Onibaba

Movie

1964

1h 45m

Japanese

Horror, Drama

User Score:

Critic Score:

Watch on The Criterion Channel

Onibaba

Movie

1964

1h 45m

Japanese

Horror, Drama

Watch on The Criterion Channel

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman and her daughter-in-law survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi. The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

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Cast

Woman

Young Woman

Hachi

The Samurai

Ushi

Runaway Warrior

Runaway Warrior

Old Woman

Horse Riding Samurai

Horse Riding Samurai

Ushi's Follower

Samurai with Blood

Horse Riding Samurai A

Nobuko Shimakage

Child

Directed By: Kaneto Shindō

Written By: Kaneto Shindō (Screenplay)

Featured Comments/Tips

smallclone says...

4 years ago

I'm finding it difficult to find any faults with this film. It's exceptional. The lighting, the performances, the eerie atmospheric sounds. An absolute tour de force in folk horror.

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Kingmob6 says...

10 years ago

I'm pretty sure this is a 1st time viewing off the To-Watch Pile for my 31 Days Of Horror.

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csrz says...

3 years ago

One of the most beautiful black and white film I've seen! Excellent use of light and shadows supported with great location set. Even the tall grass are its own characters. The eerie atmosphere hits you right away as the movie starts. The problem is it's too slow. It's stunning and has a great story but that's not enough make it a worthy 105-minute film. Before reaching 1 hour mark, it builds so slow and drags a lot. So many parts that I feel are unnecessary could be thrown out from the final cut. That being said, I like the ending, long buildup to a good payoff. This might be not as scary as today's standard, but still worth a watch.

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sophiemanic says...

3 years ago

Comment contains spoilers
Show?

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