Best movies like The Dry Blade
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
In 1873, Emperor Meiji abolished the rights of the samurai in favor of a modern, westernized military. With intentions to launch a bloody crusade against the government, warrior Endo Tadaoki (Henry Lee) gathers his remaining men to prepare for one last honorable battle against the emperor and regain the supremacy of the samurai. As fellow warrior Kido Masahide (Vint Carmona) refuses to join the war, he and his wife are brutally murdered at the hands of Endo's blade before being robbed of their family swords. When Kido's only son (Michael Nosé) is also pressured to join Endo's forces, he instead chooses a fatal confrontation with his parents' assailant. Suffering from a rare medical condition that renders his skin allergic to water, Ken embarks on his quest to find a sword and avenge his family's death.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 20
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: captivating
Best tv shows and movies like The Dry Blade (2012):
Similar in 87%
The Ninja War of Torakage (2014)
Plot Summary:
Set in the Sengoku Period, Torakage is retired ninja. He lives his life peacefully, but turmoil comes as he becomes involved a fight over treasures.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 194
Genere: Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating
Similar in 88%
Geisha Assassin (2008)
Plot Summary:
One rainy night in the Edo period, Kotono (a geisha) confronts samurais who killed her father. The samurais attack her one after another, but she fights hard against samurais with her sword. Kotono tries to chase the samurais who scramble to escape. Yet now three ninjas stand up against her. Kotono drops her sword by their wave of assaults. Can she beat them?.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 634
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, psychotronic
Similar in 86%
Shinobi 4: A Way Out (2003)
Plot Summary:
The country of Iga is deep in the throws of war. With smaller villages falling one by one, the largest families are in position to vie for their share of the power. Sankai of Minamiyama has his sinister eyes fixed – not only on total control of the area, but on Kagerou as well. After fleeing the village of Shiroyama, Kagerou and Aoi have been relentlessly hunted. And now, with the civil war in full flux, and Aoi in enemy hands, it is time for one last attempt to escape the clutches of the deadly Shinobi hierarchy – or die trying. They are all alone. They can trust no one. They must find a way out.
IMDB Rating:
IMDB Votes:
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Sleepy Eyes of Death 2: Sword of Adventure (1964)
Plot Summary:
Wandering samurai Nemuri Kyoshiro (Raizô Ichikawa) finds a bulls-eye on his back after befriending the shogunate's tightfisted financial adviser, Asahina, who's earned the wrath of the shogun's self-indulgent daughter for cutting off her allowance. The enraged princess promptly hatches a scheme to have Asahina bumped off -- along with his protector, Kyoshiro. Shiho Fujimura also stars in this installment of the enormously popular film series.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 285
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
Killing (2018)
Plot Summary:
Set during the Edo period, the film follows the life of a ronin (Sosuke Ikematsu) and those around him.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, psychological, exciting, crying, period drama
Similar in 86%
Ninja 6: The Last Iga Spy (1965)
Plot Summary:
[Period covered: 1637-1651] This is one of the most complicated plots of any of the Shinobi no Mono films! This film tells the story of Saizo’s son, Kirigakure Saisuke, who after seeing his father die at the Battle Of Shimabara, grows up to be an expert ninja. Before he dies, “Mist” Saizo tells his children Saisuke, and Yuri that they are not really brother and sister. She, in fact, is the daughter of the late lord Sanada Yukimura, and must be saved from the shogun’s forces. In the chess match of spy versus spy, can Saisuke defeat the shogun’s chief strategist, Matsudaira Izunokami at his own game? Showing many exciting ninja tactics, it is not to be missed.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 129
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
The Ninja Immovable Heart (2014)
Plot Summary:
Reese, an elite member of a covert unit of Ninja Warriors, is captured. Being tortured for information, Reese recalls the lessons learned from his training in order to fight his way free and stop an evil conglomerate from arming a dangerous weapon.
IMDB Rating: 1.6
IMDB Votes: 361
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspense
Similar in 76%
Ninja 4: Siege (1964)
Plot Summary:
[Period covered: 1614-1615] 4th film in the shinobi no mono series Tokugawa Ieyasu is now the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle. Ieyasu's ninja are the only ones who can penetrate the fortress, but unfortunately for Ieyasu, Kirigakure Saizo (Ichikawa) and the other Toyotomi ninja can just as easily get out. As armies of samurai maneuver for battle, the fate of the nation will be decided by a desperate struggle in the dark!.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 230
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 87%
Journey of Honor (1991)
Plot Summary:
The son of a besieged Shogun in war-torn 17th century Japan travels to Spain to buy weaponry from the king.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 417
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: UK, Japan, USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 89%
Sword of the Beast (1965)
Plot Summary:
Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha’s Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of the low-level swordsman Gennosuke, who kills one of his ministers as part of a reform plot. His former comrades then turn on him, and this betrayal so shakes his sense of honor that he decides to live in the wild, like an animal. There he joins up with a motley group who are illegally mining the shogun’s gold, and, with the aid of another swordsman, gets a chance not just at survival but to recover his name and honor.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 83%
The Sword of Doom (1966)
Plot Summary:
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopathic samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: black and white, cerebral, visual, tense, bleak, stylized, jidai geki, rough, epic, serious
Similar in 80%
The Challenge (1982)
Plot Summary:
Rick, a down-and-out American boxer, is hired to transport a sword to Japan, unaware that the whole thing is a set up in a bitter blood-feud between two brothers, one who follows the traditional path of the samurai and the other a businessman. At the behest of the businessman, Rick undertakes samurai training from the other brother, but joins his cause. He also becomes romantically involved with the samurai's daughter.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: offbeat, crime drama, cult classic, serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film
Similar in 80%
Lady Ninja Kasumi (2005)
Plot Summary:
A girl from a peaceful, Edo-era Japanese village seeks revenge for the death of a disgraced elder with the help of her sister and a lethal lady ninja nun. It's the time of the samurai and ninja, and Shogun Yoshimune rules Japan. Beneath the idyllic façade of the quant villages populating the countryside dwells a twisted sexual underbelly that affects the wealthy and impoverished alike. When one of the village elders commits seppuku after being raped, Kaede and her sister decide to take justice into their own hands and track down the perpetrator. Aided by a nun who believes in Old Testament-style retribution, the two sisters embark on a bloody mission of vengeance. Along the way, the three women slice and dice their way through lies and secrets while discovering that the story behind the rape is much more complex than any of them suspected.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 81
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 72 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, erotic
Similar in 84%
Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai (2021)
Plot Summary:
Set in the 19th century, "Moeyo Ken" follows the life of Toshizo Hijikata. He was the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and fought against the Meiji Restoration.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 257
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 148 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, period drama
Similar in 85%
Mumon: The Land of Stealth (2017)
Plot Summary:
Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon (Satoshi Ohno, of idol group Arashi) is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s (Satomi Ishihara of Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan) demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation. A longtime JAPAN CUTS favorite known for his offbeat dramas, Yoshihiro Nakamura (Fish Story, Golden Slumber) takes on the jidaigeki epic with his signature sense of play featuring a jazzy soundtrack and fantastical ninja tricks. -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing, psychedelic
Similar in 89%
Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022)
Plot Summary:
In this sequel to "47 Ronin," a new class of warriors emerges among the Samurai clans to keep a sought-after sword from falling into the wrong hands.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 87%
Incident at Blood Island (1970)
Plot Summary:
In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near the pass he stops at an inn where a collection of characters gather, including a gang set on stealing shogunate gold that's soon to come over the pass. When the Ronin's assignment becomes clear, to help the gang, he's ordered to kill the inn's residents, including a woman he's rescued from an abusive husband. He's reluctant to murder innocent people; then he learns that the gold shipment is a trap and he's part of a double cross. How he sorts through these divided loyalties tests of his samurai honor, and perhaps of his love for a woman.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 889
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, jidai geki
Similar in 84%
The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman. Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighbouring town's smaller gang is brewing.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: art house, grindhouse, cult classic, atmospheric, serious, captivating, realistic, vintage, period drama, cult film
Similar in 76%
American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)
Plot Summary:
Jackson is back, and now he has a new partner, karate champion Sean, as they must face a deadly terrorist known as "The Cobra", who has infected Sean with a virus. Sean and Jackson have no choice but to fight the Cobra and his bands of ninjas.
