The Samurai and the Prisoner

A brilliant detective mystery set in medieval Japan, straight from the Cannes Film Festival.

Kokurōjō
2026, Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Japan
147 minutes, Japanese with Russian subtitles

Starring: Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki

Japan, 16th century. The country is fragmented and in the throes of war. Araki Murashige, lord of Arioka Castle, rebelles against the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga and takes hostage his closest ally, a samurai renowned for his sharp mind. When a series of mysterious murders takes place in the besieged castle, the captive’s help becomes indispensable.

Shot from The Samurai and the Prisoner, 2026

Kurosawa has made one of his best films, a work that feels a bit like Agatha Christie, a bit like Shakespeare, and even a bit like Samurai Columbo.

—Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, a living legend of Japanese cinema, crafts his exquisitely precise historical portrait of a turbulent era into a gripping detective thriller.