10 Greatest Samurai Films Of The 21st Century

10. 13 Assassins

As a remake of the 1963 production of the same name, the 2010 version of 13 Assassins is a solid modern update with high respect for the original film. When making the film, director Takashi Miike took special care to avoid bogging the film down in additional material and worked to replicate its initial success.

In the twilight years of the Tokugawa Shongunate, the titular Samurai assassins are hired to stand against Matsudaira Naritsugu of the Akashi Domain, whose status as the half-brother of the Shogun allows him to commit brutal crimes.

With its political intrigue established, 13 Assassins makes its focus clear, showing the build-up and planning towards its ultimate confrontation. While initially the group is capped at eleven, they are soon joined by two other warriors who lend their own skills. What's most impressive about the modern film is how it covers a wide spectrum of combat skills and tactics, emphasising how powerful these soldiers once were.

The film's action comes to a head in the town of Ochiai, where the thirteen use of combination of traps, cunning tactics and their own individual skills to take on a force of 200 combatants. With its bloody climax, 13 Assassins stands out a brilliant remake and great film in its own right.