Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- dreamy
- fatalistic
- cult movie night
- martial arts marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film as a radically reworked, cultishly compelling samurai spectacle whose poetic action and graphic bloodshed outshine its compressed exposition.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Daigorō narrates the journey, creating a striking contrast between his observant voice and the samurai’s lethal world.
The American version combines material from two Japanese films and radically alters their editing, narration, and soundtrack.
Sword fights and killings are staged as dream-like, balletic set pieces while retaining graphic physical impact.
Ogami Itto abandons ordinary service after his wife’s murder and pursues vengeance according to samurai honor.
Films like Shogun Assassin, and why
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
stylized samurai revenge, episodic mercenary structure, and graphic swordplay
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
jidaigeki setting, wandering warrior protagonist, and operatic revenge violence
Sword of the Beast
hard-edged samurai action, clan intrigue, and balletic bloodshed
Lady Snowblood
cult exploitation energy, revenge narrative, and heightened martial-arts spectacle
Movie Details
- Directors
- Robert Houston, Kenji Misumi
- Release Date
- 1980-11-11
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (196)
Cast
- Tomisaburō Wakayama
- Akihiro Tomikawa
- Kayo Matsuo
- Minoru Ōki
- Shin Kishida
- Shogen Nitta
- Reiko Kasahara
- Akiji Kobayashi
- Taketoshi Naitō
- Tokio Oki
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Shogun Assassin about?
- A disgraced samurai and his observant toddler son carve a bloody path through feudal Japan toward vengeance against a paranoid shogun.
- What is Shogun Assassin like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shogun Assassin as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Shogun Assassin violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Shogun Assassin as graphic.
- What did critics think of Shogun Assassin?
- Critics broadly recognize the film as a radically reworked, cultishly compelling samurai spectacle whose poetic action and graphic bloodshed outshine its compressed exposition.
- Which films are like Shogun Assassin?
- Films with a similar feel include Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, Sword of the Beast, and Lady Snowblood.
- How long is Shogun Assassin?
- Shogun Assassin runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Shogun Assassin?
- In United States, Shogun Assassin streams on Criterion Channel.
Browse Ember's collections
Movies like Shogun Assassin
- Zatoichi Challenged1967
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx1972
- Fight, Zatoichi, Fight1964
- Zatoichi on the Road1963
- Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons1973
- Zatoichi at Large1972
- Lady Snowblood1973
- The Sword of Doom1966
- Zatoichi and the Chess Expert1965
- Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally1989
