What is the iRankMovies score for Seven Samurai?

Name: Seven Samurai
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Genre: action, drama
Released: 1954
Duration: 3 h 27 min
Rating: 8.6

Seven Samurai has an iRankMovies score of 91.9/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Seven Samurai (1954)

七人の侍

Unmatched for suspense and spectacle!

Release:1954

Runtime:3h 27m

Country:Japan

Director:Akira Kurosawa

Language:Japanese

Genre

ActionDrama

See the best action movies →

Keywords

Martial Arts JapanSamuraiSwordPeasantVillageLootingRice

iRank92

Seven Samurai rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.6/10· 398K votes

Rotten Tomatoes100%

Metacritic98%

TMDb8.45/10· 4K votes

With 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.6/10 on IMDb and 98/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About Seven Samurai

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.

Cast of Seven Samurai

Toshirō Mifune
as Kikuchiyo
Takashi Shimura
as Kambei Shimada
Yoshio Inaba
as Gorobei Katayama
Seiji Miyaguchi
as Kyuzo
Minoru Chiaki
as Heihachi Hayashida
Daisuke Katō
as Shichiroji
Isao Kimura
as Katsushiro Okamoto
Keiko Tsushima
as Shino
Yukiko Shimazaki
as Rikichi's Wife
Kamatari Fujiwara
as Manzô - Father of Shino
Yoshio Kosugi
as Mosuke
Bokuzen Hidari
as Yohei

Seven Samurai facts

Original title: 七人の侍
Budget: $2M
Box office: $105M

Our take on Seven Samurai

Kurosawa's 1954 epic — a village hires seven masterless samurai to repel bandits — invented much of the modern action template: the assembling of a team, the training, the last stand. Yet it's also a humane, unhurried drama about honour, class and sacrifice. If its mix of grand action and deep character work resonated, seek out sweeping adventure dramas and ensemble tales of reluctant warriors defending the defenceless.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Kinetic action choreography and dynamic camera work capture battle excitement vividly
•Character-driven ensemble piece develops individual warriors with distinct personalities deeply
•Epic scope and emotional weight justify generous runtime despite pacing demands

What the audience disliked

•Extended length demands sustained attention that tests modern viewing habits considerably
•Episodic structure occasionally loses narrative momentum between major action sequences