Kubi
Toho | Release Date: TBA CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Time OutPhil de SemlyenMay 24, 2023
Kubi is often wildly funny in Kitano’s straight-faced style, and it’s never less than a lot of fun. Fans of visceral, cynical action movies will lose their heads over it. Read full review
75
The PlaylistIana MurrayMay 25, 2023
Kubi is an outrageously exhilarating update of the samurai epic, dialing up the blood and guts and sprinkling in the sick humor to match. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinMay 25, 2023
This challenging, extremely violent, ravishing-looking, intricately plotted adaptation by Kitano of his novel is of interest for its fresh take on a musty genre. That said, it could feel like a slog to watch for viewers who aren’t fans of sword-wielding, screaming samurai movies. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMay 25, 2023
Kitano has conjured a universe of such incredible and casual nastiness that we yearn for some nobility and loyalty, or even some modicum of decency. Read full review
67
The Film StageLeonardo GoiMay 25, 2023
Even as it routinely threatens to get lost in a head-spinningly knotty plot, the director’s kinetic approach and gallows humor makes Kubi a singular addition to Kitano’s oeuvre. Read full review
58
IndieWireSiddhant AdlakhaMay 25, 2023
The film’s eye-popping, blood-soaked vistas are a marvelous sight, as are a number of its era-specific details, and its handful of striking moments of queer samurai imagery. However, for the most part, Kitano’s tale of ambition and beheadings — many, many beheadings — loses nearly all momentum in its second half, before settling into a rote, repetitive rhythm. Read full review
50
Screen DailyLee MarshallMay 25, 2023
A handful of bone-crunching, arrow-whirring, neck-slicing battle scenes allow us some time off from trying to follow the convoluted narrative thread. Read full review
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