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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 88% 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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Geraldine V @Gerald3n111 Dec 18 It was very intense, violent, and brutal to watch but it did catch my eye on seeing how the suspense was plotted. Overall it was really interesting for me. See more Valeria P @valp15 Dec 18 This movie is a shocking, intense, and unforgettable dystopian thriller that mixes social commentary with intense action, earning its cult status! See more Sami A Dec 18 Watched Hunger Games before I knew what this was, then I watched this and man this was what I was looking for. I can see Hunger Games taking from this movie cause of a lot of similarities but Battle Royale does it way better. Definitely a fun watch. See more Bnk 3 @TylerSalazar Dec 18 The movie was violent but it grabbed my attention, a movie where teenagers are forced to kill each other in order to survive. It had emotion and shocking moments where friendships lead to betrayals. It was hard to watch a little but very attention grasping. See more Wendi F @wendydj Dec 18 This is an absolute must watch. It is similar to the hunger games but focuses more on action and violence. You will not be bored watching this movie and there is also a phsycological aspect tot he film which i enjoy See more Justin N @justinnave Dec 18 Battle Royale is a shocking, intense, and unforgettable film that combines social commentary, dark humor, and extreme violence. The story of a class of students forced to fight to the death on a remote island is brutal, but the movie also explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the corruption of authority. The performances are strong, the pacing is relentless, and the tension never lets up, making it as thrilling as it is disturbing. It’s a provocative and uncompromising film that has earned its place as a cult classic worldwide. 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

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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
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