The Bad Sleep Well cover art

The Bad Sleep Well Details

1960 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 664 members

Toshiro Mifune discovers corrupt officials as he sets out to avenge the death of his father. Japanese dialogue with subtitles. Read more

Starring Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi
Director Akira Kurosawa
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema

loading loading...

The Bad Sleep Well

Toshiro Mifune discovers corrupt officials as he sets out to avenge the death of his father. Japanese dialogue with subtitles.

Starring Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Kyoko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Takashi Shimura
Director Akira Kurosawa
Studio BFI VIDEO
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 24 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema
Language DVD: Japanese
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 25 Jul 2005
Production year: 1960
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (4) of The Bad Sleep Well

    View all
  • 2 stars out of 5

    In this drama about corporate corruption in postwar Japan, Toshiro Mifune lays down his samurai sword to play a housing company employee who marries the boss's daughter purely to expose his new father-in-law, whom he believes was responsible for his own father's “suicide”. Akira Kurosawa turns what should have been a taut thriller into a rather sombre exercise in morality, with Shakespearean themes of revenge and remorse. The film flopped in Japan (critiques of the economic recovery were rare) and led to the eventual collapse of the director's production company.

    • Radio Times
  • 2 stars out of 4

    Moody thriller, in the style of American gangster movies of the 40s, but with an ending that Hollywood would have rejected as too downbeat.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of The Bad Sleep Well

    View all
  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Worth watching if you're a Akira Kurosawa fan.

    I thought this film would be similar to Stray Dog, but it wasn't. It was very predictable and not much new in it. Though it was worth watching to kill 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon. I just liked Akira Kurosawa other films alot more compared to this one. So if you're a fan, tis worth checking out.

      • Rob Pickles from Manchester
  • Most recent members' review of The Bad Sleep Well

    View all
  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Worth watching if you're a Akira Kurosawa fan.

    I thought this film would be similar to Stray Dog, but it wasn't. It was very predictable and not much new in it. Though it was worth watching to kill 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon. I just liked Akira Kurosawa other films alot more compared to this one. So if you're a fan, tis worth checking out.

      • Rob Pickles from Manchester
  • More like this

    View all

Rating breakdown

664 Member ratings
  • 100
65
  • 90
60
  • 80
167
  • 70
135
  • 60
108
  • 50
54
  • 40
31
  • 30
16
  • 20
16
  • 10
12

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • The Bad Sleep Well
    • DVD: £12.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £19.79 (you save: 35%)
    • Toshiro Mifune discovers corrupt officials as he sets out to avenge the death of his father. Japanese dialogue with subtitles....