The latest from genre-master Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) is an engrossing historical thriller set in the palatial environs of 16th-century Japan. When Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) rises up against the tyrannical 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.
The Samurai and the Prisoner
The Samurai and the Prisoner
Opens August 7
2026. 147 m. Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Janus Films. Japan. Japanese with subtitles. Rated NR.
Tickets: $11 (members), $16 (nonmembers)
"Kurosawa has made one of his best films, a work that feels a bit like Agatha Christie, a bit like Shakespeare, and even a bit like Samurai Columbo."
"Samurai is classical, if pared-back, in approach — at once a satisfyingly linked series of rousing whodunnits, a tricksy game of mental cat-and-mouse and a trenchant, often rather moving, exploration of the nature of true leadership, in all its solitude and sacrifice."
This film is part of the following initiatives:
Coming Soon
The Samurai and the Prisoner
Opens 8/7
Wet Hot American Summer: 25th Anniversary
Opens 8/14—Tickets on Sale Now
Late Fame
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Opens 8/14—Tickets on Sale Now
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