15 Most Underrated Samurai Films Of All Time

Kihachi Okamoto’s Samurai Assassin is everything you want from an excellent samurai film. It’s beautifully shot with striking visuals, its plot is full of moral quandaries, and it has some truly epic battle scenes. And, unless you’re an aficionado in Japanese cinema, it’s likely you’ve never seen it.

Set just prior to the downfall of the samurai, the film follows an ambitious ronin named Niiro (Toshiro Mifune), who dreams of being a fully-fledged samurai despite his country’s changing political landscape. To fulfil his dreams, he must partake in the assassination of a powerful military official who occupies a heavily fortified castle. But as the assassins wait to strike their target, they begin to suspect Niiro of being a traitor.

Based on a real-life historic event, some viewers may be deterred by the opening half’s slow-paced political focus. However, an eye-widening climactic battle set in the snow is more than worth your wait.

If you’re looking for a great samurai film to add to your watch list, you can’t get much better than Samurai Assassin.