Movies like Yojimbo
If you like "Yojimbo" you are looking for thought provoking, cynical and exciting movies about / with samurai, sword fight, small town, bodyguard, betrayal, gang and martial arts themes of Action, Drama and Thriller genre shot in Japan.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Yojimbo (1961)
125K
Where to Watch
Original name: 用心棒
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
Style:
thought provoking, cynical, exciting, atmospheric, bleak, realistic, art house, allegory, tense, philosophical ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, small town, bodyguard, betrayal, gang, martial arts, rivalry, gang war, ronin, gangsters, mercenary, swordsman, one against many, showdown, one man army, mother son reunion, violent, violence, corruption, medieval, fencing, tokugawa shogunate, heroes, fight ...
Time:
19th century, future, 1860s, 18th century
Place:
japan, india, tokyo, asia
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Yojimbo
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, stylized and harsh films with plots about samurai, rivalry, martial arts, violence, heroes, betrayal and vengeance mostly in Drama, Action and Thriller genres. Some movies like Yojimbo: Sanjuro (1962), Last Man Standing (1996), Zatoichi (2003), The Tale of Zatoichi (1962), Ichi (2008). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
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39K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of ...
Style:
atmospheric, tense, witty, stylized, realistic ...
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, corruption, betrayal, rescue, martial arts, police investigation, culture clash, visceral, transformation, small town, one against many ...
Time:
19th century, future
Place:
japan, india, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
In the third film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by Yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain.
Style:
bloody, stylized, talky, unusual plot structure, affectionate ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
martial arts, kung fu, ninja, samurai, weapons, father son relationship, assassin, cult, master warrior, fight, warrior, violence ...
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
John Smith is a mysterious stranger who is drawn into a vicious war between two Prohibition-era gangs. In a dangerous game, he switches allegiances from one to another, offering his services to the highest bidder. As the death toll mounts, Smith ...
Style:
neo noir, stylized, serious, suspenseful, exciting ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night
Plot:
mafia, small town, gang war, gangsters, violence, betrayal, gunfight, tough guy, gang, prohibition, organized crime, hitman ...
Time:
20th century, 1930s, 1920s, year 1932
Place:
texas, mexico, usa, austin texas, latin america
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
50K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
Zatôichi is a 19th century blind nomad who makes his living as a gambler and masseur. However, behind this humble facade, he is a master swordsman gifted with a lightning-fast draw and breathtaking precision. While wandering, Zatôichi discovers a ...
Style:
atmospheric, humorous, exciting, harsh, stylized ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, sword fight, vengeance, master warrior, gang, violence, good versus evil, protector, blind character, escapades, rivalry ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman. Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighbouring town's smaller gang is brewing.
Style:
art house, captivating, realistic, serious, atmospheric ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, sword fight, yakuza, medieval, exploitation, fencing, warrior, ancient, ninja, heroes, gang war ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
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Movies similar to Man on Fire
4K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
Ichi is a blind entertainer that travels the countryside with her traditional Japanese guitar and walking stick. She’s in search for the kind man that brought her up as a child, but because of her beauty she encounters problems every step of the ...
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, rough, epic, scenic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
martial arts, ninja, blind woman, sword fight, female protagonist, vengeance, heroes, rivalry, escapades, swordswoman, japanese woman, opponent ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, asia, ancient china
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
128K
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 162 min.
Story:
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how their new-found power will corrupt them.
Style:
visually appealing, atmospheric, thought provoking, breathtaking, cerebral ...
Plot:
samurai, greed, vengeance, war, shakespeare, feudal japan, medieval, castle, betrayal, nihilism, insanity, politics ...
Time:
16th century, middle ages
Place:
japan, tokyo, india, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Genre: Action, Drama, Western
Country: Italy, Spain, West Germany
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
The Man With No Name enters the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among the three Rojo brothers and sheriff John Baxter. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold intended to pay for new weapons is waylaid by the ...
