The Last Samurai

2003 | 154 min | Drama, Action, War

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Audiences rate it highly (7.6/10), it drew serious awards attention and it was a solid box office hit. A strong pick for the weekend.

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

Have you seen it?

Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

How it earned its rating

CriticsSolid
65% on Rotten Tomatoes, 55 on Metacritic
AudiencesStrong
7.6/10 from 8K viewers
AwardsStrong
1 win, 4 other nominations — nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; nominated for Academy Award for Best Costume Design
Box office & staying powerStrong
$457 million worldwide on a $140 million budget
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
628K Wikipedia readers in the past year