Movies by Lists - Samurai and Yakuza Films (189 [201]) 
| Title | Year | Director | Genre | Rating | Runtime | Added |
|---|
| 13 AssassinsA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord. | 2010 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.6 (64.5K votes) | 141 | 20211228 |
| 13 Assassins [Jûsan-nin no shikaku]A group of samurai plan to assassinate a sadistic feudal lord. | 1963 | Eiichi Kudô | Adventure, Action | 7.5 (918 votes) | 125 | 20211228 |
| Afraid to Die [Karakkaze yarô]Takeo is a young yakuza who renounces his former criminal activities after being released from prison. But sometimes escaping the past is not so easy. | 1960 | Yasuzô Masumura | Action, Crime | 6.5 (533 votes) | 96 | 20211228 |
| Afro SamuraiA Black samurai goes on a mission to avenge the wrongful death of his father in a futuristic feudal Japan. | 2007 | Fuminori Kizaki | Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy | 7.6 (16.4K votes) | 0 | 20220414 |
| After the Rain [Ame agaru]During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect. | 1999 | Takashi Koizumi | Drama | 7.7 (4.1K votes) | 91 | 20211228 |
| Agent Shiranui [Shiranui kengyô]Before he portrayed the legendary blind swordsman, Zatoichi, Shintaro Katsu played Suganoichi, a blind court masseur with a dark side. An outcast since birth, he learned from a young age that the only way to get ahead was to take adv | 1960 | Kazuo Mori | Drama | 7.0 (176 votes) | 91 | 20211228 |
| Agitator [Araburu tamashii-tachi]A fearless Yakuza captain's loyalty is tested as two ambitious underbosses attempt a takeover of both his clan and a rival Yakuza gang. | 2001 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama | 6.8 (1.1K votes) | 150 | 20211228 |
| Alley Cat [Dora-heita]New magistrate cleans up a corrupt town in his own comic Samurai way. | 2000 | Kon Ichikawa (*) | Action, Crime | 6.7 (536 votes) | 111 | 20220414 |
| Ambitious, The [Bakumatsu]The story of Ryoma Sakamoto, considered to be the architect behind the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was considered an outlaw by his own clan, hunted by his government, and was despised by supporters of the Shogun as well... | 1970 | Daisuke Itô | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.0 (143 votes) | 120 | 20240803 |
| Ambush [Machibuse]Sent on a secret mission, a ronin must discover who his friends are and who must die. | 1970 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Action, Drama | 7.1 (847 votes) | 117 | 20211228 |
| Another Lonely Hitman [Shin kanashiki hittoman]Tachibana is a mob hit man, just released from 10 years in prison where he kicked his drug habit. He's dismayed to find that the code of conduct he honors no longer counts, and soon gets into trouble when he defends a call girl, Yuki | 1995 | Rokuro Mochizuki | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (170 votes) | 105 | 20211228 |
| AssassinationWhile Korea is occupied by the Japanese Army in 1933, the resistance plans to kill the Japanese Commander. But their plan is threatened by a traitor within their group and also the enemies' forces are hunting them down. | 2015 | Dong-hoon Choi | Action, Drama, Thriller | 7.3 (6.7K votes) | 140 | 20211228 |
| Assassination [Ansatsu]In 1863, when Americans warships approach Japan, a enigmatic ronin becomes a important figure in a complex game of power between the Shogunate and the empire. | 1964 | Masahiro Shinoda | Action, Drama | 7.1 (895 votes) | 104 | 20220414 |
| AzumiRaised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart. | 2003 | Ryûhei Kitamura | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller | 6.8 (14.7K votes) | 128 | 20211228 |
| Azumi 2Young assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is protected by both an army and a dangerous clan, they meet Ginkaku, a person who shows a remarking resemblance w | 2005 | Shûsuke Kaneko | Action | 6.3 (5.5K votes) | 108 | 20211228 |
| Bad Reputation: Turf WarsA man, Asakichi, becomes the target of the yakuza when he relates to a geisha. | 1974 | Yasuzô Masumura | Unknown | 7.6 (33 votes) | 104 | 20211228 |
| Bandits vs. Samurai SquadronKumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan. | 1978 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.7 (357 votes) | 163 | 20211228 |
| Betrayal, The [Daisatsujin orochi]A naively honorable samurai comes to the bitter realization that his devotion to moral samurai principles makes him an oddity among his peers and a very vulnerable oddity in consequence. | 1966 | Tokuzô Tanaka | Action, Drama | 7.2 (258 votes) | 87 | 20211228 |
| Beyond Outrage [Autoreiji Biyondo]As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. | 2012 | Takeshi Kitano (*) | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.8 (6.5K votes) | 110 | 20211228 |
| Bird People In China, The [Chûgoku no chôjin]A salaryman and yakuza are each sent by their bosses to a remote Chinese village but discover more then they expected. | 1998 | Takashi Miike (*) | Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy | 7.5 (4.7K votes) | 118 | 20211228 |
| Black RiverA love triangle develops between a benevolent student, his innocent girlfriend, and a cruel petty criminal, all as a point of diagnosis of a social disease that had Japan slowly succumbing to lawlessness during the post-War era. | 1957 | Masaki Kobayashi | Action, Crime, Drama | 7.1 (1K votes) | 114 | 20211228 |
| Blackmail Is My Business [Kyôkatsu koso waga jinsei]A pungent, extremely entertaining tale of hedonistic, amoral blackmailer Matsukata. | 1968 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime | 6.9 (361 votes) | 90 | 20211228 |
| Blade of Doom [Shui yue shi san dao]A roving swordsman known as Snowy White has in his possession the much sort after 13 Moon Sword, Anyone who manages to defeat him in combat may own the sword and take a high position in the martial world. | 1982 | Peng-Yi Chang | Adventure, Fantasy | 4.9 (48 votes) | 91 | 20240803 |
| Blade of the Immortal [Mugen no jûnin]Cursed with a life of immortality, a samurai is tasked by a young girl to help avenge the death of her father. Based on the manga series by Hiroaki Samura. | 2017 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Drama, Fantasy | 6.8 (17.1K votes) | 140 | 20211228 |
| Blue Spring [Aoi haru]A group of a run-down Tokyo high school students face the struggles of growing up, growing apart from their friends and worrying about their future, while living in a highly violent environment. | 2001 | Toshiaki Toyoda | Drama | 7.2 (3.6K votes) | 83 | 20211228 |
| Blues HarpAmbitious yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for advancement, as well as by his bodyguard's growi | 1998 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama, Music, Romance | 7.0 (1.1K votes) | 107 | 20211228 |
| Bodyguard Kiba [Bodigâdo Kiba] A ex-prisoner hires the invincible bodyguard Kiba to protect him from vengeful Yakuza, while he travels cross-country to the location of some hidden loot. | 1993 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Crime | 6.0 (406 votes) | 93 | 20240803 |
