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Kwaidan

Play trailer Poster for Kwaidan Released Dec 29, 1964 2h 44m Horror Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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Kwaidan

Kwaidan

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 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

Audience Reviews

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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 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 Audience Member Really great movie; the production is splendid! Hand drawn sets and décor galore! Very, very spooky too, but don't go in expecting some kind of modern horror flick. Atmosphere is all that matters. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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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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Kwaidan

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Movie Info

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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