Overview
A band of warriors rises against tyranny in a desperate fight for justice.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- grim
- propulsive
- action movie night
- samurai film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrated Takashi Miike's visually accomplished, emotionally grounded samurai spectacle, especially its ingeniously staged extended final battle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shinzaemon assembles thirteen samurai and designs an ambush against Naritsugu's army of roughly two hundred men.
Naritsugu's connection to the shogun makes his atrocities politically difficult to punish and drives the assassination plot.
The climactic confrontation occupies approximately forty-five minutes and sustains escalating combat tension.
The mountain route, village ambush, fire, mud, and confined spaces continually reshape the samurai battle.
Films like 13 Assassins, and why
Seven Samurai
shared samurai cinema tradition, ensemble warriors, moral conflict, and large-scale tactical battle staging
Ran
shared feudal Japanese setting, political cruelty, tragic martial spectacle, and epic period drama
The Last Samurai
shared historical Japanese action, stylized violence, revenge themes, and ensemble swordplay
The Sword of Doom
shared brutal period combat, disciplined warrior ensembles, and sustained action choreography
Movie Details
- Director
- Takashi Miike
- Release Date
- 2010-09-25
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (1324)
Cast
- Koji Yakusho
- Takayuki Yamada
- Yusuke Iseya
- Goro Inagaki
- Kazue Fukiishi
- Hiroki Matsukata
- Tsuyoshi Ihara
- Ikki Sawamura
- Arata Furuta
- Sousuke Takaoka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Brew, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is 13 Assassins about?
- A veteran samurai gathers twelve comrades for a meticulously planned, near-suicidal ambush against a politically untouchable lord and his overwhelming army.
- What is 13 Assassins like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 13 Assassins as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 13 Assassins violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in 13 Assassins as graphic.
- What did critics think of 13 Assassins?
- Critics broadly celebrated Takashi Miike's visually accomplished, emotionally grounded samurai spectacle, especially its ingeniously staged extended final battle.
- Which films are like 13 Assassins?
- Films with a similar feel include Seven Samurai, Ran, The Last Samurai, and The Sword of Doom.
- How long is 13 Assassins?
- 13 Assassins runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch 13 Assassins?
- In United States, 13 Assassins streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Brew, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel, ARROW.
