Onibaba
Amid the reeds of medieval Japan, two starving women turn wartime survival, sexual jealousy, and a demon mask into a nightmarish struggle for control.
Overview
A haunting tale of survival and betrayal in war-torn Japan.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- oppressive
- sensual
- late night horror viewing
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's striking monochrome photography, eerie atmosphere, and powerful performances while finding its symbolism uneven and its pacing occasionally slack.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The women hunt and hide among towering reeds whose movement and repetition create an eerie spatial trap.
The samurai's mask is repurposed by the older woman to frighten and control the young woman.
Hunger, possession, labor, and the women's sexual rivalry are intertwined throughout the wartime scarcity.
The characters survive by killing defeated warriors and trading their possessions amid civil-war famine.
Films like Onibaba, and why
Kuroneko
shares Japanese historical horror, erotic tension, stark monochrome imagery, and supernatural dread
The Witch
shares folk horror atmosphere, austere rural survival, and psychologically charged supernatural menace
The Lighthouse
shares black-and-white surreal horror, sexual anxiety, and allegorical treatment of desire
Movie Details
- Director
- Kaneto Shindō
- Release Date
- 1964-11-21
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (505)
Cast
- Nobuko Otowa
- Jitsuko Yoshimura
- Kei Satō
- Jūkichi Uno
- Taiji Tonoyama
- Someshō Matsumoto
- Kentarô Kaji
- Fudeko Tanaka
- Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi
- Hiroshi Tanaka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon 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 Onibaba about?
- Amid the reeds of medieval Japan, two starving women turn wartime survival, sexual jealousy, and a demon mask into a nightmarish struggle for control.
- What is Onibaba like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Onibaba as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Onibaba violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Onibaba as graphic.
- What did critics think of Onibaba?
- Critics broadly praise the film's striking monochrome photography, eerie atmosphere, and powerful performances while finding its symbolism uneven and its pacing occasionally slack.
- Which films are like Onibaba?
- Films with a similar feel include Kuroneko, The Witch, and The Lighthouse.
- How long is Onibaba?
- Onibaba runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Onibaba?
- In United States, Onibaba streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
