Battle Royale

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Battle Royale

2000

1h 54m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Comedy

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive collar is fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Their mission: kill each other and be the last one standing. The last survivor is allowed to leave the island. If there is more than one survivor, the collars explode and kill them all.

Critics Consensus

Battle Royale is a controversial and violent parable of adolescence, heightening teenage melodrama with life-or-death stakes.

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Sara Stewart

New York Post

05/25/2012

3/4

Stylistically it's a beauty, with khaki-uniformed waifs fighting for their lives to a crashing classical score.

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A.O. Scott

New York Times

05/24/2012

3.5/5

Awful deaths (and hysterical reactions to them) punctuate declarations of love and friendship, revelations of treachery and heavily armed expressions of angst.

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

05/22/2012

4/5

Forgive the film its small flaws of histrionic performances and cheap execution for the giddy rush of its banal, Verhoevenesque atmosphere...

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Gregory Nussen

Screen Rant

Oct 13

9/10

Kinji Fukasaku's dystopian high school-set murder spree is more prescient than ever.

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Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

03/03/2024

8

Battle Royale” stands as a definite cult movie, from Takeshi Kitano's presence to the way it inspired Tarantino, to the violent portrayal of youth and sociopolitical criticism unfolds against a backdrop of dark humor and an evocative soundtrack.

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Javier G. Trigales

Espinof

11/27/2023

3/5

The "groundbreaking" premise of Battle Royale remains a good black comedy diversion that's more conventional than some wanted it to be. [Full review in Spanish]

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Varuzhan M

@Vic_m 2d

Battle Royale is a harsh and gripping dystopian thriller about a class of students forced into a government-run fight to the death, where friendships and social order quickly collapse under extreme pressure. The film stands out for its mix of shocking violence and quiet emotional moments, using its chaotic premise to explore fear, authority, and teenage vulnerability. Kinji Fukasaku’s direction keeps the tension high while still giving enough focus to individual characters that their struggles feel meaningful rather than just chaotic spectacle. It’s intense, unsettling, and not always easy to watch, but its impact and influence are undeniable.

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Jacqueline F

@RT87327599 2d

100% the best film I've seen so far, might be my favorite. I really enjoyed the way this film was more normal than a lot of the films I've watched so far. It was like nothing that I have never not seen before (hunger games) and I really liked the way they showed the children's feelings and how they were harmless yet forced to harm one another.

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Jazmine G

@jazminegonza 3d

I really liked this film because it gave me a mix of The Hunger Games and Squid Games vibes in which are both films that I absolutely adore. The concept of the plot may be a bit overused, but it’s still something that I’ll always enjoy watching every single time. Seeing Shuya and Noriko try to survive the "Battle Royale" and fight against the government was so fun to watch as they reminded me of Peeta and Katniss, as well as Gi-hun.

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Mckenzie M

@CriticKenz 5d

9/10. really amazing movie. spawned an entire genre of horror

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Carlitos ..

@RT65213104 Apr 23

Battle Royale was pretty crazy and intense. The concept is wild but actually makes you think. Some parts were confusing with all the characters, but it still kept me interested. It’s not a chill movie at all, kinda heavy, but definitely memorable.

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Jacqueline N

@Jnunez145 Apr 21

The premise of the plot kinda reminds me of the anime, danganronpa. With they way each students have to kill each other. I really enjoyed this movie. The action and kill scenes were my favorite

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Kinji Fukasaku

Director

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Battle Royale: 25th Anniversary Trailer

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Synopsis

42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive collar is fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Their mission: kill each other and be the last one standing. The last survivor is allowed to leave the island. If there is more than one survivor, the collars explode and kill them all.

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Producer: Akio Kamatani, Tetsu Kayama, Masumi Okada, Masao Sato, Kenta Fukasaku, Kinji Fukasaku, Kimio Kataoka, Toshio Nabeshima, Chie Kobayashi
Screenwriter: Kenta Fukasaku
Production Co: WOWOW, Toei Company, AM Associates, MF Pictures, GAGA, Kobi Co., Battle Royale Prod. Committee, Toho Company, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai (Nippan) K.K.
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Comedy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 2000, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital