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Poster for The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai

Seen it?

2002 | 129 min | Drama, Romance

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for romantics. If you loved Notes on a Scandal, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 9 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.8 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Nominated for 1 Oscar.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $7 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 47K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Yoji Yamada

  • Hiroyuki SanadaSeibei Iguchi
  • Rie MiyazawaTomoe Iinuma
  • Nenji KobayashiChoubei Kusaka
  • Mitsuru FukikoshiMichinojo Iinuma
  • Min TanakaZenemon Yogo
  • Ren OsugiToyotaro Koda
  • Hiroshi KanbeNaota
  • Miki ItoKayano Iguchi
  • Ito SenbaIto Iguchi
  • Keiko KishiOlder Ito Iguchi