr 22, 2026

    so lovely. so human. so beautiful.

    99 Likes
    George Carmi
    George Carmi
    Aug 27, 2025

    As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Elephants

    91 Likes
    Fabrizio Ciavoni
    Fabrizio Ciavoni
    May 9, 2026

    The most important shots were filmed on a phone. A deeply romantic, humanistic film that encompasses all of Herzog's favorite themes. Stunningly beautiful shots of Namibia and Angola. The lead researcher is reminiscent of Kinski's character in Herzog's early films.  The…

    88 Likes
    Bratislav
    Bratislav

Queue Community Reviews

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Top Reviews
  • Jen
    Jen is "meh" on
    Ghost Elephants

    I love animal documentaries but I just thought this one was way too slow. The narrator’s voice wasn’t great for me either. There are so many better animal documentaries out there.

    4M
    Humberto Vargas
    Humberto Vargas liked
    Ghost Elephants

    Magnífica serie

    2M

Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

79
metacritic
Based on 6 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (0)

There are no user reviews yet
80
Mar 3, 2026

Herzog, for his part, remains firmly interested in both nature and man. His camera is enthralled by the animals that occasionally steal into the frame: a venomous spider, covered by its equally dangerous young, gets a frightening cameo. But what absorbs him most is the intense kinship that the San feel with the elephants.

Justin Chang
The New Yorker
70
Feb 25, 2026

Ghost Elephants is an almost diaristic documentary, eschewing normal pathways for a more esoteric exploration of survival, science, intuition and mortality.

Gregory Nussen
Screen Rant
63
Feb 23, 2026

Ghost Elephants shows that Werner Herzog is fiercely determined to explore new frontiers while they still exist and capture the poetic phenomena of nature and the unshakeable dreams it continues to instill in mankind.

Metacritic review by Derek Smith
Derek Smith
Slant Magazine

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Ghost Elephants (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 38min long.
What's Ghost Elephants (2026) about?
In the highlands of Angola, conservation biologist Steve Boyes sets out on an epic journey to search for a mysterious, elusive herd of ghost elephants - creatures long believed to be a myth.