15 Most Underrated Samurai Films Of All Time

Already helming the likes of the critically acclaimed 13 Assassins and Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai, prolific cult legend Takashi Miike has already made his indelible mark on the samurai genre. But one of his samurai sagas that may have gone under your radar is Blade of the Immortal – the director’s 100th film.

Based on the manga of the same name, the film begins with a super sleek prologue shot in black and white where we meet our protagonist, Manji (Takuya Kimura), defending his sister from a horde of bandits. Unfortunately, he doesn’t fare well in the fight; but is gifted immortality by a mysterious woman before he dies. Cut to fifty years later and we see Manji recruited by an orphan girl (Hana Sugisaki) and tasked with avenging the death of her parents.

Just as delightfully insane as you’d expect from the director behind Ichi The Killer and The Happiness Of The Katakuris, Miike delivers some seriously impressive action sequences packed with all the style and gore you could hope for.