Ghost School

Critical reception

The Reviews Hub rated the film 6/10, calling it a "rational examination of the impact of institutional corruption in Pakistan" that is "analytical rather than emotional." The review praised Nazualiya Arsalan's performance, noting she "plays Rabia as a dutiful student rather than a rebellious tomboy" and called it "an excellent performance from such a young actor." It also highlighted the film's effective use of demonstration over dialogue, such as a market stall holder being taught basic arithmetic to illustrate the limits of a system that denies higher education to the poor.

In a review for taz.de, Barbara Schweizerhof praised the film as a "successful girl portrait," noting that "without much dialogue, the young actress Nazualiya Arsalan makes clear what is inside her." She commended Seemab Gul's documentary-like approach, stating that "through Rabia's gaze one gets to know the adult world better" and that the film's real message is that "it is easier to talk about jinns than about corrupt civil servants."

In a review for Kino-Zeit, Reinhard Kleber compared the film to Abbas Kiarostami's Where Is the Friend's House?, noting that Rabia's "laborious research is reminiscent of the Iranian children's film classic" while praising the director's use of "small fantastic sprinklings" including a winged white horse that represents "Rabia's probably unfulfillable dream of a better world."

epd Film rated the film 4/5, describing it as a work that "reveals the systemic flaws of Pakistani society and its government" through the perspective of a girl determined to uncover why her school has closed. The review noted that the film uses the village as a microcosm to expose authoritarian patriarchal power structures, and that "ghost schools" are a real phenomenon in Pakistan where institutions are built but never staffed.

In a review for Asian Movie Pulse, Panos Kotzathanasis wrote that "Ghost School emerges as a competent piece of cinema that manages to communicate its themes in a way that is both thought-provoking and engaging," praising Nazualiya Arsalan's "impressive performance" and Zamarin Wahdat's cinematography, though noting that the inclusion of the supernatural "feels somewhat forced in a narrative that had previously been grounded in realism."

In a review for Eye For Film, Jennie Kermode described the film as a "beautifully shot, luminous film" that "shines a light on a real phenomenon which blights millions of lives across the globe, yet, in reminding us that there are always some individuals willing to fight, finds a degree of hope." She praised Arsalan's performance as "exceptional," noting she delivers "a character whose vulnerability is clear but who is utterly certain of her purpose."