Tokyo Drifter
Seen it?1966 | 83 min | Thriller, Crime, Action
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no 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 crime fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved Get Carter, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 23 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1966: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
Not enough engagement data yet
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
- Tetsuya WatariTetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo
- Chieko MatsubaraChiharu
- Hideaki NitaniKenji Aizawa
- Tamio KawachiTatsuzo the Viper
- Eiji GōTanaka
- Tomoko HamakawaMutsuko
- Takeshi YoshidaKeiichi
- Isao TamagawaUmetani
- Eimei EsumiOtsuka
- Ryuji KitaKurata