Kwaidan

Play trailer

Kwaidan

Released Dec 29, 1964

2h 44m

Horror

Fantasy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai (Rentarô Mikuni) marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden (Keiko Kishi), but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi (Katsuo Nakamura) is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author (Osamu Takizawa) relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Exquisitely designed and fastidiously ornate, Masaki Kobayashi's ambitious anthology operates less as a frightening example of horror and more as a meditative tribute to Japanese folklore.

Read Critics Reviews

Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

An artistic triumph for the director Masaki Kobayashi, his cameramen and his art directors.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 20, 2021

Full Review

William J. Nazzaro

Arizona Republic

Kwaidan is not for everyone. It is for the lover of the offbeat and eerie. It is a film you will not soon forget.

Sep 20, 2021

Full Review

Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

This awesome and enthralling Japanese [film] weaves a spell of enchantment with its weird stories, which unfold amidst settings of surrealistic splendor that have been photographed in the most breathtaking color since Gate of Hell.

Sep 20, 2021

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…rewards adventurous viewers with haunting, timeless ideas and luminous images…this absorbing folk-tale is rendered in a painterly manner by director Masaki Kobayashi and the overall effect is somehow soothing rather than disturbing...

Rated: 4/5

Mar 6, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A film of methodical pacing, theatricality, and avant-garde flourishes, which work in harmony to acknowledge that something lies beyond any grounded understanding of reality.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

Chris Plante

Polygon

The stories themselves fall somewhere between classic fables and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. And the feeling? There's nothing quite like it.

Oct 25, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Oui L

Great film. Came with the criterion boxset; loved it alot!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

Full Review

Lau S

Great Japanese movie! I little bit outdated, but I liked it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

Full Review

Madoka A

Spooky. Dark. Will give you nightmares!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

Lily R

Great Japanese movie! When of the all time bests! Alot of atmosphere and suspense!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

Full Review

Laura S

One of of my favorite Japanese horror movies! Go see it NOW!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

Full Review

Lars N

Not at all without merits but waaaaay too long and waaaaay too slow. It's severely lacking in the kinetic energy of predecessor, Harakiri, and Samurai Rebellion, the film that came after.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/28/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Masaki Kobayashi

Director

Rentarô Mikuni

Husband

Michiyo Aratama

First wife

Tetsurô Tanba

Warrior

Katsuo Nakamura

Hoichi

Keiko Kishi

Yuki

View more photos

Synopsis

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai (Rentarô Mikuni) marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden (Keiko Kishi), but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi (Katsuo Nakamura) is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author (Osamu Takizawa) relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Producer: Shigeru Wakatsuki
Screenwriter: Yoko Mizuki
Production Co: Toho Company Ltd.
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 1964, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2015
Runtime: 2h 44m

Most Popular at Home Now