IMDB Rating: 3.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: USA, Canada, South Africa
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, cult classic, captivating, grindhouse, independent film, exciting, rough, realistic, suspenseful, fast
Similar in 90%
New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)
Plot Summary:
Wishing to find peace, Zatoichi travels to his old village but only finds trouble when he ends up in a love triangle and finds old scores have followed him home.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: cult classic, exciting, rough, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, period drama, cult film
Similar in 78%
The Shogun's Samurai (1978)
Plot Summary:
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: perverse, epic, exciting, rough, bleak, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized
Similar in 89%
Ninja, a Band of Assassins (1962)
Plot Summary:
[Period covered: 1575-1681] Fist film in the Shinobi series starring Raizo Ichikawa. Warlord Oda Nobunaga seeks to unite a fractured Japan, a young man trained in the arts of ninjitsu is manipulated by a ninja master into attempting to assassinate the warlord before he completes his task.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 928
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, suspenseful, jidai geki, period drama
Similar in 86%
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (1989)
Plot Summary:
This 26th film installment of the Zatoichi series sees Shintaro Katsu return to this classic role after a 10 year hiatus. The blind masseur Ichi gets caught between rival Yakuza clans.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: cult classic, exciting, tense, atmospheric, rough, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, stylized
Similar in 75%
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)
Plot Summary:
Even though Gennosuke and Oboro are from rival ninja villages, they are secretly in love. At an annual conference with the Lord, it is dictated that a competition--a fight to the death--will take place between the five best shinobi from each village. Gennosuke and Oboro's love is made even more impossible when they each got picked as the leader of the five to represent their respective villages.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, stylized, serious, anime, inspirational, sincere, surreal, visual, visually stunning
Similar in 75%
Goemon (2009)
Plot Summary:
Follow the infamous ninja bandit named Ishikawa Goemon (Yosuke Eguchi) in an epic story. One night while looting treasure from Nanban (Southern Barbarians), Goemon finds a mysterious box hidden inside a secret grave. A forgotten relic from the past containing untold powers.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: exciting, epic, captivating, anime, tense, suspense, action thriller, visually stunning, serious, stylized
Similar in 81%
The Swordsman (2020)
Plot Summary:
After being blinded in a coup against the king, Joseon’s greatest swordsman (Jang Hyuk) goes into hiding, far removed from his city’s anguish. But when traffickers kidnap his daughter, he has no choice but to unsheathe his sword once more.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, period drama
Similar in 89%
13 Assassins (2010)
Plot Summary:
A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan, UK
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: suspense, intense, tense, harsh, visually appealing, serious, suspenseful, disturbing, grindhouse, spectacular
Similar in 89%
Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends (2014)
Plot Summary:
Shishio has set sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the Meiji government and return Japan to chaos, carrying Kaoru with him. In order to stop him in time, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, dorama, captivating, suspense, manga, anime, tense, disturbing, psychological
Similar in 83%
Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
Plot Summary:
Kenshin has settled into his new life with Kaoru and his other friends when he is approached with a request from the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, a former assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed, set on fire and left for dead. He survived, and is now in Kyoto, plotting with his gathered warriors to overthrow the new government. Against Kaoru's wishes, Kenshin reluctantly agrees to go to Kyoto and help keep his country from falling back into civil war.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: stylized, suspense, intense, anime, exciting, suspenseful, manga, dorama, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 85%
The Last Samurai (2003)
Plot Summary:
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 463000
Genere: Action, Drama
Country: USA, New Zealand, Japan
Duration: 154 min
Plot tags: epic, breathtaking, serious, exciting, captivating, period piece, realistic, stylized, dramatic, suspense