Full US Trailer for ‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’ by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

“Believe in me! Believe in our castle’s strength!” Janus Films has revealed their main official US trailer for the film The Samurai and the Prisoner, the acclaimed Japanese samurai murder mystery film made by maestro filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa. I’ve been posting multiple trailers for this already over the last few months, under the original Japanese title Kokurojo, also Kokurojo: The Samurai and the Prisoner in full. It premiered in Cannes and will be released in US theaters soon. A gripping, large-scale psychological mystery set in the Warring States period, where the conflicting ambitions of various characters collide! A murder in the castle’s closed room as well as a series of other bizarre incidents. The lord and his imprisoned genius strategist confront the mystery. Starring Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Takashi Aoki, Ryota Miyadate, Tasuku Emoto, and Joe Odagiri. Set during the Feudal era in Japan, this is Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s very first period piece feature film. This looks like an intense and thrilling tale set in the past. The film premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival to many good reviews and is releasing in US theaters starting in July – not very long of a wait at all. Reviews describe it as “a work that feels a bit like Agatha Christie, a bit like Shakespeare, and even a bit like Samurai Columbo.” Sounds great! Watch below. // Continue Reading ›