The Samurai and the Prisoner

2026 2h 27m JA

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 14

DramaHistoryMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Lord Murashige rises up against the tyrannical Oda, he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda's army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei, a brilliant and dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon, as he must outwit his enemies and uncover the truth before time runs out.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Masahiro Motoki
Araki Murashige
Masaki Suda
Kuroda Kanbei
Yuriko Yoshitaka
Chiyoho
Munetaka Aoki
Araki Kyuzaemon
Ryota Miyadate
Inui Sukesaburo
Tasuku Emoto
Saika Sagehari
Joe Odagiri
Koori Juemon
Yusuke Santamaria
Akioka Shironosuke

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Writers: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, shot by Yasuyuki Sasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Yoshihiro Hanno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kôichi Takahashi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Masahiro Motoki and Masaki Suda and Yuriko Yoshitaka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt39602215 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kiyoshi Kurosawa directs. Yasuyuki Sasaki behind the camera. Yoshihiro Hanno scores. Kôichi Takahashi cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
2Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, shot by Yasuyuki Sasaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Yoshihiro Hanno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Kôichi Takahashi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Masahiro Motoki and Masaki Suda and Yuriko Yoshitaka carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt39602215 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 9 themes, including "samurai", "based on novel or book", "based on true story", "period drama".

The technical file

Cinematography: Yasuyuki Sasaki
Original score: Yoshihiro Hanno
Editing: Kôichi Takahashi
Production design: Tetsuo Harada
Makeup / hair: Koji Omura
Runtime: 147 min · 2h 27m
Status: Released
Box office: $6,558,509
Original language: JA
IMDB: The Samurai and the Prisoner (2026)

Also by

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Chris Sawin2026-08-07
★ 7/10
The Samurai and The Prisoner plants the seeds of an intriguing mystery that is worthy of Kiyoshi Kurasawa’s involvement. Still, it simply doesn’t live up to what you’re probably expecting from the film. The film builds and builds for two and a half hours, and the conclusion doesn’t justify such a long buildup. It’s still a worthwhile film to experience, but it feels like a jigsaw puzzle that you nearly complete yet never find the last missing piece. https://bit.ly/sampris

Production companies