Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
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Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Cast
- Forest Whitaker
- John Tormey
- Cliff Gorman
- Dennis Liu
- Frank Minucci
- Richard Portnow
- Tricia Vessey
- Henry Silva
- Gene Ruffini
- Frank Adonis
Letterboxd User Reviews
4.1
213.1K
59.0K
78.2K
- May 11, 2022
jim jarmusch’s most action packed movie and it’s still a mostly chill time
KarstenNov 12, 2013The Last King of Scotland as Ghost Dog. A hip-hop listening, bird loving, samurai assassin who goes to war with the mob after a routine hit goes to shit. Words of samurai wisdom. Old school messaging. A French ice cream man. A pigeon massacre. A mob guy who knows his…
Todd GainesAug 20, 2020You thought killing John Wicks's dog was a crazy move? Wait until you mess with Ghost Dog’s pigeons LMAO.
Kylito ⚯͛ - May 28, 2022
instant favorite. resonates with everything i've ever thought, the core of my very being, the depths of my soul. it's like looking into a pane of glass; reflecting myself, while also perceiving the world around me. there is no difference. we are all journeying together,…
comrade_yuiJan 14, 2024Meditative, philosophical in nature, and perhaps the coolest film of all time, I don't know. Wow. A clear study in code differences, combining samurai and modern-day mob society codes. Features a great blend of a brilliant lo-fi soundtrack, electrifying shooting sequences,…
SethsreviewsJul 24, 2022Ghost Dog has to be the coolest character in all of fiction
owen2613 - Feb 21, 2026
Everyone got that one friend that's gonna use their dying breath to recommend some manga
NorthernlionJun 2, 2022“Matters of great concern should be treated lightly. Matters of small concern should be treated seriously." Maintaining the old ways even in the face of extinction and seeing the world as an abstract minimalist dream. Jarmusch's take on the existential, mythic wandering…
Josh LewisJan 25, 2026I’ll spend the rest of my life knowing I’ll never be as cool as Ghost Dog
Framesofnick
Queue Community Reviews
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Community 1,500
Top Reviews
- Lou Tejada lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
One of my favorite movies of all time. Might be THE favorite movie.
Adiee likedGhost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGreat movie. It has a lot of really great motifs, but my fav part was how goofy the mafia was. When the old guy died & ghost dog just put down one of his guns, I was laughing so hard. Aside from that, it’s v similar to Leon: the professional. If you enjoyed that, def watch this.
Cam Corri lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiSuch an awesome idea and great execution. Whitaker was… Whitaker (amazing as always). Really good philosophical teachings and developed characters. I like how he holstered his guns like how a samurai would sheath their swords. But I still would’ve liked more sword fighting :).
- Aidan White lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
9.5/10 i went into this movie completely blind on a recommendation from a tik tok and damn i’m glad i did - forest whitaker delivers easily my favorite performance of his entire career as ghost dog - the action in this movie is so much fun and the mafia scenes are pretty hilariously written - the…
nevan lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the Samuraithis truly caught me by surprise; a powerful and successful pop culture blend that pulls in elements of everything from ancient samurai titles to semi-modern mobster films. wonderfully shot and acted with a strong script and an immersive score. forest whitaker is the man
Richard Nardo lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiWatched it in high school because I was a Wu Tang fan and liked it. Watched it now in adulthood as a Jim Jarmusch fan and discovered a whole new appreciation for it. Carries that signature Jarmusch feel mixed with hip hop, samurai, and Spike Lee vibes. Great movie!
- Jacob Hall lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
The writer for John Wick was very clearly inspired by this film. Whitaker is menacing but at the same time charming. The soundtrack is a 10/10 from RZA. Not as much action but its supposed to be more of a spiritual film
Andrew Weaver is "meh" onGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai6.5/10 Honestly no idea what to think. I couldn’t tell if parts were trying to truly be profound or if it was supposed to be funny. Some of the samurai code stuff was cool. I was kinda entertained I guess idk
robi lovedGhost Dog: The Way of the Samuraighost dog is one of my favorite characters ever RZA on the soundtrack was just purely perfect this movie has to be one of the coolest movies of all time
Atom Users Reviews
Metacritic
A movie as laconic as its hero, Ghost Dog is nonetheless diminished by its most un-Zen-like attachment to this underlying sentimentality.
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
It's the kind of movie you wish you had more time to absorb and could see more than once before reviewing.
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
Am I the only one who finds the substance of this movie repulsive?
David Edelstein
Slate
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000)?
The movie is 1hr 56min long.
What's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000) about?
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Who's the cast of Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000)?
- Forest Whitaker as Ghost Dog
- John Tormey as Louie
- Cliff Gorman as Sonny Valerio
- Dennis Liu as Chinese Restaurant Owner
- Frank Minucci as Big Angie
- Richard Portnow as Handsome Frank
- Tricia Vessey as Louise Vargo
- Henry Silva as Ray Vargo
- Gene Ruffini as Old Consigliere
- Frank Adonis as Valerio's Bodyguard
Who's the director behind Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000)?
Jim Jarmusch directed Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000).
Who produced Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000)?
Richard Guay produced Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000).
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