| Branded To KillAfter a badly done assignment, a hitman finds himself in conflict with his organisation, and one mysterious and dangerous fellow-hitman in particular. | 1967 | Seijun Suzuki (*) | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.3 (8.8K votes) | 91 | 20211228 |
| BrotherA Japanese gangster is exiled to Los Angeles where his brother lives with a small but respectable multi-racial gang, who he inspires to expand their influence. | 2000 | Takeshi Kitano (*) | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.1 (22.9K votes) | 114 | 20211228 |
| Brutal Story at End of the Tokugawa Shogunate [Bakumatsu zankoku monogatari]A headstrong young man seeks to join the Shinsengumi, but as his determination impresses his superiors, questions begin to arise as to his true identity and intentions. | 1964 | Tai Katô | Action, Drama | 7.1 (101 votes) | 99 | 20220723 |
| Bullet BalletA man sees his life changed forever when his fiancee shoots herself. Baffled, he wants by all means to obtain such a weapon of destruction and he finds himself caught in the middle of a violent group of young vicious punks. They firs | 1998 | Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 7.0 (2.6K votes) | 87 | 20211228 |
| Cash Calls Hell [Gohiki no shinshi]Fresh out of prison, a broken man reluctantly takes a job to kill three men, but changes his mind when some gangsters target the same men. He then tries to find out why the men are being targeted in the first place. | 1966 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Crime | 7.4 (305 votes) | 92 | 20211228 |
| Castle of Owls [Ninja hicho fukuro no shiro]This is a classic early Japanese Ninja movie. The Iga ninjas are a dying breed as Toyotomis rule allows Japan to experience some peace. Juzo, an Iga ninja who had vowed revenge for the death of his family, is hired by a rich weapo... | 1963 | Eiichi Kudô | Drama | 6.6 (308 votes) | 91 | 20220723 |
| City of Lost Souls [Stadt der verlorenen Seelen]A film about the teeming flip side of life in Berlin centered on eccentric characters of almost every imaginable sexual orientation, or disorientation. | 1983 | Rosa von Praunheim | Musical, Comedy | 6.9 (79 votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Colt Is My Passport, AA hit man is hired to kill a mob boss. After the deed is done, he and his driver are wanted dead by rival gangs who joined forces. | 1967 | Takashi Nomura | Action, Crime | 7.4 (2K votes) | 84 | 20211228 |
| Cops Vs Thugs [Kenkei tai soshiki boryoku]Acting boss Hirotani of the Ohara gang uses his friendship with corrupt cop Kuno to usurp a staged land deal that rival yakuza gang Kawade had arranged through local politicians. Open warfare erupts between the two gangs. | 1975 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime | 7.2 (765 votes) | 100 | 20211228 |
| Crows Zero [Kurôzu zero]A transfer student attempts to take over the most violent high school in the country, whose students form factions and battle each other for power. | 2007 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Comedy, Crime | 7.1 (8.1K votes) | 130 | 20211228 |
| Dead or Alive [Hanzaisha]A yakuza of Chinese descent and a Japanese cop each wage their own war against the Japanese mafia. But they are destined to meet. Their encounter will change the world. | 1999 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (8K votes) | 105 | 20211228 |
| Dead or Alive 2 - Birds [Dead or Alive 2 - Tôbôsha]Two contract killers cross paths in the middle of the same job and realize they are childhood friends. | 2000 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (3.8K votes) | 97 | 20211228 |
| Deadly Outlaw - Rekka [Jitsuroku Andô Noboru kyôdô-den - Rekka]When his beloved boss is killed, a dangerous young gangster cuts a path of vengeance through the Japanese mafia. | 2002 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (1.6K votes) | 96 | 20211228 |
| Duel of Blood and Sand [Chi to suna no kettô]A ronin comes to a village and tries to organize a defense against bandits. At the same time 4 samurai are hunting him. | 1963 | Sadatsugu Matsuda | Unknown | 7.0 (45 votes) | 91 | 20211228 |
| Eleven Samurai [Jûichinin no samurai]The lord of the Oshi fief is killed by his trespassing neighbor, Nariatsu. But when the Oshi clan is blamed for the incident, eleven of their best warriors decide to trade their lives for justice. | 1967 | Eiichi Kudô | Adventure, Drama, History | 7.2 (354 votes) | 100 | 20211228 |
| Female Ninja Magic [Kunoichi ninpo]In Osaka during the Edo period, ruler Sanada Yukimura was in losing position. Fearing Toyotomi's blood descendants would end, he impregnates one Shinano female ninja with the seed of Toyotomi in hopes of continuing the bloodline. | 1964 | Sadao Nakajima | Action, Drama | 6.7 (27 votes) | 87 | 20220315 |
| Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion [Joshuu 701-gô Sasori]After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners. | 1972 | Shun'ya Itô | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.3 (4K votes) | 87 | 20211228 |
| Female Prisoner Scorpion - Beast Stable [Joshuu sasori - Kemono-beya]Matsu is sheltered by an incestuous prostitute on her run from the police, her ex-prison mate and a cop whose arm she hacked off. | 1973 | Shun'ya Itô | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.0 (1.7K votes) | 87 | 20211228 |
| Fire Within, The [Onibi]A yakuza hitman gets out of jail and decides to start a new life, but soon his old life catches up with him. | 1997 | Rokuro Mochizuki | Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (229 votes) | 101 | 20211228 |
| Fireworks [Hana-bi]Nishi leaves the police in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into depression, he makes questionable decisions. | 1997 | Takeshi Kitano (*) | Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller | 7.7 (29.8K votes) | 103 | 20211228 |
| Floating Castle, The [Nobô no shiro] In the year 1590, powerful daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi nears his plan to unify all of Japan, but he comes across a floating fortress known as Oshi Castle. Narita Nagachika must use his army to defend the castle. | 2012 | Shinji Higuchi, Isshin Inudô | Comedy, Drama, History | 6.4 (622 votes) | 144 | 20240803 |
| Fudoh - The New Generation [Gokudô sengokushi - Fudô]In order to settle a business dispute, a mob leader murders one of his own teenage sons. The surviving son vows to avenge his brother's death, and organizes his own gang of teenage killers to destroy his father's organization. | 1996 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama | 7.0 (3.7K votes) | 98 | 20211228 |
| Full Metal Yakuza [Full Metal gokudô]An inexperienced gangster is killed alongside his strong, respected boss and awakens to find a mad scientist has given him a new body made partly of his boss and partly of indestructible bionics. | 1997 | Takashi Miike (*) | Comedy, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 6.0 (1.8K votes) | 102 | 20211228 |
