Seven Samurai (1954): cast, story & where to watch
1954 · Film · ★ 8.5
Released in 1954, Seven Samurai is an action and drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, running about 207 minutes. “The Mighty Warriors Who Became the Seven National Heroes of a Small Town” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. 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.
Who’s in it. Seven Samurai stars Toshirō Mifune as Kikuchiyo, Takashi Shimura as Kambei Shimada, Yoshio Inaba as Gorobei Katayama and Seiji Miyaguchi as Kyuzo, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.5/10, Seven Samurai sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue. It went on to earn $346.3K at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Seven Samurai page.
If you liked it. Fans of Seven Samurai tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Seven Samurai (1954)?
- In US, Seven Samurai is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo and YouTube TV, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Seven Samurai worth watching?
- Seven Samurai holds an audience score of 8.5 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy action and drama. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Seven Samurai?
- Seven Samurai stars Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi and Minoru Chiaki.
- When was Seven Samurai released?
- Seven Samurai was released in 1954, with a runtime of about 207 minutes.