Overview
A tough guy's secret agenda leads him into the dangerous world of yakuza and gang wars.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- kinetic
- stylized
- volatile
- late night movie marathon
- japanese crime cinema night
What critics said
Retrospective critics regard the film as an exhilarating early expression of Seijun Suzuki's boldly composed and color-driven crime style.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Retrospective criticism specifically identifies Suzuki's wildly over-composed, color-coordinated style, including the reddish-brown smoke from a wrecked car.
Jo Mizuno presents himself as a violent tough guy, gains recruitment by a yakuza boss, and slowly reveals how his agenda connects to a murdered policeman.
Mizuno attempts to broker a deal with a rival gang, triggering a wider conflict between yakuza factions.
Joe Shishido's tough-guy performance anchors Mizuno's unpredictable movement through rival gangs and violent confrontations.
Films like Youth of the Beast, and why
Branded to Kill
stylized yakuza crime, volatile gang politics, and a charismatic outsider protagonist
Pale Flower
1960s japanese crime filmmaking with heightened visual composition, criminal underworld intrigue, and kinetic action
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
hard-edged gangster drama centered on betrayal, rival factions, and morally ambiguous criminal protagonists
The Killers
stylized crime thriller driven by undercover identity, gang conflict, and escalating violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Seijun Suzuki
- Release Date
- 1963-04-21
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (96)
Cast
- Joe Shishido
- Misako Watanabe
- Tamio Kawachi
- Minako Katsuki
- Daizaburo Hirata
- Eimei Esumi
- Eiji Gō
- Akiji Kobayashi
- Masao Shimizu
- Nobuo Kaneko
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Youth of the Beast about?
- A volatile tough guy infiltrates Tokyo’s yakuza underworld, provoking a gang war while pursuing a hidden connection to a murdered policeman.
- What is Youth of the Beast like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Youth of the Beast as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Youth of the Beast violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Youth of the Beast as graphic.
- What did critics think of Youth of the Beast?
- Retrospective critics regard the film as an exhilarating early expression of Seijun Suzuki's boldly composed and color-driven crime style.
- Which films are like Youth of the Beast?
- Films with a similar feel include Branded to Kill, Pale Flower, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, and The Killers.
- How long is Youth of the Beast?
- Youth of the Beast runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Youth of the Beast?
- In United States, Youth of the Beast streams on Criterion Channel.
In Ember's collections
Movies like Youth of the Beast
- Return of the Street Fighter1974
- The Street Fighter1974
- Violent Cop1989
- Outrage Coda2017
- Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea Is Bright Red as the Color of Love1966
- Pale Flower1964
- Tokyo Drifter1966
- A Weapon in My Heart1996
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima1973
- Battles Without Honor and Humanity1973
