The Last Samurai (2003)
In the face of an enemy, in the heart of one man, lies the soul of a warrior.
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 5 December 2003 |
| Genre | Drama, Action, War |
| Director | Edward Zwick |
| Starring | Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe and Timothy Spall |
| Runtime | 154 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.4/10 · Metacritic 55/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 65% · TMDB users 7.6/10 |
| Box office | $457 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Last Samurai
The Last Samurai is streaming on Fubo in the US. It is also on Max ($18.49 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 29 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent The Last Samurai on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Last Samurai in 63 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Andorra | Netflix , Prime Video, Max |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Argentina | Netflix $8999 ARS, Prime Video $5199 ARS, Max $9590 ARS |
| Australia | Netflix $20.99 AUD, Prime Video $12.99 AUD |
| Austria | Prime Video €8.99, Max €11.99 |
| Bahamas | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Barbados | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Belgium | Prime Video €4.99, Max €10.99 |
| Belize | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Bermuda | Netflix about , Prime Video |
| Bolivia | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90, Prime Video R$19.90, Max R$34.90, Globoplay R$24.90 |
| Canada | Prime Video $9.99 CAD |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP, Prime Video $6490 CLP, Max $9590 CLP |
| Colombia | Netflix $18900 COP, Prime Video $24900 COP, Max $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Cyprus | Netflix €8.99 |
| Denmark | Netflix 109 kr DKK, Prime Video 69 kr DKK, Max 129 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99, Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29, Clarovideo |
| El Salvador | Netflix , Prime Video, Max |
| Finland | Netflix €10.99, Prime Video €6.99, Max €11.99 |
| France | Netflix €14.99, Prime Video €6.99, Max €10.99 |
| French Guiana | Netflix , Prime Video |
| French Polynesia | Netflix about , Prime Video |
| Germany | Prime Video €8.99, Max €11.99 |
| Greece | Netflix €8.99 |
| Guatemala | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Guernsey | Netflix |
| Guyana | Prime Video, Max |
| Honduras | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Iceland | Prime Video 880 kr ISK, Max |
| India | Netflix ₹199 |
| Ireland | Netflix €11.99, Max |
| Italy | Prime Video €4.99, Max €11.99 |
| Jamaica | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Liechtenstein | Prime Video, Max |
| Luxembourg | Prime Video €8.99, Max |
| Malta | Prime Video €5.99 |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN, Prime Video $99 MXN, Max $149 MXN |
| Monaco | Netflix , Prime Video, Max |
| Netherlands | Prime Video €4.99, Max €11.99 |
| New Zealand | Netflix $17.99 NZD, Prime Video $8.99 NZD |
| Nicaragua | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Norway | Netflix 119 kr NOK, Prime Video 79 kr NOK, Max 149 kr NOK |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99, Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29 |
| Paraguay | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Peru | Netflix S/28.90, Prime Video S/25.90, Max S/35.90, Clarovideo |
| Poland | Prime Video 25.99 zł |
| Portugal | Netflix €8.99, Max €9.99 |
| San Marino | Prime Video |
| Spain | Netflix €14.99, Prime Video €4.99, Max €10.99 |
| St. Lucia | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Sweden | Netflix 129 kr SEK, Prime Video 69 kr SEK, Max 149 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Prime Video CHF8.90, Max CHF16.90 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Netflix , Prime Video, Max |
| Türkiye | Netflix ₺259.99, Prime Video ₺39.90 |
| United Kingdom | Netflix £13.99 GBP, Max £9.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Netflix about $U481, Prime Video $U249, Max $U399 |
| Vatican City | Prime Video |
| Venezuela | Netflix about , Prime Video, Max |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Edward Zwick directs a 2003 war drama that runs 154 minutes. The plot asks a simple question: can a man who has forgotten how to fight learn it again from people he is paid to destroy? Tom Cruise plays the American, Ken Watanabe plays the samurai. It is a film about the cost of progress, told with the weight of a sword in hand. You will not need a map to follow the battle lines.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes places the film at a 65% Tomatometer score, averaging 6.4/10 out of 216 reviews. Metacritic lands on 55, which it categorizes as mixed or average. The consensus calls it a satisfying epic with high production values. Tomomi Katsuta of The Mainichi Shinbun praised the research but found the noble portrayal "set my teeth on edge." Roger Ebert called it an uncommonly thoughtful epic.
How it did with audiences
The Last Samurai pulled in $457 million worldwide. That is a tidy sum, though the film earned more in Japan than in the United States. It opened with $8 million and finished second at the box office behind Finding Nemo. In Japan, it took in $132 million, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film there. On TMDB, users rate it 7.6 out of 10. Audiences clearly preferred the Japanese market, where the samurai actually had a home.
What came next for the cast
Timothy Spall shifted from American blockbusters to British schoolboy fame. Tony Goldwyn left crime dramas for superhero franchises. Ken Watanabe jumped from Japanese cinema to global action epics. Tom Cruise kept making big movies, which is hardly news. The credits cannot say The Last Samurai caused those pivots. They can only show what came next.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Last Samurai.
Read more: Hacksaw Ridge
Sources
- The Last Samurai on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q207130 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Last Samurai” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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