Movie Information
Overall Rank: 887
Average Rating: 3.1/4
# of Ratings: 35
Theatrical Release Date: 02/04/1965
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama, Horror
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Kaneto Shindô
Actors: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Sato, Jukichi Uno, Taiji Tonoyama
Plot: As a feudal war ravages Japan, a soldier leaves behind his wife and mother. Together they scrounge by waylaying tired and wounded soldiers and selling their arms to a greedy merchant. An old friend returns and spells out the fate of the missing husband and son - soon the young widow gives into lust and the mother is left lonely, jealous and plotting her revenge.
Quick Movie Reviews
Rating of
3.5/4
Unknown - wrote on 02/28/2012
Not a horror film, but rather an isolated character piece with some horror elements. It's an artful depiction that is visually mesmerizing. An accurate presentation of the many 'sins' discussed and dealt by the main characters.
Rating of
4/4
Adict - wrote on 06/09/2010
The black and white cinematography highlights an ancient, lost Japan and gives unearthly weight to the mother-in-law and her bitter actions and words. The intellectual horror comes from the clever and poignant dialogue like, "I'm not a demon! I'm a human being!" This is not visually the scariest horror piece from Japan, but its wise fable and the wretched clash between nature and man render it one of the best horror films of all time. Simple lines as the one above carry far more weight under the artful creation of a careful tale. Far more than the lazy hack and slash and silly teenagers we've suffered through since the 80's.
Rating of
3.5/4
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/29/2007
An endless field of reeds becomes a hellish world that rivals any flame-filled afterlife. Onibaba is chilling and unmerciful. Lust, jealousy, revenge, greed - all rear their ugly heads in this excellent example of Japanese cinema.
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