| Gantz - OAfter being brutally murdered in a subway station, a teen boy awakens to find himself resurrected by a strange computer named Gantz, and forced to fight a large force of invading aliens in Osaka. | 2016 | Yasushi Kawamura, Kei'ichi Sato | Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 7.1 (14.2K votes) | 95 | 20211228 |
| Ghost Dog - The Way of the SamuraiAn African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob. | 1999 | Jim Jarmusch (*) | Crime, Drama | 7.5 (89.4K votes) | 116 | 20211228 |
| Ghost in the Shell 2 - Innocence [Innocence]In the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner. | 2004 | Mamoru Oshii | Animation, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 7.4 (39.7K votes) | 100 | 20231001 |
| Ghost In The Shell.A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master. | 1995 | Mamoru Oshii | Animation, Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 8.0 (138.3K votes) | 83 | 20211228 |
| Girl Boss Guerilla [Sukeban gerira]Members of the Red Helmet biker girl gang wind up in Kyoto, where they get into conflict with other girl gangs and local yakuza thugs. | 1972 | Norifumi Suzuki | Action | 6.6 (589 votes) | 84 | 20211228 |
| Girl Boss Revenge - Sukeban [Sukeban]A group of girls find themselves immersed in an Osaka gangland war when they escape from a detention transport. They form their own gang called The Gypsies. | 1973 | Norifumi Suzuki | Action, Crime, Thriller | 6.5 (288 votes) | 86 | 20211228 |
| GoemonBased on a Japanese folk legend that echoes the tale of Robin Hood, this ninja thriller follows the exploits of Goemon Ishikawa (Yôsuke Eguchi), who leaves his fighting clan after its chief is murdered and uses his skills as a thief | 2009 | Kazuaki Kiriya | Action, Drama, History | 6.7 (5.4K votes) | 128 | 20211228 |
| GoyokinA guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place. | 1969 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.6 (2.3K votes) | 124 | 20211228 |
| Graveyard Of Honor [Shin Jingi no Hakaba]A barkeeper saves a Yakuza boss' life and thus makes his way up in the organization. However his fear of nothing soon causes problems. | 2002 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Crime, Thriller | 6.9 (2.3K votes) | 131 | 20231116 |
| Graveyard Of Honor [Shin Jingi no Hakaba]A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the Japanese mafia but quickly loses his self control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa. | 1975 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime | 7.2 (1.7K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Hanzo the Razor - Sword of Justice [Goyôkiba]Hanzo Itami is an incorruptible Edo officer who learns that an infamous killer has fled from his island prison. Hanzo begins tracking him down using his unorthodox interrogation techniques. | 1972 | Kenji Misumi | Action | 6.7 (1.7K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Hara-Kiri - Death of a Samurai [Ichimei]A tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord. | 2011 | Takashi Miike (*) | Drama | 7.3 (8.3K votes) | 128 | 20211228 |
| Harakiri [Seppuku]When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity. | 1962 | Masaki Kobayashi | Action, Drama, Mystery | 8.6 (51.1K votes) | 133 | 20211228 |
| HeadshotUwais plays a young man who washes ashore, an amnesiac with a serious head injury whose past comes back to haunt him shortly after being nursed back to health by a young doctor. Violence ensues. Sweet, sweet violence. | 2016 | Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto | Action, Drama, Thriller | 6.4 (14.4K votes) | 118 | 20211228 |
| Heaven and Earth [Ten to Chi to]In 16th century Japan, two samurai engage in massive battles across the countryside; one attempting to conquer and the other attempting to defend his land while repressing his love for a woman after taking a vow of celibacy. | 1990 | Haruki Kadokawa | Action, Adventure, Drama, War | 6.8 (1K votes) | 125 | 20220414 |
| Hero of the Red Light District [Yôtô monogatari - hana no Yoshiwara hyakunin-giri]A successful textile industrialist from the provinces, beloved by his employees for his kindness, cannot find a wife because of a disfiguring birthmark on his face. Even the courtesans in Yoshiwara refuse to entertain him, until inde | 1960 | Tomu Uchida | Action, Fantasy | 7.5 (274 votes) | 109 | 20211228 |
| Hidden Blade, The [Kakushi ken oni no tsume]A 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend. | 2004 | Yôji Yamada | Drama, History, Romance | 7.7 (6.6K votes) | 132 | 20211228 |
| Hidden Fortress, TheLured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines. | 1958 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Action, Adventure, Drama | 8.1 (37.9K votes) | 126 | 20211228 |
| Hiroshima Death MatchA young criminal joins a yakuza family to kill the gangsters who beat him up, but falls in love with his boss' widow niece, piling up enemies and corpses along his wayward way. | 1973 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime, Drama, History | 7.5 (1.6K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| HitokiriA destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer. | 1969 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Drama, History | 7.5 (1.1K votes) | 140 | 20211228 |
| Hoodlum Priest and the Gold Mint [Priest and the Gold Mint]The rogue Ryuzen priest is now not only gambling, fornicating, fighting, drinking and dealing in entertainment services, but also becomes involved in abetting a woman who may have inherited a fortune and needs a helping hand to recei | 1968 | Kazuo Ikehiro | Action, Crime | 6.4 (20 votes) | 80 | 20211228 |
| Hoodlum Priest, The [Yakuza bozu]The first of two films in the Ryuzen series, a rogue martial arts practicing, fornicating, alcohol drinking, gambling priest who competes against the local yakuza thug by opening his own gambling house and beats many up to boot. The | 1967 | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.2 (40 votes) | 84 | 20211228 |
| Horrors of Malformed Men [Kyôfu kikei ningen; Edogawa RamAfter escaping from an insane asylum, a medical student assumes the identity of a mysterious dead man, who appeared to be his doppelganger, and gets lured to a sinister island ruled by a mad scientist and his malformed men. | 1969 | Teruo Ishii | Horror | 6.5 (1.6K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| Hunter in the Dark [Yami no karyudo]Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in th | 1979 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.9 (479 votes) | 137 | 20211228 |
| Ichi The KillerAs sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving. | 2001 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Crime, Drama, Horror | 7.0 (55K votes) | 129 | 20211228 |
