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The Samurai and the Prisoner

2026

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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76

USER SCORE

No score yet

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RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2026

The Samurai and the Prisoner

Movie Details & Credits

Janus Films | Release Date: July 31, 2026 | Not Rated

Summary: When Lord Murashige Araki rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga 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 amongWhen Lord Murashige Araki rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga 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 Kuroda, a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.… Expand

Genre(s): Drama, History, Mystery, War

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 147 min

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Metascore

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

May 20, 2026

In a sense, this is Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood,” one of the other Kurosawa’s unequivocal masterpieces, and it earns that comparison in every way. Read full review

90

Variety

Jessica Kiang

May 22, 2026

“Samurai” is classical, if pared-back, in approach — at once a satisfyingly linked series of rousing whodunnits, a tricksy game of mental cat-and-mouse and a trenchant, often rather moving, exploration of the nature of true leadership, in all its solitude and sacrifice. Read full review

83

AwardsWatch Ryan McQuade

Jun 5, 2026

While not his finest film of his career (or even this year, that would be Chime), Kurosawa continues to prove himself as a vital contemporary master of the craft that explores the essential fabric of his past and present in order to understand the future that is coming. Read full review

80

TheWrap

Chase Hutchinson

May 20, 2026

In each mesmerizing move of the camera or precisely-framed shot, he draws us in closer and closer until we can practically feel the grass under our feet while he simultaneously keeps his sharp eye on the bigger picture. Read full review

70

The Hollywood Reporter

Jordan Mintzer

Jun 5, 2026

The film tells a story that will probably be familiar to anyone who grew up in Japan. It then takes that classic narrative and adds a few new twists, as well as a decidedly anti-war message that seems to be speaking to our time as well. Read full review

70

Next Best Picture Cody Dericks

May 22, 2026

Much as its main character tries to untangle seemingly impossible conundrums, viewers of The Samurai and the Prisoner will find themselves leaning in and working hard to discern the film’s intriguing details. It’s not a task for those who look to cinema as an escape, requiring aggressive attention from its audience, as all worthwhile art should. Read full review

58

IndieWire David Ehrlich

May 22, 2026

Tedious in its plotting but rich in its temporal frictions, this ultra-faithful adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa’s 2021 novel embraces the time-honored traditions of its form with an eye toward subverting them by the end, an approach that proves apt — if not always satisfying — in the context of a story about a samurai who’s struggling to determine if he should do the same. Read full review

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Positive:

0

Mixed:

0

Negative:

0

User reviews are not available for this movie until July 31, 2026.

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