The Samurai and the Prisoner (Kokurojo)

Name: The Samurai and the Prisoner (Kokurojo)
Duration: 2 h 27 min
Rating: 4.5

2hr 27m

2hr 27m
(2)
3.6/5 (6.8K)
100%

Based on Honobu Yonezawa's novel. Set in 16th century Japan, follows Lord Murashige Araki who, besieged in his castle, confronts mysterious crimes and allies… More Details »

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Producer:

Satoko Ishida

Writer:

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Honobu Yonezawa

Runtime:

2hr 27m

Synopsis

Based on Honobu Yonezawa's novel. Set in 16th century Japan, follows Lord Murashige Araki who, besieged in his castle, confronts mysterious crimes and allies with imprisoned strategist Kanbei Kuroda to uncover the truth.

Cast

Munetaka Aoki
Tasuku Emoto
Yamato Kochi
Ryôta Miyadate
Masahiro Motoki
Joe Odagiri
Masaki Suda
Yuriko Yoshitaka

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6

RATINGS 38 FANS

3.6

Jul 25, 2026

Got extremely excited in the first act when I thought this was going to be purely a murder mystery set in feudal Japan. It isn't, and what it quickly turns into is extremely good, but I can't say I wasn't temporarily disappointed. In any case Kurosawa's style lends itself…

577 Likes

matt lynch

Aug 17, 2026

A samurai and a prisoner, but which one is which? A castle under siege and series of four interconnected and baffling murders/mysteries in which the titular Samurai and his prisoner endeavor to solve. I loved the conceit of a guy in a dungeon being so sharp he can solve…

429 Likes

Will Menaker

Jul 31, 2026

For Janus: my notes and interview for THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER (黒牢城 / Kokurojo) “Toss him in the dungeon; do not let anyone see him and do not kill him. Keep him alive until I say otherwise.” So begins Honobu Yonezawa’s 2021 novel Kokurojo: The Samurai and the…

420 Likes

Adam Nayman
Aug 4, 2026

Always cool to see a modern master get to flex and play around in a classical form they clearly love, in this case the expertly calibrated ambient dread of Kurosawa’s horror films traded in for a patiently engrossing wartime jidaigeki straight out of the 50s-60s. As much as…

393 Likes

Josh Lewis

Aug 1, 2026

i just know his wife was hitting the smoking duck gif when she heard that guy got struck by lightning

378 Likes

esther

Aug 3, 2026

Come for the intriguing murder mystery, stay for the tea

243 Likes

Jared Gilman
Jul 30, 2026

totally entrancing. kept thinking about how flattering this looks after The Odyssey; the transposition of a text with serialized elements onto film is much cleaner, its ability to straddle period-specific theological anxieties and contemporary/auteurist fixations, its…

213 Likes

Sam B.

May 19, 2026

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Kokurojo is a bit of Shakespeare and a bit of Samurai Columbo. I could have watched it for hours.

316 Likes

Brian Tallerico

Jul 30, 2026

Kurosawa Kiyoshi's first jidaigeki immediately feels like a film his style has been building to all along: the period architecture, all columns and lined floor-mats and paper-thin walls, seems custom-built for the precise geometry of his compositions. He blocks and shoots…

183 Likes

Peter Raleigh

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Top Reviews

Lily Harutiunian liked

The Samurai and the Prisoner

“Advance to Paradise, Retreat to Hell!”

🔥 1 16D

Mob Spacey liked

The Samurai and the Prisoner

Incredibly well made, minus some strange editing choices. Soundtrack would be perfect if it weren’t for that. Whole movie feels like a play, which is fun but not my favorite. Not the most creative plot, but entertaining and thoughtful with lovely thematic work.

4D

jam jammy jambam liked

The Samurai and the Prisoner

Advance screening at the lightbox followed by a Q&A with Kurosawa!

19D