| Inferno of Torture [Tokugawa irezumi-shi - Seme jigoku]High demand for tattooed geisha generates an entire industry for their "production". Europeans pay more for tattooed beauties. Against this background, and considering the gorgeous tattooed women develop the history of confrontation | 1969 | Teruo Ishii | Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller | 5.7 (487 votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Inn of Evil [Inochi bo ni furo]The story takes place in feudal Japan, when any commerce with the rest of the world was strictly prohibited. An idealist suddenly appears in an isolated inn (the one that the title refers to), the head-quarters of a group of smuggler | 1971 | Masaki Kobayashi | Crime, Drama | 7.7 (1.9K votes) | 121 | 20211228 |
| Inside Llewyn DavisA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. | 2013 | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Comedy, Drama, Music | 7.5 (149.3K votes) | 104 | 20211228 |
| Kabei - Our Mother [Kâbê]Based on childhood days of Teruyo Nogami. | 2008 | Yôji Yamada | Drama | 7.5 (1.4K votes) | 133 | 20211228 |
| KagemushaA petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place. | 1980 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Drama, History, War | 8.0 (34.9K votes) | 162 | 20211228 |
| Kamikaze Taxi [Kamikaze takushî]A revenge-seeking man and his foolish friends plan to rob a yakuza gang. | 1995 | Masato Harada | Action, Crime, Drama | 7.5 (659 votes) | 169 | 20211228 |
| Kamui GaidenThe adventurous story of a fugitive ninja. | 2009 | Yôichi Sai | Action, Drama | 5.7 (1.1K votes) | 120 | 20211228 |
| KenFirst off, I kept my rating somewhat lower because I don't agree with the moral values it offers up as praiseworthy in the finale. The protagonist is the young idealist the Japanese often favoured. He's not the obnoxious do-gooder of The Human Condition, he's the stoic ascetic hero who wants a life of simplicity. He's the captain of a university kendo team, swords slash and flash across the frame and we get all the sweat and furious uproar of the swordfight, but then the movie steps out of the kendo training house and we're not in feudal Japan anymore. The pupils smoke and party and play mahjongg. In this world, Kokubu, the protagonist strong and resolute and lonely, is a bit of an anachronism and everyone around him cocks an eyebrow at his way of life.Kagawa is the antagonist, the kendo fighter with great technique but whose swordfighting is sometimes moved by arrogance, yet Misumi doesn't set him up as the bad guy. He wants to understand how Kokubu can live the way he does and he can't so it's frustrating for him. The problem with the movie is that it's based on the writings of Yukio Mishima. His ascetic ideas are dishonest. Kokubu speaks of simplicity and 'satisfaction of the present', and the movie wants us to believe he's the only one to know true freedom from societal constraints. He has no fear but he wants to win the championship, so he still has hope to cling to. On the gravestone of Nikos Kazantzakis, a more earthy man and philosopher than militant Mishima could ever hope or want to be, it reads ""I fear nothing, I hope for nothing, I am a free man"".In the end everyone laments ""why couldn't we understand Kokubu?"". Kokubu has lifted himself a little above and beyond mundane life and earthly desires, like a saint or a hermit perched on a rock above a high cliff, but he's alone there at the last, and his cry in the wilderness should have been painful and anguished. The movie doesn't give us the cry or even the faint echo of it. In its way, Ken holds him up as a hero to be wept for and a model for inspiration, it refuses to see the folly in his life. But to be Kokubu one must cut himself from everything that makes us human, all the vice and folly which we know we must escape yet realize at every turn that we cannot and live to regret it, and it's that fallibility that makes us human and makes the human experience what it is. In the Kazantzakis book Zorba the Greek the ascetic cellibate loner protagonist realizes his world of writings amounts to nothing and eventually looks up to his wild companion who is filled with an immediate joy for life with envy and admiration. Maybe that is the difference between Greeks and Japanese, maybe simply the difference between Kazantzakis and Mishima.In that aspect Ken is a smoke mirror. It distorts the image, it twists personal ideology out of real life. But like all mirrors it still reflects something held up against it and there's value in that. If we can't know something of our life in Ken, at least we can know something about the life and philosophy of Yukio Mishima.Unheralded titan Kenji Misumi frames and shoots it like he's already a world class director. There's a lot of Japaneseness in it though so, like most of his work, like most of 60's Japanese cinema in general, it will remain the temple of worship of a niche audience. And unlike the more difficult works of people like Toshio Matsumoto or Yoshishige Yoshida it doesn't require blood and human sacrifice from us. Like Kokubu, this is cinema strong and calm and resolute, assured and precise, like something chiseled on black obsidian, the details crisp and vivid. | 1964 | Kenji Misumi | Drama | 7.4 (284 votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Kill! [Kiru]Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal. | 1968 | Kihachi Okamoto | Action, Comedy, Drama | 7.5 (2.8K votes) | 115 | 20211228 |
| Lady SnowbloodA strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family. | 1973 | Toshiya Fujita | Action, Drama, Thriller | 7.7 (13.8K votes) | 97 | 20211228 |
| Lady Snowblood 2 - Love Song of VengeanceTo avoid a death sentence for her prior acts of bloodshed, the vengeful swordswoman Lady Snowblood is conscripted by the Japanese Secret Police to assassinate political dissidents. | 1974 | Toshiya Fujita | Drama, Thriller | 6.4 (3.6K votes) | 89 | 20211228 |
| Last Samurai, TheAn American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle. | 2003 | Edward Zwick (*) | Action, Drama | 7.7 (422.9K votes) | 154 | 20211228 |
| Ley Lines [Nihon kuroshakai]A group of Chinese youths living in Japan struggle to make their way in life and eventually find trouble with the local crime syndicate. | 1999 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.9 (1.6K votes) | 105 | 20211228 |
| Like a Dragon [Ryû ga gotoku - Gekijô-ban]Cult Japanese director Takashi Miike draws inspiration from the popular Playstation 2 title Yakuza for this unhinged tale of underworld violence in Tokyo starring Goro Kishitani and Kazuki Kitamura. It's summertime in Tokyo, and as t | 2007 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.1 (1.6K votes) | 110 | 20211228 |
| Loyal 47 Ronin, The [Chûshingura]Japan's timeless tale of honor and revenge, the Loyal 47 Ronin is the true story of group of samurai who became ronin (masterless samurai) after their Lord was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court offic... | 1958 | Kunio Watanabe | Drama | 7.3 (311 votes) | 166 | 20220731 |
