Kwaidan

Play trailer

Kwaidan

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

09/20/2021

3.5/4

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

Go to Full Review

William J. Nazzaro

Arizona Republic

09/20/2021

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

Go to Full Review

Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

09/20/2021

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.

Go to Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

03/06/2024

4/5

…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...

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

02/12/2022

4/4

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.

Go to Full Review

Chris Plante

Polygon

10/25/2021

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Homu L

@AkemiLord Jun 28

One of the prettiest movies ever made. I'd say it's worth it just to watch for the colors. It's like a moving painting!

See more

Fumi A

@Lordoflords Mar 6

Utterly fantastic movie. One of the best Japanese horror movies; very dark, very moody. With amazing color1

See more

Screen_Stack S

@Screen_Stack Feb 6

The Good: The Black Hair was a great story of pride, regret and sorrow, and I can't help but feel that it'd make a great possibility for a full feature length body horror in 2026/2027. The Woman of the Snow was pretty okay in terms of the story, but the set pieces and backdrops were utterly gorgeous. This one was about a man who's life was spared by The Woman of the Snow during a blizzard, with one caveat. He could never tell anyone about what happened or she'd come back and kill him. I won't say anything else, but throughout this tale, the sky is various forms of eye, watching the young man. Truly inspiring set piece design. The Ugly: There wasn't anything 'ugly' about this one, but Kwaidan just couldn't hold me interest enough to let the sensory issues slide The Last Word: For me, this one's a miss. You might enjoy it, especially if you're a fan of high cinema

See more

Oui L

@RT59273892 Aug 4

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

See more

Lau S

@LaurainSilentill Jul 29

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 I little bit outdated, but I liked it!

See more

Madoka A

@RT95510435 06/25/2025

Spooky. Dark. Will give you nightmares!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

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