Kwaidan

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Kwaidan

Released Dec 29, 1964

2h 44m

Horror

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

90%

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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Lau S

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 I little bit outdated, but I liked it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Madoka A

Spooky. Dark. Will give you nightmares!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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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

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Laura S

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

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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

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Audience Member

An epic movie with four distinctly composed stories that lure you in with a nuanced pace. There is an otherworldliness to the movie, it doesn't really fall into a specific horror category, except for maybe ghosts, it feels like you're watching legends on the screen. It is based on the book by Koizumi Yakumo (Patrick Hearn), who has an interesting story in his own right. You can see the movie's influence on other horror directors, from John Carpenter to Takashi Shimizu. It was shot entirely in an airplane hangar with meticulously hand-painted sets. It is a movie with stellar deliberate vision of folklore, superstition, and legend all wrapped into over 3 hours of glorious color, sound and imagery. An unhurried, beautifully made film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

Full Review

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Masaki Kobayashi

Director

Rentarô Mikuni

Husband

Michiyo Aratama

First wife

Tetsurô Tanba

Warrior

Katsuo Nakamura

Hoichi

Keiko Kishi

Yuki

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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

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