Shōgunwas one of the best new series of 2024, so good that Disney and FX extended its original run as a limited series and currently has at least two more seasons in development. Released back in February 2024,Shōgunfollows the improbable story of one man’s cunning and tactful rise to becomeshōgun, the supreme military rulerin feudal Japan.The series is based on the real-life establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate,established by Tokugawa Ieyasuin the year 1600. ManyShōguncharacters, such asCosmo Jarvis’s John Blackthorne, were inspired by real-life historical figures and timelines.
Shōgunwas previously adapted into a limited series back in 1980. Like the 2024 critically acclaimed series,1980’sShōgunreceived outstanding reviewsand was widely considered one of the best series of the year in which it was released. 1980’sShōgunwent on to win a total of 3 Emmys in 1981 after receiving an impressive 14 nominations, including Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences, and Outstanding Limited Series. More than four decades later,Shōgunleads the 2024 Emmy Awards with a remarkable 25 nominations for its first season.
WithShōgunseason 2still many months away, fans still have quite a while until they get to see how Lord Toranaga’s rise to power continues to play out. While some characters will certainly not be returning due to their deaths in season 1,both Toranaga and Blackthorne will likely continue their unlikely allianceas Toranaga faces opposition from the Mother of the Heir, Ochiba-no-kata. No official timeline has been confirmed forShōgunseason 2, Toranaga actor Hiroyuki Sanada has publicly said “there will be new characters coming in, and we’re going to basically follow the real history in seasons two and three.” Until that day comes, there are several movies with similar themes and settings asShōgunto check out.
10Seven Samurai (1954)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Seven Samuraiis often considered one of the greatest movies ever made and a visual & narrative masterpiece. Not only should it be seen by all movie lovers, but it is a great and classic option for fans of the 2024Shōgunseries as well. BothShōgunandSeven Samuraishare a similar scale and degree of immersion that makes them both exceptional in their own right.Seven Samuraitakes place in the sixteenth century in Japan, not far from the events of theShōgunseries. The film follows a group of farmers from a small village who hire veteran samurai to protect them from bandits.Seven Samuraiis currently available to stream on Max.
9Dune: Part Two (2024)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Dune: Part Twomay be set in a completely different genre asShōgunbut both celebrated 2024 projects share themes of power struggles, betrayal, and cunning strategy. They also are both made with a sense of epic scale, making them two of the most immersive and largest fictional worlds brought to the screen in 2024. The core narrative of how Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atrides rises to the rank of Emperor inDune: Part Twois similar to Lord Toranaga’s chesslike strategy to become shōgun by the first season’s end.BothDune: Part TwoandShōgunfollow the steep ascension process of their protagonistsand leave audiences somewhat questioning their motives despite being the heroes in their respective stories.
8Silence (2016)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Silenceis an excellent and underrated film by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Silence takes place during the 17th century in Japan and follows two Portuguese Jesuit priests, played by Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, who go on a religious crusade to rescue their Catholic mentor who has gone missing. The film is seen through the eyes of the Portuguese Christian priests who are similar to the Father Martin Alvito and Father Dell’Aqua characters portrayed inShōgun.Silencetakes a more gruesome look at the extreme levels of religious persecution and sacrificeof the era and is one of the great modern examples of feudal Japan as depicted in a film. The 2016 film received a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 83%.
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7Mortal Kombat (2021)
Directed by Simon McQuoid
Before appearing onscreen together inShōgunas Lord Toranaga and his disloyal daimyo Yabushige,Hiroyuki Sanada and Tadanobu Asano previously worked togetheron the 2021 film adaptation ofMortal Kombat. Both Sanada and Asano will reprise their roles as Scorpion and Lord Raiden inMortal Kombat 2, which does not currently have an established release date but could arrive sometime in 2025. For fans ofShōgunwho specifically miss the hot and cold connection between Yabushige and Toranaga,Mortal Kombatmay be worth checking out for the fact that they appear onscreen together in the same film.Mortal Kombatis based on the popular fighting video game of the same name and received a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 86%.
