Two seriously wounded samurai find refuge from a storm at an isolated temple, the home of a swordsman and a mysterious young woman. One samurai awakes to find that not only has his comrade died, but that his wounds have miraculously healed. He discovers that he has been given the power of immortality by the swordsman, a man once known as the legendary Miyamoto Musashi, who now lives an endless existence as Aragami, a "god of battle".
Direction
Kitamura stretches 76 minutes into an eternity of tension.
Cinematography
Single temple location becomes a whole haunted universe.
Practical Effects
Katana combat that feels heavy, desperate, beautifully choreographed.
Director
Ryuhei Kitamura
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in just two weeks as part of a friendly duel with director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, who made 2LDK the same year—they challenged each other to one-location films.
The film reimagines Miyamoto Musashi's historical death from throat cancer into something far more cinematic: what if Japan's greatest swordsman simply couldn't stop existing?
JP
