Monday Morning Maybe

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Onibaba

Seen it?

1964 | 105 min | Horror

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (89% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite soft box office. A strong pick for the weekend.

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

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for horror fans. If you loved Hereditary or The Haunting, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Scary.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 45 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1964: an older pace and style.

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi. The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    89% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.7 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 143K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Kaneto Shindō

  • Nobuko OtowaWoman
  • Jitsuko YoshimuraYoung Woman
  • Kei SatōHachi
  • Jūkichi UnoThe Samurai
  • Taiji TonoyamaUshi
  • Someshō MatsumotoRunaway Warrior
  • Kentarô KajiRunaway Warrior
  • Fudeko TanakaOld Woman
  • Hiroyoshi YamaguchiHorse Riding Samurai
  • Hiroshi TanakaHorse Riding Samurai