The Samurai and the Prisoner

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The Samurai and the Prisoner

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83 Reviews

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50+ Ratings

When Lord Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki) rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga Oda (Bando Shingo), he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda's army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.

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Critics Consensus

Orchestrated with an intelligence as sharp as a katana's edge, The Samurai and the Prisoner is an elegant mystery that offers further proof of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's mastery in any genre.

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Valerie Complex

The Nerds of Color

6d

Kurosawa may have made a Samurai murder mystery, but beneath the armor and political intrigue is a warning about what happens when war convinces people that dying honorably matters more than living at all.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Aug 12

3.5/4

Kurosawa de-emphasizes battle sequences to concentrate more on substantial conversations about honor, compassion, redemption and strategy, infusing it with a more heady and philosophical bent than the norm, a welcome quality...

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Aug 6

3.5/5

At the heart of The Samurai and the Prisoner is a deeply moving performance from Motoki (Departures) as a man who cannot deny his fate, even as he puts up a facade that only crumbles around Kanbei.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

6d

4/5

By asking what becomes of a warrior in wartime who does not kill, the film offers a gripping reminder of the humanity — and sacrifice — required to lead with grace, of the majesty it can inspireand the melancholy it more often spreads.

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Timothy Lee

Geeks of Color

6d

7/10

While it’s certainly more Agatha Christie than Akira Kurosawa, this is definitely a film that is gripping as long as you meet it on its level and understand what it’s attempting.

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Trevor Leavell

Pop Culture Leftovers

Aug 16

Sure, he's no stranger to the procedural, but this is the first period piece in Kurosawa's catalog. Not only that, he trades a foreboding atmosphere for something more delicate and contemplative.

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Kurosawa Kubrick

5d

AN AMAZINGLY well done film with a great story that was shot very well all the way through ...

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Justin

Aug 17

Multi layered samurai mystery with a mystic! Preferable in the theater than at home streaming due to the detail.

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lerobinson

Aug 14

Don’t go thinking your going to see a lot of sword dueling or samurai fighting. It’s an introspective, intrigue filled movie with a big take home message. In the end, it comes together but feels disjointed (at least for non Japanese viewers) the first 75% of the movie.

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Oliver B

Aug 12

Gripping whodunnit/mystery.

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Isaac Martinez

Aug 12

I really love this movie. The Samurai and The Prisoner feels like something that Akira Kurosawa would have done. Even with the lack of action or battle sequences, The Samurai and The Prisoner manages to get me hooked with the plot, characters and unexpected twists.

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Kirk

Aug 9

Extremely slow plot development. And focuses on an asinine mythical Japanese sherlock holmes mystery collection lionizing a tea maker Murashige that obtained status while happening to get away with never fighting Nobunaga.

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Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Director

Masahiro Motoki

Murashige Araki

Masaki Suda

Kambee Kuroda

Yuriko Yoshitaka

Chiyoho

Munetaka Aoki

Kyuzaemon Araki

Shingo Bando

Nobunaga Oda

The Samurai and the Prisoner: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When Lord Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki) rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga Oda (Bando Shingo), he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda's army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Producer: Satoko Ishida
Screenwriter: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Distributor: Janus Films
Production Co: Shochiku, Tokyo Broadcasting System
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Crime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $515.0K
Runtime: 2h 27m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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