Overview
A band of warriors stands against overwhelming odds to protect the innocent.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- epic
- gritty
- melancholic
- classic cinema night
- samurai movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Kurosawa's expansive samurai drama as a landmark of world cinema, combining richly drawn characters, social nuance, and groundbreaking action direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film builds toward an extended defense of the village, using coordinated swordplay and battlefield tactics within a period setting.
The samurai and impoverished farmers depend on one another while their resentment and suspicion shape the defense.
Rain, mud, fields, and village geography become active elements of the climactic battle and the film's combat staging.
The veteran samurai and his companions defend others while facing hard times, sacrifice, and an uncertain place in society.
Films like Seven Samurai, and why
Yojimbo
shares samurai cinema, historical drama, moral ambiguity, and ensemble warfare
The Hidden Fortress
shares epic historical action, disciplined swordplay, and a lone warrior confronting bandit violence
Harakiri
shares austere historical drama, martial honor, class conflict, and tragic humanism
The Last Samurai
shares large-scale battle choreography, ensemble heroism, and morally complex historical action
Movie Details
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Release Date
- 1954-04-26
- Runtime
- 207 min
- Rating
- 8.5 / 10 (4389)
Cast
- Toshirō Mifune
- Takashi Shimura
- Yoshio Inaba
- Seiji Miyaguchi
- Minoru Chiaki
- Daisuke Katō
- Isao Kimura
- Keiko Tsushima
- Yukiko Shimazaki
- Kamatari Fujiwara
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 Seven Samurai about?
- A battle-weary samurai assembles an unlikely band of warriors to teach a threatened farming village how to survive a bandit siege.
- What is Seven Samurai like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Seven Samurai as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Seven Samurai violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Seven Samurai as brutal.
- What did critics think of Seven Samurai?
- Critics broadly regard Kurosawa's expansive samurai drama as a landmark of world cinema, combining richly drawn characters, social nuance, and groundbreaking action direction.
- Which films are like Seven Samurai?
- Films with a similar feel include Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress, Harakiri, and The Last Samurai.
- How long is Seven Samurai?
- Seven Samurai runs 207 minutes.
- Where can I watch Seven Samurai?
- In United States, Seven Samurai streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
Browse Ember's collections
Movies like Seven Samurai
- The Twilight Samurai2002
- Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island1956
- The Magnificent Seven1960
- The Hidden Blade2004
- After the Rain2000
- Harakiri1962
- Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto1954
- Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple1955
- The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail1952
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons1973
