Overview
A gripping tale of honor and revenge unfolds in feudal Japan, where a samurai's quest for justice leads to a harrowing confrontation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- austere
- melancholic
- foreboding
- serious movie night
- samurai cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Takashi Miike's controlled, visually striking samurai tragedy for its performances and forceful examination of honor and class, while recognizing its deliberate pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The feudal lord's house treats ritual seppuku as administrative procedure while poverty forces ronin into desperate choices.
Kageyu's confrontation is driven by the revealed fate of his ronin son-in-law and its consequences for the family.
Seppuku ceremonies, samurai etiquette, and the lord's formal reception frame the film's most disturbing confrontations.
Poverty-stricken ronin confront the wealth and authority of a feudal lord's house in historical Japan.
Films like Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, and why
Harakiri
period samurai drama centered on honor, poverty, ritual violence, and institutional hypocrisy
13 Assassins
stylized jidaigeki examining revenge, class hierarchy, and the destructive rigidity of warrior codes
The Twilight Samurai
melancholic samurai drama where personal dignity confronts an unforgiving feudal order
When the Last Sword Is Drawn
slow-building historical tragedy focused on honor, family duty, and moral compromise
Movie Details
- Director
- Takashi Miike
- Release Date
- 2011-10-15
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (212)
Cast
- Koji Yakusho
- Ichikawa Ebizo XI
- Eita Nagayama
- Hikari Mitsushima
- Naoto Takenaka
- Kazuki Namioka
- Hirofumi Arai
- Munetaka Aoki
- Takashi Sasano
- Gorō Daimon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, ARROW
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai about?
- A poverty-stricken ronin's demand for justice turns samurai ceremony into a devastating indictment of feudal honor.
- What is Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai as graphic.
- What did critics think of Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai?
- Critics broadly praised Takashi Miike's controlled, visually striking samurai tragedy for its performances and forceful examination of honor and class, while recognizing its deliberate pacing.
- Which films are like Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai?
- Films with a similar feel include Harakiri, 13 Assassins, The Twilight Samurai, and When the Last Sword Is Drawn.
- How long is Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai?
- Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai runs 128 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai?
- In United States, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, ARROW.
