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Branded to Kill

Branded to Kill

196791 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Director
Seijun Suzuki
Starring
Jō Shishido, Kōji Nanbara, Isao Tamagawa, Annu Mari

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

Where to watch

Where can I watch Branded to Kill?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Branded to Kill streaming on The Criterion Channel.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Branded to Kill?

Branded to Kill earns 8 badges, led by One of a kind and Visual feast.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Branded to Kill worth watching?

Branded to Kill's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all films, from 47K ratings across 4 sources. 74% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of films

94th percentile among Action85th percentile among 1960s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)84th

74 /100

89th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Action89th percentile among 1960s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.2 — solid but not unanimous.

74% liked it

84th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Action80th percentile among 1960s
74% rated it 7–1026% rated it 1–6

Critics 100% · Audience 83%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

86th percentile

47K ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Action91st percentile among 1960s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Branded to Kill is a stylish, wildly unconventional yakuza hitman film that prioritizes surreal imagery and chaotic energy over coherent storytelling.

Fans praised

  • groundbreaking visual style with surreal black-and-white cinematography
  • iconic hitman protagonist with unforgettable quirks
  • bold, rule-breaking editing and narrative structure

Detractors panned

  • incoherent plot that defies logic and narrative sense
  • excessive, gratuitous sex and violence

What stands out

Originality98

unprecedented blend of noir, new wave, and surrealism

Cinematography95

stunning widescreen black-and-white compositions

Atmosphere90

dreamlike, feverish film-noir world

Sound and music85

languid jazzy score

ActingDivisive80

Jo Shishido's magnetic, hammy performance

HumorDivisive75

absurdist, over-the-top comedy

CharactersDivisive70

eccentric, memorable but shallow

Plot and storyDivisive30

intentionally confusing, near-incomprehensible narrative

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 23 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Branded to Kill like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
AbsurdTenseCold
Heaviest: late
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Dreamlike · 2% of films: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film holds its lurid noir material at a surreal, knowing distance, bending logic and image into absurdity rather than playing it straight.
The rideA queasy mix of absurdist set-pieces and chilly, fatalistic violence that sharpens into tense menace toward the final duel.
StructureThe film deliberately fractures its own continuity and timeline, jumping disorientingly between loosely linked, dreamlike set-pieces.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's fractured imagery and doomed anti-hero linger uneasily long after the credits roll.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA top hitman who fumbles a kill has the tables turned on him, is hunted by his own syndicate and must finally face the phantom No. 1, the unseen tyrant at the top of his profession.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Mortality · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film dissolves the confident identity of a top hitman into a swirling nightmare of quirks, betrayal and death-longing.
StanceThe film deconstructs the myth of the cool hitman, questioning what identity and self-control even mean in his dissolving world.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
JazzSupportive music · original score · Naozumi Yamamoto
Settinga stylized, noir-drenched Tokyo of yakuza-ranked hitmen
MusicA languid, cool jazz score that underlines the film's fractured, noir-ish atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Branded to Kill okay for kids?

Not Rated

Branded to Kill is not rated. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (79/100), sexual content at intense (72/100), language at mild (30/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (53/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 69% of unrated films.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 72% of all filmsHeavier than 69% of unrated films
Violence & Gore
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 74%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 88%
Profanity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 38%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 77%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 52%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Branded to Kill have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Branded to Kill?

Cast

Jō Shishido
as Gorô Hanada
Kōji Nanbara
as No. 1
Isao Tamagawa
as Michihiko Yabuhara
Annu Mari
as Misako Nakajô
Hiroshi Minami
as Gihei Kasuga
Hiroshi Chō
as Bartender
Atsushi Yamatoya
as No. 4
Hiroshi Midorikawa
as Jeweller
Iwae Arai
as Man with Artificial Eyes
Akira Takahashi
as Hitman

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Branded to Kill?

Movies like Branded to Kill include Tokyo Drifter (1966), Survive Style 5+ (2004) and Gozu (2003). Of the 12 closest matches, half are stories of toxic codependency, and most are crime films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its praise for originality. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Branded to Kill?

388 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: hitman. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.