Style:
stylized, atmospheric, epic, harsh, serious ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
old west, gunfight, small town, greed, vengeance, gang, violence, brutality, gang war, cowboy, gold, sheriff ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
mexico, latin america, italy, spain, new mexico ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopathic samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Style:
cerebral, tense, stylized, bleak, thought provoking ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, fencing, violent, ninja, medieval, vengeance, master warrior, sword fight, guilt, visceral, greed ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
Style:
tense, emotional, stylized, atmospheric, sincere ...
Plot:
samurai, father son relationship, rebellion, revenge, martial arts, violence, vengeance, kidnapping, family relations, injustice, rebelliousness, master warrior ...
Time:
18th century, 70s
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
26%
Also search:
Movies like The Last Samurai
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.
Style:
suspenseful, captivating, bleak, atmospheric, tense ...
Plot:
ransom, suspense, police, chauffeur, secrets, tragedy, visceral, character study, psychopath, mistaken identity, rescue, missing person ...
Time:
20th century, 60s, post world war two
Place:
japan, tokyo
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
In the fourth film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.
Style:
stylized, thought provoking, brutal, unusual plot structure, affectionate ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, weapons, assassin, hitman, kung fu, sword fight, violence, violent, father son relationship, revenge, bullying ...
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
23%
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 82 min.
Story:
In the second film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must assassinate a traitor who plans to sell his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.
Style:
bloody, stylized, atmospheric, affectionate, unusual plot structure ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, master warrior, sword fight, fight, ninja, father son relationship, weapons, cult, martial artist, female ninja, lone wolves ...
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
23%
36K
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 180 min.
Story:
When a warlord dies, a peasant thief is called upon to impersonate him, in order to protect his clan from appearing weak and vulnerable. But he finds himself haunted by the warlord’s spirit as well as his own ambitions.
Style:
captivating, bleak, enigmatic, epic, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, battles, war, warlord, japanese history, heroes, doppelganger, medieval, emperor, death, feudal japan ...
Time:
16th century, 18th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, india, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
23%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Shiba, a wandering ronin, encounters a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of their dictatorial magistrate, in hopes of coercing from him a reduction in taxes. Shiba takes up their fight, joined by two renegades from the ...
Style:
cynical, realistic, serious, rough, suspenseful ...
Plot:
samurai, katana, martial arts, change of heart, bribery, betrayal, medieval, shame, peasant, murder, infamy, ronin ...
Place:
japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Also search:
Ninja Assassin similar movies
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.
Style:
unusual plot structure, intense, visually appealing, harsh, tense ...
Plot:
samurai, sword fight, samurai sword, warrior, seppuku, battles, martial arts, revenge, fight, massacre, shogun, swordsman ...
Time:
19th century, 1840s
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
22%
20K
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 185 min.
Story:
Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but ...
Style:
cerebral, realistic, emotional, sexy, touching ...
Plot:
samurai, intern, medical profession, medical, medieval, doctor, poverty, doctors, art, nurse, cult, time travel ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
22%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Harry Kilmer returns to Japan after several years in order to rescue his friend George's kidnapped daughter - and ends up on the wrong side of the Yakuza, the notorious Japanese mafia...
Style:
neo noir, tense, intense, harsh, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
yakuza, gangsters, kidnapping, friendship, culture clash, organized crime, rescue, sword fight, mafia, haunted by the past, rivalry, male female relationship ...
Time:
70s, 80s, 20th century, post world war two
Place:
japan, tokyo, california, asia, kyoto japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
21%
Movie in collections
22K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Kitano plays Murakawa, a Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life. Along with a few of his henchmen, he is sent by his boss to Okinawa to help end a gang war, supposedly to mediate between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans ...
Style:
bloody, art house, stylized, dark, splatter ...
Plot:
yakuza, mafia, gang, organized crime, beach, death, gunfight, dark humor, samurai, medieval, criminal, revenge ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
japan, tokyo, hong kong, india, asia ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
21%
3K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
In this pitch-black action comedy by Kihachi Okamoto, a pair of down-on-their-luck swordsmen arrive in a dusty, windblown town, where they become involved in a local clan dispute. One, previously a farmer, longs to become a noble samurai. The other, ...
Style:
serious, realistic, jidai geki, parody
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, medieval, ancient, exploitation, ronin, betrayal, yakuza, dark humor, righting the wronged, rivalry, leadership ...