| Man in White, The [Yurusarezaru mono]A member of a Yakuza gang seeks revenge on the people responsible for the death of his boss. | 2003 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime | 6.8 (322 votes) | 95 | 20211228 |
| Merciless, TheA young cop finds his loyalties divided after befriending a notorious criminal while undercover in prison. | 2017 | Sung-hyun Byun | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.7 (2.4K votes) | 117 | 20211228 |
| Mumon The Land of Stealth [Shinobi no kuni]What is the only thing that can stand in the way of a ruthless warlord after total domination of a country? Ninjas. When ninja Mumon kills another fierce ninja in order to claim a reward the repercussions are severe and involve the a | 2017 | Yoshihiro Nakamura | Action, Romance | 7.1 (2.4K votes) | 120 | 20220415 |
| Night Comes for Us, TheIto, a gangland enforcer, caught amidst a treacherous and violent insurrection within his Triad crime family upon his return home from a stint abroad. | 2018 | Timo Tjahjanto | Action, Thriller | 7.0 (24.7K votes) | 121 | 20211228 |
| Ninja Scroll - The MovieA vagabond swordsman is aided by a beautiful ninja girl and a crafty spy in confronting a demonic clan of killers - with a ghost from his past as their leader - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate. | 1993 | Yoshiaki Kawajiri | Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Thriller | 7.9 (36.5K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Ninja Scroll [Jûbê Ninpûchô]A vagabond swordsman is aided by a beautiful ninja girl and a crafty spy in confronting a demonic clan of killers - with a ghost from his past as their leader - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate. | 1993 | Yoshiaki Kawajiri | Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Thriller | 7.9 (36.5K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Ninja, a Band of Assassins [Shinobi no mono]Ishikawa Goemon (Ichikawa Raizo), a talented young ninja, becomes ensnared in a twisted scheme to assassinate Oda Nobunaga, an evil warlord bent on ruling feudal Japan with an iron fist. Deceit, treachery, and entire gangs of enemy n | 1962 | Satsuo Yamamoto | Action, Drama | 6.9 (864 votes) | 104 | 20211228 |
| Ninjitsu [Yagyû bugeichô]In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets which, if revealed, would cause revolution and disaster for the clan. The information is divided among the three scrolls, all of which | 1957 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.5 (138 votes) | 106 | 20211228 |
| OnibabaTwo women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask. | 1964 | Kaneto Shindô (*) | Drama, Horror | 8.0 (18.3K votes) | 103 | 20211228 |
| Onimasa [Kiryûin Hanako no shôgai]A yakuza melodrama, covering decades in the lives of Boss Onimasa, his adopted daughter Matsue, and his biological daughter Hanako. | 1982 | Hideo Gosha | Drama | 6.9 (488 votes) | 146 | 20211228 |
| Orgies of Edo [Zankoku ijô gyakutai monogatari; Genroku onna keizu]A collection of stories dealing with punishment toward women. | 1969 | Teruo Ishii | Drama, Horror | 6.1 (420 votes) | 89 | 20211228 |
| Outlaws, The [Beomjoidosi] Based on real events, this crime action film depicts a Seoul detective's attempts to keep peace while two Chinese-Korean gangs battle over turf in the neighborhood. | 2017 | Yoon-Seong Kang | Action, Crime, Thriller | 7.2 (9.3K votes) | 121 | 20230207 |
| Outrage [Autoreiji]The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate. | 2010 | Takeshi Kitano (*) | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (13.2K votes) | 109 | 20211228 |
| Outsider, TheAn epic set in post-WWII Japan and centered on an American former G.I. who joins the yakuza. | 2018 | Martin Zandvliet | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.2 (25K votes) | 120 | 20220414 |
| Pale Flower [Kawaita hana]A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling. | 1964 | Masahiro Shinoda | Action, Crime | 7.7 (3.6K votes) | 96 | 20211228 |
| Raid 2, TheOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force. | 2014 | Gareth Evans | Action, Crime, Thriller | 8.0 (120.2K votes) | 150 | 20211228 |
| Rainy Dog [Gokudô kuroshakai]A Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past delivers a son to him. | 1997 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama | 7.0 (2.6K votes) | 95 | 20211228 |
| RanIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him. | 1985 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Action, Drama, War | 8.2 (121.7K votes) | 162 | 20211228 |
| RashomonThe rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter. | 1950 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Crime, Drama, Mystery | 8.2 (163.2K votes) | 88 | 20211228 |
| Red BeardIn 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern. | 1965 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Drama | 8.4 (18.5K votes) | 185 | 20211228 |
| Red Peony Gambler [Hibotan bakuto]Oryu (Fuji Junko) is invited to stay with a local yakuza boss of a silk farming town. When a rival gang murders the boss Oryu takes it upon herself to protect his business and family. | 1968 | Kôsaku Yamashita | Action, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (234 votes) | 98 | 20211228 |
| Red Peony Gambler 2 - Gamblers Obligation [Hibotan bakutoOryu (Fuji Junko) is invited to stay with a local yakuza boss of a silk farming town. When a rival gang murders the boss Oryu takes it upon herself to protect his business and family. | 1968 | Kôsaku Yamashita | Action, Drama, Thriller | 6.8 (234 votes) | 98 | 20211228 |
| Revenge [Adauchi]After killing a high-ranking officer in an illegal duel, a low-ranking samurai is declared insane and challenged to a fixed duel by the vengeful clan to which his dead opponent belonged to. | 1964 | Tadashi Imai | Action, Drama | 7.5 (308 votes) | 104 | 20211228 |
| Rônin-gaiA group of masterless samurai living in Edo's red light district must fend off a militia bent on wiping out local prostitutes. | 1990 | Kazuo Kuroki, Masahiro Makino | Action, Drama | 6.7 (524 votes) | 117 | 20211228 |
| Rurouni KenshinA former assassin who has resolved to never kill again has his vow sorely tested. | 2012 | Keishi Ohtomo | Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War | 7.4 (25.8K votes) | 134 | 20220423 |
| RyujiThis is an excellent piece of cinema, about life of yakuza (gangster) and his family. Ryuji tries to quit yakuza and spend a decent life with his wife Mariko and daughter Aya...but as he's used to getting easy money, it'd become hard | 1983 | Tôru Kawashima | Drama | 6.8 (127 votes) | 92 | 20211228 |
| SabuWhen a young man is sent to a prison workhouse for a crime he did not commit his friend on the outside must find evidence to clear his name. | 2002 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Drama | 6.4 (417 votes) | 122 | 20230806 |
