Seven Samurai
Unmatched for suspense and spectacle!
1954 • 207 min • Action · Drama
Synopsis
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Our family guide
Best from age 13- 100 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
- 85 Audience · 4299 · 40%
Seven desperate samurai answer a village's plea for protection against ruthless bandits. They teach the villagers self-defense, forming an alliance where food is exchanged for their lives. This epic tale explores courage, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of survival.
- Violence & peril
- 7/10
- Language
- 2/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 3/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 1/10
- Scary moments
- 6/10
Heads up
- Extended battles with swords and spears
- Villagers are threatened and harmed
- Depicts poverty and hardship
What it models well
- Courage and sacrifice
- Helping others
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Justice for the vulnerable
Talk about it after
- The true cost of war and violence
- What makes a hero?
- The ethics of self-defense
- Why the villagers needed samurai
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Seven Samurai. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
Stream
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- Philo
- YouTube TV
- Criterion Channel
- HBO Max
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HBO Max Amazon Channel
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Plex
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Top billed cast
Director: Akira Kurosawa • Crew: Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, Akira Kurosawa
Trailers & clips
Official Clip - Surrounded By Losers
Jim Cummings on SEVEN SAMURAI
BFI 4K Restoration Trailer [Subtitled]
Official 4K Restoration Trailer [Subtitled]
BFI Re-Release Trailer
Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer [Subtitled]
On the Violence of Seven Samurai
Three Reasons: Seven Samurai
Reviewer notes
RecommendedMaybe the greatest movie of all-time. This film is an epic accomplishment of long-form storytelling, amazing performances, wonderful camera work and fantastic sets. As is typical of Kurosawa, this movie attacks the theme of greed and is very willing to critically examine the high-status classes, in this case the "honourable" samurai.…
RecommendedI must begin by saying I am a bit "attention deficit" and that I never thought I would like subtitles, but this film flows through its long length with such adventure that I don't see how anyone can keep from being entranced with every second. And it takes a lot to hold my interest. In case you haven't heard, this "magnificent seven samurai" so to speak, are enlisted one by one to aid a village beset by 40 bandits.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewers**Maybe a little overrated, but there's no doubt that it's good.** Well, I have to start this text with a note that I believe is relevant to understand what I'm going to write: this was the first Japanese film that I remember seeing. I might even be forgetting something I've seen before, but I don't think so.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersAt the top of my favorite films ever. Every time I watch it is see something new. Bandits steal peasants rice. Peasants hire ronin samurai to defend them. Great plot, pace and acting. Akira Kurasawa's best...perhaps.
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Gallery
Details
- TMDB audience
- 8.4/10 (4,299)
- Age rating
- NR
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $2,000,000
- Box office
- $105,000,000
- IMDb
- tt0047478
