A Samurai in Time by Jun’ichi Yasuda (2023)
A Samurai in Time begins as any good samurai movie should, with a duel, as Kosaka Shinzaemon (Makiy…
Samurai Movie Reviews
With their fanciful armor, flashing katanas, and strict code of honor, Japan’s feudal warriors make for great cinema, be it arthouse gems or cult/exploitation classics. Like their shadowy ninja counterparts, samurai always make an impression, no matter the genre.
28 posts
Samurai Rebellion by Masaki Kobayashi (1967)
Isaburo Sasahara is one of his clan’s best swordsmen, though he spends his days testing his lord’s …
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell by Yoshiyuki Kuroda (1974)
It seems only fitting to watch a movie that culminates in an epic ski ninja battle on the eve of th…
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons by Kenji Misumi (1973)
The fifth Lone Wolf and Cub movie begins in a really promising manner that suggests it might just b…
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril by Buichi Saitō (1972)
Kenji Misumi, who directed the previous Lone Wolf and Cub movies, was replaced this time around by …
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades by Kenji Misumi (1972)
The third Lone Wolf and Cub movie veers back towards arthouse territory thanks to its slower pace, …
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx by Kenji Misumi (1972)
Whereas Sword of Vengeance is a relatively straightforward samurai film, bloody arterial sprays and…
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance by Kenji Misumi (1972)
Years ago, Ogami Ittō was the shōgun’s official executioner, a task he carried out with diligence a…
Samurai Wolf by Hideo Gosha (1966)
If you want evidence of the influence that spaghetti westerns had on samurai films — an influence t…
A Samurai’s Sorrow by Akira Inoue (1993)
A Samurai’s Sorrow — also known as A Samurai in Torment — certainly lives up to its title, thanks t…
Ran by Akira Kurosawa (1985)
Akira Kurosawa spent ten years storyboarding every shot in this, his final historical epic, as a se…
Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa (1954)
I’m not sure what else there is to say about Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai at this point. The film…
Samurai Cop by Amir Shervan (1991)
Movies like Samurai Cop highlight a fundamental flaw with star ratings. Objectively speaking, it’s …
If You Enjoyed FX’s Shōgun, Then Check Out These Samurai Titles
Hopefully, FX’s latest hit series will inspire more people to check out samurai cinema. Here are some places to start.
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island by Hiroshi Inagaki (1956)
Musashi Miyamoto (Toshirô Mifune) faces the possible end of his adventures when he’s challenged by …
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple by Hiroshi Inagaki (1955)
Any film that stars Toshirô Mifune is going to get an extra star simply because the man is so darn …
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto by Hiroshi Inagaki (1954)
I watched Hiroshi Inagaki’s Samurai trilogy many years ago, and as I recall, I was less than impres…
Staring Into the Sleepy Eyes of Death, An Unsung Samurai Cinema Classic
Ichikawa Raizō stars as a cynical samurai in this film series that straddles the line between arthouse and exploitation filmmaking.
13 Assassins by Takashi Miike (Review)
I love the idea of a Takashi Miike samurai film, but 13 Assassins just doesn’t live up to its promise.
The Hidden Blade by Yôji Yamada (Review)
A beautiful, nostalgic samurai film that often feels like a retread of The Twilight Samurai… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.