| Samurai Banners [Fûrin kazan]A shrewd 16th Century samurai helps a daimyo expand his realm. | 1969 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War | 7.1 (740 votes) | 165 | 20211228 |
| Samurai Fiction [SF - Episode One]A noble young samurai searches for a thief who has stolen a precious treasure and killed one of his clansmen and meets an older samurai who tries to deter him from the violence of revenge. | 1998 | Hiroyuki Nakano | Action, Adventure, Comedy | 7.2 (2.7K votes) | 111 | 20220723 |
| Samurai from Nowhere [Dojo yaburi]The adventures of a ronin, a samurai without a feudal lord, trying to achieve safety in a neighbouring domain. | 1964 | Seiichirô Uchikawa | Action, Adventure | 7.2 (181 votes) | 93 | 20240803 |
| Samurai from Somewhere [Zoku Dojo Yaburi - Mondo Muyo]Young Lord Takenaka stands to succeed his father until a series of violent actions lead his retainers to believe that he has gone insane with blood-lust. | 1964 | Yasushi Kikuchi, Kôki Matsuno | Drama | 7.4 (41 votes) | 90 | 20211228 |
| Samurai I - Musashi MiyamotoDepicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai. | 1954 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, Romance | 7.5 (8.4K votes) | 93 | 20211228 |
| Samurai Rebellion [Jôi-uchi Hairyô tsuma shimatsu]The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back. | 1967 | Masaki Kobayashi | Drama | 8.4 (12.3K votes) | 128 | 20211228 |
| Samurai Spy [Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke]The legendary samurai Sasuke Sarutobi gets caught in a web of political intrigue, deception and espionage during the early 17th century. | 1965 | Masahiro Shinoda | Action, Drama | 7.0 (1.7K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| Samurai Wolf [Kiba Ôkaminosuke]A charismatic ronin gets snared into a conflict between officials at a waystation, and gains the enmity of a group of thugs. | 1966 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.0 (607 votes) | 75 | 20211228 |
| Samurai Wolf II [Kiba Ôkaminosuke_ jigoku giri]Kiba is caught in the intrigue between a crooked goldmine owner, a cynical, betrayed swordsman, a manipulative lady and an arrogant dojo master. | 1967 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.9 (464 votes) | 72 | 20240205 |
| Sasaki KojiroThis film, starring Nakadai Tatsuya as Musashi and Onoe as Kojiro, is very visually driven. Throughout its long runtime, the film takes our strong-willed, and fickle Kojiro from his hometown, to Okinawa, through raids, festivals, and a final battle on a sandy beach. | 1967 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Drama | 7.3 (64 votes) | 152 | 20211228 |
| Satan's Sword [Daibosatsu tôge]The story follows the life of Ryunosuke Tsukue, an amoral samurai and a master swordsman with an unorthodox style. | 1960 | Kenji Misumi | Action, Drama | 6.6 (235 votes) | 106 | 20211228 |
| Satan's Sword II [Daibosatsu toge - Ryujin no maki]Ryunosuke awakens in the forest having no more idea what happened that previous night, as he'd been drunk & hallucinatory. He is surrounded by corpses & can surmise it's his own handiwork. | 1960 | Kenji Misumi | Drama, Action | 6.5 (162 votes) | 90 | 20211228 |
| Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo [Tange Sazen yowa - Hyakuman ryô no tsubo]A man gets rid of a cheap pot without knowing it contains a map to a treasure. As word spreads, many join in hunting it. | 1935 | Sadao Yamanaka | Comedy, Drama | 7.8 (1K votes) | 92 | 20211228 |
| School of the Holy Beast [Seijû gakuen]In order to investigate her mother's strange death, a woman enters a sacred convent run by hypocritical, perverse nuns. | 1974 | Norifumi Suzuki | Drama, Thriller | 6.6 (1.5K votes) | 91 | 20211228 |
| Sea Is Watching, The [Umi wa miteita]O-Shin is a young brothel worker who, one night, helps a young samurai escape from his pursuers. Against the warnings of her fellow workers, particularly Kikuno and the brothel's owner, O-Shin falls in love with the samurai. | 2002 | Kei Kumai | Romance, Drama | 7.0 (1.6K votes) | 119 | 20240803 |
| SekigaharaA depiction of Japan's 17th Century Battle of Sekigahara where the Army of the East takes up arms against the Army of the West. | 2017 | Masato Harada | Drama, History, War | 6.3 (740 votes) | 150 | 20211228 |
| Seven SamuraiA poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves. | 1954 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Action, Drama | 8.6 (334.9K votes) | 207 | 20211228 |
| Sex and Fury [Furyô anego den Inoshika Ochô]During the Meiji era, a gambler called Ocho takes revenge on three gangsters who killed her father, shelters a wanted anarchist and confronts a British spy. | 1973 | Norifumi Suzuki | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.7 (3.2K votes) | 88 | 20211228 |
| Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl [Samehada otoko to momojiri onna]In dreamlike mountain scenery, Toshiko makes a daring escape from her sexually warped Uncle Sonezaki. Fortunately, she met Samehada as she runs for her life, which is also escaping from some slayers. What follows is a wild chase that | 1998 | Katsuhito Ishii | Mystery, Action, Thriller, Comedy | 6.7 (2.2K votes) | 108 | 20211228 |
| SHINOBI- Heart Under BladeStar-crossed lovers must fight on opposing sides in a battle that will determine the next Shogun. | 2005 | Ten Shimoyama | Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance | 6.9 (12.5K votes) | 107 | 20211228 |
| Shinobi No Mono 2 - Vengeance [Zoku shinobi no mono]Confident that he has destroyed the Iga Ninja, the evil Oda Nobunaga continues his quest to conquer Japan. Meanwhile, Ishikawa Goemon (Ichikawa Raizo) has settled down with his wife and child, and wishes only to live in peace -- a... | 1963 | Satsuo Yamamoto | Action, Drama | 7.0 (345 votes) | 93 | 20220723 |
| Shinobi No Mono 3 - Resurrection [Shin shinobi no mono]When we last saw the intrepid ninja Ishikawa Goemon (Raizo Ichikawa), he was about to be boiled alive. But a good ninja is both hard to find, and even harder to kill. With the help of the enigmatic Hattori Hanzo, Goemon lives to s... | 1963 | Kazuo Mori | Drama, Crime, Action | 6.7 (221 votes) | 86 | 20220723 |
| Shinobi No Mono 4 - Siege [Shinobi no mono - Kirigakure Saizo]Tokugawa Ieyasu is the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle. Ieyasu's ninja are the only ones who can... | 1964 | Tokuzô Tanaka | Drama | 6.7 (222 votes) | 87 | 20220723 |
| Shinobi No Mono 5 [Shinobi no mono - Zoku Kirigakure Saizô]In part five of the 8-part Shinobi No Mono Ninja film series the heroic ninja Kirigakure Saizo (Raizo Ichikawa, of Sleepy Eyes of Death fame) serves the daimyo Sanada, played by Lone Wolf and Cub star Tomisaburo Wakiyama. They are... | 1964 | Kazuo Ikehiro | Action, Drama | 6.9 (135 votes) | 91 | 20220723 |
| Shinsengumi Chronicles [Shinsengumi shimatsuki]As change sweep Japan, an honest man joins the Shinsengumi out of respect for their leader and because he wants to live and die as a samurai. However, as his involvement goes, reality and idealism come into deadly conflict. | 1963 | Kenji Misumi | Action, Drama | 6.7 (178 votes) | 93 | 20211228 |
