Overview
A haunting tale of vengeance and the supernatural set against the backdrop of civil war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- haunting
- darkly seductive
- late night horror viewing
- japanese cinema retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as an eerie, hauntingly beautiful, darkly seductive ghost story whose inventive imagery and graceful style elevate its revenge narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yone and Shige return as ghosts after being raped and murdered, targeting samurai who pass through the forest.
The black cat, ghostly women, spiritual purification, and civil-war-era setting draw directly on japanese ghost-story traditions.
The women's eerie meetings with returning samurai and the final spiritual confrontation are staged as graceful, uncanny performances.
Samurai returning from civil war are killed in the same area where the women suffered, linking wartime brutality with supernatural aftermath.
Films like Kuroneko, and why
Onibaba
Japanese folk horror, supernatural revenge, historical rural setting, and mournful atmosphere
Ugetsu
stylized japanese ghost horror rooted in traditional storytelling, feminine rage, and haunting visual composition
Kwaidan
period japanese horror blending revenge, folklore, elegant imagery, and tragic supernatural romance
The Sword of Doom
samurai-era supernatural horror with ritualized violence, ghosts, and atmospheric dread
Movie Details
- Director
- Kaneto Shindō
- Release Date
- 1968-02-24
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (240)
Cast
- Kichiemon Nakamura II
- Nobuko Otowa
- Kiwako Taichi
- Kei Satō
- Taiji Tonoyama
- Rokkō Toura
- Hideo Kanze
- Eimei Esumi
- Shōji Ōki
- Kentarô Kaji
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Kuroneko about?
- A graceful Japanese folk-horror revenge tale in which murdered women haunt samurai through a war-scarred forest.
- What is Kuroneko like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kuroneko as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kuroneko violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Kuroneko as graphic.
- What did critics think of Kuroneko?
- Critics broadly praise the film as an eerie, hauntingly beautiful, darkly seductive ghost story whose inventive imagery and graceful style elevate its revenge narrative.
- Which films are like Kuroneko?
- Films with a similar feel include Onibaba, Ugetsu, Kwaidan, and The Sword of Doom.
- How long is Kuroneko?
- Kuroneko runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kuroneko?
- In United States, Kuroneko is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
