Overview
Four chilling tales intertwine in a haunting exploration of love, betrayal, and the supernatural.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- dreamy
- melancholic
- late night viewing
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Kwaidan as an acclaimed landmark of Japanese supernatural cinema, praising its visual artistry, atmosphere, sound design, and memorable performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film consists of four separate stories adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's supernatural folklore collection.
The stories unfold against deliberately constructed backdrops and highly expressive color fields that critics described as a symphony of color.
The samurai's abandonment, the woodcutter's broken promise, Hoichi's ghostly performance, and the tea-cup apparition all turn human weakness into supernatural consequence.
The film draws on Japanese spirit traditions, samurai tales, imperial ghost imagery, and Lafcadio Hearn's literary adaptations while using boldly artificial film design.
Films like Kwaidan, and why
Dead of Night
anthology horror rooted in folklore, supernatural punishment, and strikingly stylized color design
Onibaba
Japanese ghost stories combining theatrical visual composition, tragic human failings, and atmospheric supernatural dread
The Ghost of Yotsuya
elegiac Japanese supernatural drama using folklore, loss, and haunting visual symbolism
The Company of Wolves
anthological supernatural storytelling with moral consequence and carefully composed period imagery
Movie Details
- Director
- Masaki Kobayashi
- Release Date
- 1965-01-06
- Runtime
- 183 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (477)
Cast
- Michiyo Aratama
- Rentaro Mikuni
- Misako Watanabe
- Kenjirō Ishiyama
- Ranko Akagi
- Fumie Kitahara
- Kappei Matsumoto
- Yoshiko Ieda
- Otome Tsukimiya
- Kenzō Tanaka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kwaidan about?
- Four Japanese ghost tales unfold as exquisitely stylized parables of desire, betrayal, broken promises, and supernatural consequence.
- What is Kwaidan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kwaidan as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kwaidan violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Kwaidan as mild.
- What did critics think of Kwaidan?
- Critics broadly regard Kwaidan as an acclaimed landmark of Japanese supernatural cinema, praising its visual artistry, atmosphere, sound design, and memorable performances.
- Which films are like Kwaidan?
- Films with a similar feel include Dead of Night, Onibaba, The Ghost of Yotsuya, and The Company of Wolves.
- How long is Kwaidan?
- Kwaidan runs 183 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kwaidan?
- In United States, Kwaidan streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
