Top 7 Yakuza Movies of All Time

Khuraijam Roger Singh
Sep 05, 2024

Tokyo Drifter (1966)

A Seijun Suzuki film is a visually striking exploration of loyalty and survival in the Yakuza world. A hitman who tries to go straight is pulled back into the criminal underworld after his boss refuses to let him retire.

Sonatine (1993)

Takeshi Kitano both directs and stars in this slow-burn masterpiece. It follows a disillusioned Yakuza enforcer sent to Okinawa to mediate a gang war.

Brother (2000)

Brother is a Yakuza story that spans cultures. A Yakuza member who was banished from Japan settles in Los Angeles, where he starts his own gang and runs afoul of the local mafia. The movie is about loyalty in the face of conflicting cultural norms.

Outrage (2010)

The film delves into the shifting power dynamics within Tokyo’s Yakuza clans. The movie is known for its cold, calculated violence and complex plot, showing how betrayals and power struggles unfold within criminal organizations.

Branded to Kill (1967)

The main character of a bizarre Yakuza movie is a hitman who loses favor with the mob after failing to complete a task. The film is a cutting-edge interpretation of the Yakuza subgenre, including unique storytelling, and chic cinematography.

Youth of the Beast (1963)

Director Seijun Suzuki crafts an elegant and strikingly beautiful Yakuza thriller. To exact revenge for his partner's murder, the narrative centers on a former police officer who infiltrates a Yakuza group.

The Yakuza (1974)

An American-Japanese co-production that blends Yakuza drama and film noir. To rescue a friend's stolen daughter, an American private investigator is dragged into the Yakuza underground in the movie.

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