Time:
19th century, 60s, 1830s
Place:
japan
⇓ similarity ⇓
20%
Also search:
Films like The Man from Nowhere
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. ...
Style:
suspenseful, bloody, exciting, melancholic, rough ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
vengeance, martial arts, rape, revenge, prison, childbirth, murder, female killer, female protagonist, samurai, female assassin, female warrior ...
Time:
19th century, 1870s, 1890s
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
20%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Detective Azuma is a Dirty-Harry style rogue cop who often uses violence and unethical methods to get results.
Style:
bloody, neo noir, bleak, brutal, atmospheric ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
police, police corruption, violence, hitman, drug dealer, yakuza, gangsters, police officer, mafia, vigilante, corrupt cop, criminal ...
Time:
80s
Place:
japan, tokyo
⇓ similarity ⇓
20%
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
An assassin is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill and other members of their assassination circle – but 'The Bride' lives to plot her vengeance. Setting out for some payback, she makes a death list and hunts down those who ...
Style:
tense, non-linear, bloody, visually appealing, exciting ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night, boys' night
Plot:
revenge, vengeance, martial arts, mentor, female protagonist, dark hero, fight, mission, sword, violent, katana, organized crime ...
Time:
80s, 90s, 2000s, 20th century, 21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo, austin texas, asia, usa ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Movie in collections
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A businessman on a trip to Tokyo ends up in the middle of a centuries old feud between a criminal Ninja cult and a Samurai when he witnesses a assassination performed by the Ninja-cult leader.
Style:
exciting, brutal, intense, serious, rough ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
ninja, samurai, sword fight, murder, vengeance, martial arts, violence, suspense, betrayal, brutality, survival, revenge ...
Time:
80s, 90s
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Chen Zhen, a Chinese engineering student in Kyoto, who braves the insults and abuse of his Japanse fellow students for his local love Mitsuko Yamada, daughter of the director, returns in 1937 to his native Shangai, under Japanse protectorate -in ...
Style:
harsh, intense, realistic, rough, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
martial arts, kung fu, fight, sword fight, fight scenes, violence, brutality, master warrior, kung fu classic, kung fu master, folk hero, humiliation ...
Time:
20th century, 1930s
Place:
china, asia, hong kong, japan, tokyo
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Also search:
Battle Royale similar movies
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
In the fifth film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto is challenged by five warriors, each has one fifth of Ogami's assassin fee and one fifth of the information he needs to complete his assassination.
Style:
epic, stylized, suspenseful, atmospheric, rough ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, warrior, ninja, ancient, fight, kung fu, superhero, weapons, assassin, drifter, hitman ...
Place:
japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
This 26th film installment of the Zatoichi series sees Shintaro Katsu return to this classic role after a 10 year hiatus. The blind masseur Ichi gets caught between rival Yakuza clans.
Style:
tense, captivating, exciting, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, swordsman, medieval, yakuza, female nudity, exploitation, warrior, ninja, ancient, graphic violence, village ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 207 min.
Story:
The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ...
Style:
epic, bleak, harsh, atmospheric, serious ...
Plot:
samurai, vengeance, seppuku, brutality, justice, medieval, battles, martial arts, courage, redemption, society, rivalry ...
Time:
18th century, 19th century, middle ages
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near the pass he stops at an inn where a collection of characters gather, including a gang set on stealing shogunate gold that's soon to come over the ...
Style:
realistic, serious, jidai geki
Plot:
samurai, martial arts, medieval, betrayal, katana, ronin, hotel, edo period, bandit, samurai sword, sword fight, ambush ...
Place:
japan, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Terry is a tough mercenary and a master of martial arts. When an important business magnate dies, leaving billions to his daughter, the Mafia and Yakuza try to hire Terry to kidnap the daughter. When they refuse to meet his exorbitant price, then ...
Style:
bloody, stylized, breathtaking, harsh, melancholic ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
kung fu, martial arts, fight, karate, samurai, mafia, kidnapping, exploitation, violence, yakuza, violent, vengeance ...
Time:
70s, 80s, 20th century
Place:
japan, hong kong, tokyo, china, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
19%
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