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Poster for Woman in the Dunes

Woman in the Dunes

Seen it?

1964 | 147 min | Drama, Thriller

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences rate it highly (8.2 out of 10). Make plans for this one.

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

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Tense and unsettling.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 27 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1964: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A vacationing entomologist suffers extreme physical and psychological trauma after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village and made to live with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesStrong

    8.2 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Nominated for 2 Oscars.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 87K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara

  • Eiji OkadaEntomologist Niki Jumpei
  • Kyôko KishidaThe Woman
  • Kōji MitsuiVillage Elder
  • Hiroko ItōEntomologist's Wife
  • Sen YanoVillager
  • Hideo KanzeVillager
  • Ginzô SekiguchiVillager
  • Kiyohiko IchiharaVillager
  • Hiroyuki NishimotoVillager