15 Most Underrated Samurai Films Of All Time

If you’re a film buff, then you’ll know that many iconic westerns took inspiration from samurai films. Both A Fistful of Dollars and The Magnificent Seven, for example, were remakes of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Seven Samurai respectively. However, in the case of Sang-il Lee’s Unforgiven, the opposite is true.

A remake of Clint Eastwood’s multi Oscar-winning 1992 film of the same name, the Japanese adaptation follows an almost identical plot. After two brothers carry out a brutal assault, a reward is placed on their heads. This attracts the attention of bounty hunters and killers from across the country – including aged warrior Jubei (Ken Watanabe). An infamous killer who’s given up his past ways and buried his sword, he’s persuaded to embark on one more mission.

Set in Hokkaido during the start of the Meiji Period (which places this film within the same historical timeframe as Eastwood’s original), Lee makes the most out of his film’s setting with some spectacular cinematography. Although the remake hasn’t been as well-received as the original, this film is far from unforgivable.