⚔️🕵️ The Samurai and the Prisoner - suspicion cuts deeper

Group movie outing - optional brief post-film chat.

Short summary

Some samurai films sell the sword first.

This one sounds more interested in the room before the blade comes out.

*The Samurai and the Prisoner* is a 2026 Japanese period murder mystery from Kurosawa Kiyoshi, set amid 16th-century war, political betrayal, a besieged castle, and four crimes unfolding across four seasons.

There is also an imprisoned strategist whose answers may be useful, which is exactly the kind of setup that makes everyone in a castle seem slightly too calm to be trusted.

Good.

This is not museum homework. Not samurai fandom trivia. Not “who has the coolest armour” night.

It sounds like the kind of film where language, suspicion, loyalty, and mercy cut deeper than the sword fights.

We’re going to the public screening at The Cinematheque, then whoever still has energy can stay for a very quick post-film verdict afterward.

The plan

We’ll meet outside The Cinematheque at 6:30 PM.

The official screening begins at 7:00 PM.

The film runs 147 minutes, so it should end around 9:27 PM. I’m setting the Meetup end for 9:45 PM so there’s time to exit, find each other, and say a quick “what the hell was actually going on in that castle?” before people leave.

This is a public screening, not a private Meetup event.

Meetup RSVP is free, but it does not reserve your movie ticket.

Tickets

Everyone buys their own movie ticket.

Please buy online before the event day because this is a small independent cinema and we want to sit together if possible.

Official September 22 ticket link

Current official ticket prices:

• General admission age 18+: $15
• Senior 65+: $13
• Student: $11
• First Nations, Inuit, and Métis admission: $0

Official film page

Film details

*The Samurai and the Prisoner* Japanese title: *Kokurojo* Director: Kurosawa Kiyoshi Japan, 2026 147 minutes DCP PG Japanese with English subtitles Adapted from Yonezawa Honobu’s novel

When and where

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026

🕒 Meet outside: 6:30 PM Official screening: 7:00 PM Approx. film end: 9:27 PM Meetup end: 9:45 PM

📍 Location: The Cinematheque 1131 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L7