IMDb 5.5 2014 HD

Samurai of the Dead

Samurai of the Dead

2014
Comedy Horror
72 min NR Japan
7.2 / 10
5.5 IMDB

As the end approaches for Japan’s age of military rule, the Tokugawa shogunate brings together a squad of ruthless assassins to defend its representatives in Kyoto. These men…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Kazushi Watanabe
Starring
Yuki Himura / Kazushi Watanabe / Chihiro Yamamoto / Daijiro Kawaoka / Shogen / Chad Mullane / Hitomi Kitamura

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

brutal unique action-packed gory intriguing uneven intense stylish grim entertaining

Reviews

I
Isabelle Moreau
Apr 22, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

In Samurai of the Dead, the shogunate's fiercest warriors, the Shinsengumi, are thrust into an unthinkable battle against the living dead. This film offers a distinctive flavour of action-horror, marrying the disciplined swordplay of samurai cinema with the…

A
Alistair Finch
Apr 22, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

The concept behind Samurai of the Dead is undeniably intriguing – the legendary Shinsengumi facing off against the undead. Unfortunately, the execution doesn't quite live up to the promise of such a high-concept premise. While the film attempts…

G
Genevieve Dubois
Apr 22, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

Samurai of the Dead is a bold and bloody proposition that largely succeeds thanks to its unwavering commitment to its central, bizarre idea. Placing the elite Shinsengumi, icons of martial discipline, against a horde of flesh hungry undead…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Apr 22, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

Here’s a film that certainly swings for the fences with its outlandish premise: the Shinsengumi versus zombies. Samurai of the Dead presents a stark visual contrast between the elegant, deadly precision of samurai combat and the grotesque, shambling…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 22, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Samurai of the Dead offers a fascinating, if occasionally uneven, fusion of historical Japanese drama and zombie horror. The premise itself is compelling: the legendary Shinsengumi, tasked with maintaining order during a turbulent era, find themselves battling an…

FAQs

The uniqueness of the Shinsengumi's fight against zombies lies in the juxtaposition of highly disciplined, skilled warriors against an unthinking, relentless horde. Their training emphasizes precision, strategy, and honour, traits that are challenged and tested when facing an enemy that operates outside the bounds of conventional warfare and morality. This clash between samurai stoicism and the primal terror of the undead creates a distinct narrative tension and offers a fresh perspective on the zombie genre.