Ikiru
A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
Directed by Akira Kurosawa · Drama · 143 min · 1956
Trailer
Director
Akira Kurosawa
Studio
Toho
Release
25 Mar 1956
Runtime
143 min
Genres
Drama
Full Plot
Kanji Watanabe is a civil servant. He has worked in the same department for 30 years. His life is pretty boring and monotonous, though he once used to have passion and drive. Then one day he discovers that he has stomach cancer and has less than a year to live. After the initial depression he sets about living for the first time in over 20 years. Then he realises that his limited time left is not just for living life to the full but to leave something meaningful behind...
Cast & Characters
Kanji Watanabe
Takashi Shimura
Mitsuo Watanabe, Kanji's son
Nobuo Kaneko
Kimura
Shin'ichi Himori
Sakai
Haruo Tanaka
Noguchi
Minoru Chiaki
Ohara
Bokuzen Hidari
Toyo Odagiri, employee
Miki Odagiri
Sub-Section Chief Ōno
Kamatari Fujiwara
Deputy Mayor
Nobuo Nakamura
Novelist
Yūnosuke Itō
Kazue Watanabe, Mitsuo's wife
Kyoko Seki
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $85,000, Ikiru has grossed $55,240 worldwide — about 0.6x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Akira Kurosawa has directed 6 films in our catalog, including Seven Samurai, High and Low.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know the film was co-written by three individuals: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, and Hideo Oguni.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know Ikiru marked the first collaboration between director Kurosawa and screenwriter Oguni.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know the genesis of Ikiru came from Kurosawa's desire to make a film about a man who knows he is going to die and wants a reason to live in his remaining days.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know the screenplay was completed on 5 February 1952, after months of preparations and rehearsals.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Ikiru holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (100,520 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (100,520 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ikiru's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Ikiru holds a 98% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Ikiru's IMDb rating?+
Ikiru has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 100,520 votes.
What is Ikiru's Metacritic score?+
Ikiru has a Metascore of 92/100 on Metacritic.
Is Ikiru good? What are critics saying?+
Ikiru holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (100,520 votes), 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Ikiru?+
Ikiru has a runtime of 143 min.
Who directed Ikiru?+
Ikiru was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Where can I watch Ikiru?+
Ikiru is available to stream, rent, or buy on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Ikiru" received a mixed response from critics and audiences, with some praising its thought-provoking themes and powerful storytelling, while others found the pacing uneven and the final act static. Reviewers noted that the film's framing device was effective in capturing Kurosawa's style, but that the second half fell short of its potential.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Takashi Shimura is "Watanabe", an elderly civil service lifer who is told that he has terminal stomach cancer. After years of a disciplined, rather pedestrian existence he now feels a need to emancipate himself and start to live a little. The story is told through two threads: on…
CinemaSerf · 7/10I watched the English follow-up version (Living) before watching this original, and wished I had reversed my order. I liked Living much more than this original, but since both were written by the same Japanese scriptwriter, my preference might be cultural rather than due to quali…
Peter McGinn · 7/10Typical Kurasawa creative framing in the beginning of the movie. The scene of dancers shot through bead curtains swinging in time to the music was brilliant. His choice of Miki Odagiri for muse is brilliant. Her laugh is infectious. The last act stuck me as rather static. It's pe…
badelf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
Never has a film made me cry so hard, as Ikiru. Even watching this trailer makes me swell up in tears. I feel that everyone in this day and age needs to stop being so greedy and selfish and ask themselves what it means, to live.
@spaz01112 · 33 likesThe last 10 minutes of this film is peak cinema.
@captainstrangiato961 · 0 likesthe best film I have ever seen about finding meaning and purpose in life and living it
@REALITY2point0 · 11 likes"But I don't want to die yet...I MUST DO SOMETHING." Beautiful film with a beautiful message. My favorite Kurosawa film ever...
@petitlapin66 · 5 likesOne of the Greatest movies ever made. Perhaps even THE greatest. One of the few works of art that may acutally change your life if you let it.
@lakewalker11 · 3 likesI doubt if anyone in Japan ever underrated him. He has always been recognised as a phenomenal talent.
@textthing · 0 likesNetflix still has this movie. I've got a copy of it now and plan to watch it this weekend.
@chrischandler5400 · 2 likesI saw this yesterday, it was great; had tears in my eyes.
@AlbinoTanuki · 1 likes