6The Northman (2022)
Directed by Robert Eggers
The Northmanis one of the most gruesome and visceral action movies in recent years, one area which Disney/FX’sShōgundid not dive too deeply into.The Northmanshares many similar narrative themes toShōgunasAlexander Skarsgård’s protagonist goes on a full-throttle decade-spanning path for vengeanceafter his father, a king, is betrayed and murdered for his crown. Once Skarsgård’s Amleth grows up, he comes up with a vicious and violent scheme to avenge his father’s death and take back the throne that was taken from him, which is not too far from Lord Toranaga’s motivations and character trajectory inShōgun.Directed by one of the best horror directors of our time, Robert Eggers,The Northmanis an epic tale on the same level of prestige asShōgun.
5The Last Samurai (2003)
Directed by Edward Zwick
The Last Samuraihas been coming up in Google searches for “best samurai movies” since its 2003 release, with good reason. Starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe,The Last Samuraiisn’t just a great movie about samurai culture but one of the best films to come out of the early 2000s, earning four Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actor for Watanabe.The Last Samuraitakes place in 19th century Japan as Nathan Algren, a U.S. army captain, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in modern warfare techniques. Algren finds himself split between two different eras and worlds in this action-packed movie full of battle scenes. Fans ofShōgunwho werewaiting for Crimson Sky and the Battle of Sekigaharacan get their action fix fromThe Last Samurai.
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4The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
Directed by Joel Cohen
The Tragedy of Macbethalso chronicles the strategic and tragic rise to power of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic figures. Joel Coen of the iconic Coen Brothers directing duo (The Big Lebowski,No Country for Old Men,Fargo) directed 2021’sThe Tragedy of Macbeth, a visually stunning interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragic playMacbeth. While there have been many renditions ofMacbethover the years, the directorial mastery of Joel Coen makes hisThe Tragedy of Macbethone of the very best especially in the area of cinematography. WithShōgunbeing one of, if not the, most visually stunning series of 2024, fans who appreciated the aesthetics and compositions of the series will certainly find substance in the visual style ofThe Tragedy of Macbeth.
3The Twilight Samurai (2002)
Directed by Yōji Yamada
For fans of Hiroyuki Sanada specifically, don’t miss his performance in 2002’sThe Twilight Samuraiin what is arguablyhis best role before appearing inShōgun. While the tone ofThe Twilight Samuraiis very different fromShōgunsince it is considered a romantic drama, there are still enough action and suspenseful elements to make it entertaining throughout for fans of the acclaimed 2024 series.
A younger Sanada is featured inThe Twilight SamuraiasSeibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai at the end of the feudal era of Japan. It’s incredibly ironic thatThe Twilight Samuraitakes place at the end of feudal Japan with Sanada playing a low-ranking samurai, whileShōguntakes place at the start of the longest shogunate in Japan’s history and Sanada plays the most powerful person of that time.
213 Assassins (2010)
Directed by Takashi Miike
13 Assassinsis one of the highest-rated and critically acclaimed samurai movies of the 21st century. The film takes place in feudal Japan in 1844, which is still in the thick of the real-life Tokugawa shogunate.13 Assassinsfeatures a fictional feudal lord named Naritsugu Matsudaira, who is an evil half-brother of the Japanese shogun. In order to prevent his rise to power, a group of thirteen samurai band together to set a trap and end the tyrannical reign of the feudal lord. The film is directed by renowned Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike and is widely considered to be his masterpiece.13 Assassinsis currently streaming on Hulu.
1Yojimbo (1961)
Apart fromSeven Samurai,Yojimbois arguably Akiro Kurosawa’s greatest film. The film starsToshirō Mifune, who notably starred as Lord Toranagain the 1980s version ofShōgun.Yojimbois a one-person army action epic that follows Mifune’s crafty ronin character Sanjuro Kuwabatake who decides to take down both sides of a rival gang in a small Japanese town. Sanjuro has a similar degree of strategy and cunning antics as Toranaga, which makesYojimboa thought-provoking and thoroughly compelling watch.Yojimbois also streaming on Max and is one of the best possible movies to watch while waiting forShōgunseason 2.
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Shogun
Cast
Shōgun, released in 2024, is set in Japan during 1600 at the onset of a significant civil war. It follows Lord Yoshii Toranaga as he battles political adversaries on the Council of Regents, while a European ship mysteriously appears in a nearby fishing village, complicating the tides of power.
