Kwaidan
1964 · Movie · PG-13 · 183 min · ★ 7.7 · 86% critics
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning “ghost story,” this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results; a snowbound survivor is rescued at a cost; a blind musician is drawn to perform for ghosts; and an author recounts a samurai’s eerie sighting in a cup of tea.
Based on Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Also known as Ghost Stories · Kaidan · Weird Tales
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Streaming on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel — or rent from $2.99.
3 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- 怪談
- Years
- 1964
- Release date
- 1965-01-06
- Language
- Japanese
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 183 min
- Critic score
- 86/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.7/10 (451 votes)
About
Not for you if you want fast, jump-scare horror or tightly focused storytelling; instead, try this rainy-day classic if you like slow, atmospheric ghost tales such as Onibaba or Thrillers.
Pros: stunning painted visuals; calm spectral mood; four folklore tales | Cons: patience-testing pacing; anthology can feel uneven; not very scary
Themes
- samurai
- based on novel or book
- story teller
- snowstorm
- tea
- promise
- snow
- blind
- spirit
- vengeful ghost
- ghost story
- ghost
- +5 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1966 · nominated
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1966 · nominated
Cast & crew
Michiyo Aratama
as First Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Rentaro Mikuni
as Husband (segment "The Black Hair")
Misako Watanabe
as Second Wife (segment "The Black Hair")
Kenjirō Ishiyama
as Father (segment "The Black Hair")
- RA
Ranko Akagi
as Mother (segment "The Black Hair")
Fumie Kitahara
as (segment "The Black Hair")
- KM
Kappei Matsumoto
as (segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
- YI
Yoshiko Ieda
as (segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Otome Tsukimiya
as (segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
- KT
Kenzō Tanaka
as (segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi