Branded to Kill Backdrop Blur
Branded to Kill Poster
7.2 1h 31m

Branded to Kill

After botching his latest assignment, a third-ranked Japanese hit man becomes the target of another assassin.

Top Cast

  • Joe Shishido

    Joe Shishido

    Gorô Hanada

  • Kōji Nanbara

    Kōji Nanbara

    No. 1

  • Isao Tamagawa

    Isao Tamagawa

    Michihiko Yabuhara

  • Annu Mari

    Annu Mari

    Misako Nakajô

  • Mariko Ogawa

    Mariko Ogawa

    Mami Hanada

  • Hiroshi Minami

    Hiroshi Minami

    Gihei Kasuga

  • Hiroshi Chō

    Hiroshi Chō

    Bartender

  • Atsushi Yamatoya

    Atsushi Yamatoya

    No. 4 Killer Ko

  • Takashi Nomura

    Takashi Nomura

Overview

After botching his latest assignment, a third-ranked Japanese hit man becomes the target of another assassin.

Rating

7.2 / 10
256 Reviews
2 Popular

2 Reviews

  • talisencrw
    talisencrw
    9 Mar 7, 2016

    If someone both hated black-and-white films and movies with subtitles, I would encourage them to see this corker. It has 'hilarious masterpiece' written all over it. Suzuki's gangster movies are a cinephile's delight, to be sure--and this is one of his very best. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you need a really good laugh, love cinema and haven't seen it yet, I would recommend you RUN to your nearest film store and take a chance on it. It'll be the best 30 bucks you've spent in a very long time.

  • deepkino
    deepkino
    May 9, 2026

    Branded to Kill is a supposedly hard-boiled action film that gradually turns into an absurd dark comedy, drifting through disconnected scenes and bizarre imagery. Revolving around a chubby-cheeked assassin obsessed with the smell of boiling rice, the film constantly undermines the conventions of gangster cinema with surreal humor and chaotic energy. Seijun Suzuki transforms what could have been a routine hitman story into a fever dream filled with eccentric characters, strange erotic tension, and visual experimentation. Its fragmented narrative and rebellious style make it feel less like a crime thriller and more like a cinematic act of sabotage against traditional studio filmmaking.

Trailers & Clips

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