ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joseph Perry writes for the film websites Gruesome Magazine, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, The Good, the Bad and the Verdict and Diabolique Magazine; for the film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope and Drive-In Asylum; and for the pop culture websites When It Was Cool and Uphill Both Ways. He is also one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast and can occasionally be heard as a cohost on Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast.

I could write an essay on legendary Japanese actor/director Takeshi “Beat” Takano’s new samurai epic Kubi — in which he, yes, stars and directs — but instead let me tell you succinctly that this film rules! 

The cast of characters equals, if not exceeds, those of many of Shakespeare’s plays, and although subtitles helpfully call out the names and positions of characters — rivaling in speed and number those shown in Shin Godzilla of government officials — memorizing who’s who is not a requirement here, because you’ll be too enthralled with the majesty on display to feel confused. Kitano doesn’t skimp on the violence and gore, and believe me, there’s plenty of it, what with all of the double-dealing, double-crossing, intrigue, playing for position, toying with affections, and so on. Takeshi Hamada’s cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, capturing the drama in all of its blood-splattered glory, with beautiful sets and landscapes, to boot. 

The plot concerns a battle for feudal power in 16th century Japan, when the evil Lord Nobunaga (Ryo Kase) — you’ll hate him right off the bat, and things only get worse when he is involved — is due for an overthrow. One of his lords, Murashige (Kenichi Endo), fails in an attempted rebellion and escapes. Nobunaga promises his other lords, including Hideyoshi (Kitano) and Mitsuhide (Hidetoshi Nishijima), that whoever brings Murashige to him alive will be the successor to the throne. There are loads of subplots, but I’ll save those for first-time viewers to discover.

If you love samurai epics, Kitano’s marvelously helmed, wonderfully acted, beautifully lensed and scored, and shockingly violent Kubi is must-see viewing. If you love first-rate cinema, you should also consider this a requirement. Kubi has absolutely secured a spot on my list of top favorite films of 2024.

Kubi screens as part of Japan Cuts 2024, which runs July 10–21. For more information, visit https://japansociety.org/film/japancuts/.