Akira Kurosawa: Every Movie Ranked Worst To Best

16. One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

Ikiru 1952
Toho

A strong contender for Kurosawa's most underrated feature, One Wonderful Sunday tells a gorgeously realised story of a poor couple (Isao Numasaki and Chieko Nakakita) who are recently engaged and enjoying their latest weekly date.

Despite being one of the director's earliest films and sporting a script which lacks little in the way of metaphorical complexity, the romantic comedy-drama showcases Kurosawa's uncanny ability to balance tone and genre with pinpoint precision.

It may be one of his lighter and least challenging projects, but One Wonderful Sunday - with its tender romance, endearing performances and hopeful worldview - is certainly a Kurosawa homerun without blemish.

Contributor

Aidan Whatman hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.