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Battle Royale

Play trailer 0:30 Poster for Battle Royale 2000 1h 54m Mystery & Thriller Action Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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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.
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Battle Royale

Battle Royale

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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... Go to Full Review Gregory Nussen Screen Rant Oct 13
9/10
Kinji Fukasaku's dystopian high school-set murder spree is more prescient than ever. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Michael T @Michael3333 5d I found the movie to very interesting and intriguing right from the get go would recommend. See more Christazia J @RT53130700 May 1 This movie reminded me so much of Hunger Games! I went into this movie not knowing what to expect but I ended up really enjoying it! See more Aaron G @Aarong16 May 1 Crazy to think that we went from this to Fortnite. See more isa C @isacruz Apr 30 I liked the way they went about a dystopian society thats extremely corrupt. Also making the story revolve around children brings up new themes. Very intense and I often had to look away. Made me wonder if the hunger games is loosely based on this or maybe the scenario of fighting till the death has just been established in film. See more Varuzhan M @Vic_m Apr 28 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. See more Jacqueline F @RT87327599 Apr 28 100% 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. See more Read all reviews
Battle Royale

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Cast & Crew

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Kinji Fukasaku

Director

Tatsuya Fujiwara

Shuya Nanahara - Boys #15

Aki Maeda

Noriko Nakagawa - Girls #15

Taro Yamamoto

Shougo Kawada - Boys #5

Masanobu Andô

Kazuo Kiriyama - Boys #6

Ko Shibasaki

Mitsuko Souma - Girls #11
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Battle Royale

Battle Royale: 25th Anniversary Trailer Battle Royale: 25th Anniversary Trailer 0:30 View more videos
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Battle Royale

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Movie Info

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