"The Samurai And The Prisoner" is a 2026 Japanese historical drama mystery film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and based on the novel of the same name by Honobu Yonezawa. It stars Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Suda, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Munetaka Aoki, and Ryota Miyadate. Set in 16th-century Japan, the film follows Lord Murashige Araki (Motoki), who, besieged in his castle, confronts mysterious crimes and allies with imprisoned strategist Kanbei Kuroda (Suda) to uncover the truth. The film had its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for its overall design reminiscent of classic samurai films, detective narrative, and performances. Kurosawa was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in NY and LA select theaters and will expand nationwide later from Janus Films. Thank you, and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/svpf8EEw9Nk

Check out more on NextBestPicture.com

Please subscribe on...

Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw

And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices