Onibaba

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Onibaba

1964,

1h 45m,

Horror/

Fantasy

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90%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi (Kei Satô). The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

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Colin Bennett

The Age (Australia)

May 31, 2022

[Onibaba] contains effectively extravagant moments sandwiched between, its grunts, groans. and gurgles

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Mar 4, 2013

Onibaba is a chilling movie, a waking nightmare shot in icy monochrome, and filmed in a colossal and eerily beautiful wilderness.

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Variety

Apr 14, 2007

Too often, it turns out to be a pot-pourri of ravenous eating and blatant sex.

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Julian Singleton

Cinapse

Jul 12, 2025

A frenzied pressure cooker of desire: where carnal longing finds itself manifested in both the natural and supernatural world.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Oct 29, 2022

Shot in stark, severe black and white, the images seared into the film, with unnerving close-ups and bobbing handheld camerawork, Shindo makes even the waving of the grass look ominous as it all but swallows everyone who enters...

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Feb 14, 2022

4/4

Given its historical setting, visually dynamic presentation, and open-ended conclusion, Onibaba lends itself to interpretation and symbolic readings.

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Luke S

Jul 10, 2018

Too good for the trash soy wars movies we have going on today.

Abraham R

Dec 10, 2017

Ah a mother trying to protect her cub with a prank that backfired. Don't really find that entertaining. The cinematography however, was fantastic

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Rey G

Aug 26, 2017

Human beings exposed in all its sinner expression.

Luke S

Aug 7, 2017

4.1/5 Onibaba is quite surprisingly, not a massive relic, as its whole configuration, from characters to story, from ambience to themes, seems to be quite timelessly fascinating and technically competent.

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Hermione P

May 1, 2017

fantastic film, truly unique experience. one of my favorite japanese films. erotic, beautiful, brutal, horrifying.

Rey S

Mar 17, 2017

Given the age of this movie it is well done, but I don't think I'd watch it again.

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Kaneto Shindô

Director

Nobuko Otowa

Kichi's Mother

Jitsuko Yoshimura

Kichi's Wife

Kei Satô

Hachi

Taiji Tonoyama

Ushi

Jukichi Uno

Busho

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Synopsis

While her son, Kichi, is away at war, a woman (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) survive by killing samurai who stray into their swamp, then selling whatever valuables they find. Both are devastated when they learn that Kichi has died, but his wife soon begins an affair with a neighbor who survived the war, Hachi (Kei Satô). The mother disapproves and, when she can't steal Hachi for herself, tries to scare her daughter-in-law with a mysterious mask from a dead samurai.

Director: Kaneto Shindô
Screenwriter: Kaneto Shindô
Production Co: Kindai Eiga Kyokai
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020
Runtime: 1h 45m

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