| ShogunAn English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan. | 1980 | Jerry London | Adventure, Drama, History, War | 8.1 (12.3K votes) | 0 | 20211228 |
| Sleepy Eyes of Death 01 - The Chinese Jade [Nemuri Kyoshiro - Sappôchô]Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. The leader of the Kaga clan, who thinks he has killed his smuggling partner, fe | 1963 | Tokuzô Tanaka | Action, Drama | 6.5 (278 votes) | 82 | 20211228 |
| Snake Woman's Curse [Kaidan hebi-onna]An old man dies of heartbreak when a cruel landlord is about to repossess his land. Since the man died in debt, his wife and daughter are indentured servants and are forced to work in the landlord's factory. | 1968 | Nobuo Nakagawa | Horror | 6.3 (307 votes) | 85 | 20220414 |
| Snow on the Blades [Zakurozaka no adauchi]Shimura Kingo fails his duty to protect the life of the Shogun's chief minister, and spends his life tracking down the assassins. However, all but one of the assassins die before Kingo can reach them. Still, Kingo presses on. | 2014 | Setsurô Wakamatsu | Action, Drama, History | 6.7 (276 votes) | 119 | 20240803 |
| SonatineSeveral yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. | 1993 | Takeshi Kitano (*) | Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller | 7.5 (20.8K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Stray Cat Rock - Delinquent Girl Boss [Nora-neko rokku -A wandering tough biker girl aids a female delinquent gang in their battles against an all-male Seiyu group over a fixed boxing match. | 1970 | Yasuharu Hasebe | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.2 (672 votes) | 80 | 20211228 |
| Stray Cat Rock - Machine Animal [Nora-neko rokku - Mashin animaru]Two Japanese men help a Vietnam war deserter escape from Japan for Sweden. They plan to fund the escape by selling LSD pills. After word of the drug deal gets spread around they find themselves fending off rival gangs. | 1970 | Yasuharu Hasebe | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.3 (399 votes) | 82 | 20230715 |
| Stray Cat Rock - Wild Jumbo [Nora-neko rokku_ Wairudo janbo]Five freewheeling friends conjure up a plan to rob 30 million yen from a religious movement. | 1970 | Toshiya Fujita | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.0 (488 votes) | 84 | 20230715 |
| Street Mobster [Gendai yakuza hito-kiri yota]A yakuza, who has an untamed rage and lack of respect for authority, finds himself leading the remnants of the gang he once belonged to in order to secure an area of their own. | 1972 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime | 7.1 (1K votes) | 88 | 20211228 |
| Street of Shame [Akasen chitai]The personal tales of various prostitutes who occupy a brothel. | 1956 | Kenji Mizoguchi (*) | Drama | 7.8 (4.3K votes) | 86 | 20211228 |
| Sun Scarred [Taiyô no kizu]Katayama (Aikawa Sho) is on the way home to his wife and little daughter when he stumbles on a gang of punks beating up an innocent man. Katamaya decides to help the stranger and surprisingly wins the fight. This turns out to be a ba | 2006 | Takashi Miike (*) | Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.0 (556 votes) | 117 | 20211228 |
| Sword of DesperationA talented but troubled Edo Period swordsman, Kanemi Sanzaemon. Three years earlier, Kanemi killed a woman, Renko, the corrupt mistress of the powerful daimyo Tabu Ukyou. Unexpectedly, Kanemi received a lenient sentence for his crime | 2010 | Hideyuki Hirayama | Action, History | 7.2 (740 votes) | 114 | 20211228 |
| Sword of Doom, The [Dai-bosatsu tôge]Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely. | 1966 | Kihachi Okamoto | Action, Drama | 8.0 (10.7K votes) | 120 | 20211228 |
| Sword of the Beast [Kedamono no ken]After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains. | 1965 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Drama | 7.5 (2.8K votes) | 85 | 20211228 |
| Sword of VengenceThe story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures. | 1972 | Kenji Misumi | Action, Adventure | 7.8 (7.8K votes) | 84 | 20211228 |
| Sympathy For The Underdog [Bakuto gaijin butai]A yakuza gang gets driven out of Yokohama by a big gang from Tokyo. They relocate to Okinawa to violently start over. | 1971 | Kinji Fukasaku | Crime, Drama | 7.4 (868 votes) | 93 | 20211228 |
| Tale of Zatoichi, TheThe adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman. | 1962 | Kenji Misumi | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.6 (5.1K votes) | 95 | 20211228 |
| Tattooed Hitman, The [Yamaguchi-gumi gaiden - Kyushu shinko-sakusen]One of the only pre-1980s yakuza films to be dubbed-into-English. | 1974 | Kôsaku Yamashita | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.4 (100 votes) | 87 | 20240803 |
| Tengu-tô Recounts the events that the Mito Tengu Group undertook when they attempted to overthrow the Shogunate during the Bakumatsu Period. | 1969 | Satsuo Yamamoto | Drama, War | 6.6 (84 votes) | 102 | 20240803 |
| Third Shadow Warrior, The [Daisan no kagemusha]A warlords' retainer offers a farmer the chance to become a samurai, but he is instead forced to serve as a double of the warlord at expense of his freedom. | 1963 | Umetsugu Inoue | Action, Drama | 7.5 (216 votes) | 104 | 20211228 |
| Three Outlaw SamuraiWhen poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help. | 1964 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Drama | 7.7 (3.4K votes) | 94 | 20211228 |
| Three Yakuza [Matatabi sannin yakuza]This anthology tells three separate stories, all about yakuza (Japan's gangsters) in the feudal period. In the first, Sentaro, a roaming yakuza, seeks sanctuary with a gang which then asks his help in a fight against its rivals. H... | 1965 | Tadashi Sawashima | Action, Drama | 6.9 (46 votes) | 120 | 20231013 |
| Tokyo Rampage [Poruno sutâ]A young man gets off the train in the morning and wanders the business districts aimlessly. He runs across some yakuza gangsters, whom he despises, and goes on a killing spree, but soon becomes involved with a subordinate gang. | 1998 | Toshiaki Toyoda | Crime | 6.5 (973 votes) | 98 | 20211228 |
| Trail of Blood [Mushukunin Mikogami no Jôkichi - Kiba wa hikisaita]Can a sinful man change and find peace? It's unlikely in gang-plagued Japan. Jokichi of Mikogami, a drifter (and hired sword), goes straight after protecting a woman in distress: they marry, have a son, and Jokichi pursues his father | 1972 | Kazuo Ikehiro | Action, Drama | 6.7 (165 votes) | 88 | 20211228 |
| Twilight Samurai, The [Tasogare Seibei]As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart. | 2002 | Yôji Yamada | Drama, History, Romance | 8.1 (23.5K votes) | 129 | 20211228 |
| Under the Flag of the Rising Sun [Gunki hatameku motoni]One woman's search to find the truth about her husband's death in World War II. | 1972 | Kinji Fukasaku | Drama, Mystery, War | 7.9 (974 votes) | 96 | 20211228 |
