Ikiru (1952): cast, story & where to watch
1952 · Film · ★ 8.4
Released in 1952, Ikiru is a drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, running about 143 minutes. “A big story of a little man which will grip your soul ...” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Who’s in it. Ikiru stars Takashi Shimura as Kanji Watanabe, Haruo Tanaka as Sakai, Nobuo Kaneko as Mitsuo, son of Kanji and Bokuzen Hidari as Ohara, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.4/10, Ikiru sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue. It went on to earn $55.2K at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel and HBO Max 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 Ikiru page.
If you liked it. Fans of Ikiru tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Ikiru (1952)?
- In US, Ikiru is available to stream on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV and Criterion Channel, 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 Ikiru worth watching?
- Ikiru holds an audience score of 8.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Ikiru?
- Ikiru stars Takashi Shimura, Haruo Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Bokuzen Hidari and Miki Odagiri.
- When was Ikiru released?
- Ikiru was released in 1952, with a runtime of about 143 minutes.