13 Assassins (2010)

13 Assassins (2010) is a tense samurai epic set in 1844 Feudal Japan. When the sadistic Lord Naritsugu Matsudaira grows politically powerful and begins terrorizing the countryside, veteran samurai Shinzaemon Shimada is asked to answer a desperate plea: a mutilated survivor begs him, by writing with her severed forearm, to end Naritsugu’s reign. Shinzaemon assembles a band of warriors — eleven fellow samurai plus a mountain hunter named Koyata — and plots a daring, near-suicidal ambush on Naritsugu and his two hundred-strong escort as they travel through the Akashi domain. Watching the film, you’ll experience a deliberate build-up of character and strategy — the men’s differing skills, personalities, and reasons for joining are quietly sketched out — followed by a long, brutal crescendo of violence. The film balances honor-driven drama and grim moral stakes with tightly choreographed combat: the campaign to stop Naritsugu becomes both a tactical war and a meditation on duty, sacrifice, and what justice costs. Expect vivid period detail, strong ensemble performances, and an escalating sense of dread that explodes into one of the most intense climactic battles in modern samurai cinema. It’s emotionally weighty and often brutal; the violence serves the story’s exploration of corruption, loyalty, and vengeance. Recommended for viewers who like historical action dramas with moral complexity and uncompromising finales — not for the faint of heart.

Actors: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya

Director: Takashi Miike

Runtime: 141 min

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

84 /100 7.5 /10 8.0 /10