| Vengeance is Mine [Fukushû suruwa wareniari]Chronological exploits of Iwao Enokizu, a murderous thief on the run. | 1979 | Shohei Imamura (*) | Crime, Drama | 7.8 (6.4K votes) | 139 | 20211228 |
| Violent Streets [Bôryoku gai] A retired yakuza is caught in the middle of a growing conflict between two rival clans. | 1974 | Hideo Gosha | Action, Crime, Drama | 6.9 (483 votes) | 96 | 20240803 |
| When a Woman Ascends the Stairs [Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki]A middle-aged bar hostess, constantly in debt, is faced with numerous social constraints and challenges posed to her by her family, customers and friends. | 1960 | Mikio Naruse (*) | Drama | 8.1 (4.2K votes) | 111 | 20211228 |
| When the Last Sword is DrawnA samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family. | 2002 | Yôjirô Takita | Drama | 7.5 (5K votes) | 143 | 20211228 |
| Wolves, The [Shussho Iwai]After going to prison for killing the boss of the Kanno gang, a gangster gets released early - only to find that his ex-gang has merged with the Kannos. But with bitter resentments lingering on both sides, bloodshed is bound to begin | 1971 | Hideo Gosha | Crime, Drama | 7.2 (533 votes) | 131 | 20211228 |
| Yagyu Chronicles 1 - The Secret Scrolls [Yagyû bugeichô] nan | 1961 | Masahiko Izawa | Action | 6.2 (16 votes) | 0 | 20240803 |
| Yagyu Clan Conspiracy [The Shogun's Samurai; Yagyû ichizoku no inbô]Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu an... | 1978 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.1 (1.6K votes) | 130 | 20221116 |
| Yagyu Secret Scrolls [Yagyu Secret Scrolls, Part 1; Yagyû bugeichô]In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets which, if revealed, would cause revolution and disaster for the clan. The information is divided among the three scrolls, all of whi... | 1957 | Hiroshi Inagaki | Action, Adventure, Drama | 6.3 (150 votes) | 106 | 20230715 |
| Yakuza Demon [Kikoku]Two brothers in a very small branch of the Japanese crime syndicate must make a hard choice when their loyalties are stretched in too many directions. | 2003 | Takashi Miike (*) | Action, Crime | 6.9 (651 votes) | 100 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza In Love [Koi gokudo]Based on the novel Ukonshi Kujira by author Yamanouchi Yukio, Mochizuki Rokuro's third in his yakuza trilogy depicts a country girl falling in love with a street-level down and dirty thug whose lifestyle is outside of the conventions | 1997 | Rokuro Mochizuki | Crime, Drama | 6.5 (110 votes) | 110 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Papers Vol 1 Battles Without Honor & HumanityDuring the violent chaos of post-War Japanese black market, a young gangster called Shozo Hirono has to keep up with the rapid shifts of power between unscrupulous bosses. | 1973 | Kinji Fukasaku | Crime, Drama | 7.5 (3.7K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Papers Vol 2 Deadly Fight In HiroshimaA young criminal joins a yakuza family to kill the gangsters who beat him up, but falls in love with his boss' widow niece, piling up enemies and corpses along his wayward way. | 1973 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime, Drama, History | 7.5 (1.6K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Papers Vol 3 Proxy WarYakuza boss Shozo Hirono must choose his alliances carefully as the local gangster family affiliations prove themselves to be wildly unstable, causing gang conflicts to slowly escalate. | 1973 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Drama | 7.4 (1.3K votes) | 119 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Papers Vol 4 Police TacticsDuring the violent chaos of post-War Japanese black market, a young gangster called Shozo Hirono has to keep up with the rapid shifts of power between unscrupulous bosses. | 1973 | Kinji Fukasaku | Crime, Drama | 7.5 (3.7K votes) | 99 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Papers Vol 5 Final EpisodeWhile Hirono is in prison, his rival Takeda turns his own crime organization into a political party, whose two executives stir up new tensions in their thirst for power. | 1974 | Kinji Fukasaku | Action, Crime, Drama | 7.4 (1K votes) | 100 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza Wives, The [Gokudô no onna-tachi]While her husband is in prison doing time, Tamaki, the wife of a yakuza capo, runs her spouse's gang with an iron hand. Meanwhile, Makoto, her younger sister, marries a member of a rival band after being raped by him. The two sisters | 1986 | Hideo Gosha | Crime | 6.4 (177 votes) | 120 | 20211228 |
| Yakuza, TheAmerican private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza. | 1974 | Sydney Pollack (*) | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7.2 (8.7K votes) | 112 | 20211228 |
| YojimboA crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town. | 1961 | Akira Kurosawa (*) | Action, Drama, Thriller | 8.2 (119.3K votes) | 110 | 20211228 |
| Youth of the Beast [Yajû no seishun]A violent thug plays opposing yakuza bosses against each other. | 1963 | Seijun Suzuki (*) | Action, Crime, Mystery | 7.4 (3.5K votes) | 92 | 20211228 |
| ZatoichiThe adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman. | 1962 | Kenji Misumi | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.6 (5.1K votes) | 95 | 20211228 |
| Zero Woman Red HandcuffsAfter a politician's daughter is kidnapped by a ruthless gang, a brutal policewoman is released from jail and sent after them. | 1974 | Yukio Noda | Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6.7 (886 votes) | 88 | 20211228 |
| Yami no naka no chimimoryo | 1971 | Kô Nakahira | Drama, History | 6.2 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Blind Swordswoman | 1982 | L. Titus | nan | nan (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Basilisk: Kôga ninpô chô | 2005 | nan | Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, History, Romance | 7.8 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Shigurui | 2007 | nan | Animation, Action, Drama, Thriller | 7.7 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Young Yakuza | 2007 | Jean-Pierre Limosin | Documentary | 6.3 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Oda Nobunaga | 1998 | nan | Drama | 7.3 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Mugen no jûnin | 2008 | nan | Animation, Action, Adventure, History, Horror | 6.7 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Gantz | 2004 | nan | Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi | 7.2 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Kôya no surônin | 1972 | nan | Action, Adventure, Drama | 7.9 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Samurai Jack | 2001 | nan | Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 8.5 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Kaubôi bibappu: Cowboy Bebop | 1998 | nan | Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi | 8.9 (Unkn) | | Excluded |
| Baian the Assassin | 1990 | nan | Crime | 7.7 (Unkn) | | Excluded |