Overview
A cursed samurai battles his way through a world of vengeance and redemption.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- kinetic
- visceral
- outrageous
- action movie night
- samurai cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Takashi Miike's kinetic, balletic swordplay, rich characterizations, and outlandish weaponry while finding the long battle-driven narrative less distinctive than some of his earlier samurai films.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Manji uses his supernatural endurance to help Rin pursue vengeance for her murdered parents while confronting his own past.
The film emphasizes expertly choreographed fights featuring oversized swords, chained blades, axes, and repeated dismemberment.
Its samurai, ronin, jidaigeki setting, and revenge-driven combat place it squarely within chanbara tradition.
Manji is revived through bloodworms and forced to endure an immortal existence after a legendary battle.
Films like Blade of the Immortal, and why
13 Assassins
stylized chanbara action, ensemble sword fights, and ruthless warrior conflicts in historical Japan
Logan
supernatural immortality, revenge-driven violence, and a damaged warrior protecting a younger companion
Highlander
immortal swordsman mythology, revenge themes, and kinetic fantasy combat
Zatoichi
bloody samurai spectacle, revenge narrative, and heightened genre violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Takashi Miike
- Release Date
- 2017-04-29
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (663)
Cast
- Takuya Kimura
- Hana Sugisaki
- Sota Fukushi
- Hayato Ichihara
- Erika Toda
- Kazuki Kitamura
- Chiaki Kuriyama
- Shinnosuke Mitsushima
- Ken Kaneko
- Yōko Yamamoto
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Blade of the Immortal about?
- An immortal ronin escorts a grieving girl through a brutally choreographed quest for revenge against a lethal sword school.
- What is Blade of the Immortal like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blade of the Immortal as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Blade of the Immortal violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Blade of the Immortal as graphic.
- What did critics think of Blade of the Immortal?
- Critics broadly praised Takashi Miike's kinetic, balletic swordplay, rich characterizations, and outlandish weaponry while finding the long battle-driven narrative less distinctive than some of his earlier samurai films.
- Which films are like Blade of the Immortal?
- Films with a similar feel include 13 Assassins, Logan, Highlander, and Zatoichi.
- How long is Blade of the Immortal?
- Blade of the Immortal runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blade of the Immortal?
- In United States, Blade of the Immortal streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
