The Ghost in the Shell by Mamoru Oshii Science fiction has been a staple of cinematic entertainment since George Melies first explored the genre in his Le Voyage Dans La Lune of 1902. Although already an early example such as this contained many distinctive features of the genre that are still present today, over 100 years of exploration of the genre have expanded and defined in more accurately what makes a film suitable for the science fiction niche. This article seeks to explore the elements of Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in The Shell and how they conform to the standards of the science fiction genre. These topics will include plot and thematic elements, as well as cinematic techniques and iconography. Additionally, the film will be examined through a reflective approach to determine how the story speaks to the mindset of society during the time of its production. In Explorers of the Infinite: Shapers of Science Fiction by Sam Moskowitz he provides us with a broad definition of the genre as a whole: not just specific to cinema: “Science fiction is a branch of fantasy identifiable by the fact that it facilitates the 'voluntary suspension of disbelief' on the part of his readers using an atmosphere of scientific credibility for his imaginative speculations in physical science, space, time, social sciences and philosophy”. (11) Since this definition refers to the genre as a whole, including both literature and film, it is a good starting point for identifying the plot and thematic elements of the film that speak to the genre. Many noteworthy elements in the film speak to the use of “an atmosphere of scientific credibility”. Unlike other works in the fantasy genre, Ghost in the Shell places itself in the science fiction niche with this distinction. While typical fantasy includes fantastic ... central paper doors. The prominent thematic element that harks back to the science fiction genre is that of creation turning against its creator – the often used “Frankenstein theme”. Using a computer creation, Project 2571, the film speaks to the social mentality at the moment of its making. Constantly asking what it means to be human, the film speaks to society's fear of losing itself to the influx of computer technologies. In a world where supercomputers are rapidly approaching the processing speed of the human brain. robotic technologies are becoming more and more similar to fluid human movements and artificial intelligence is becoming more and more capable of “thinking” independently, it is no wonder that an underlying social reflection of this film talks about the fear of losing the one's sense of self while surrounded by computers that acquire their own meaning.