Netflix has released the trailer for Last Samurai Standing, a Japanese period action film that premiered on 13 November 2025. Based on the Naoki Prize-winning novel Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura, the film centres on a lone samurai forced into a brutal fight for survival.
The story is set in a fictional era when carrying swords is suddenly outlawed, upending the life of the undefeated samurai Shujiro Saga. To save his family and village, he enters a deadly survival game where each life taken counts as a point. While the premise may remind some viewers of Squid Game, Last Samurai Standing aims for a more grounded, historically inspired tone.
Junichi Okada, who serves as producer, lead actor, and action choreographer, described the film as “a new kind of period drama—an action drama made entirely in Japan, but for the world.” Director and screenwriter Michihito Fujii added that the film combines serious themes with sharp characters and a gripping narrative. Their comments were provided in a Netflix press release.
The trailer opens with the announcement of the game: “The name of the game you’ll be participating in is Kodoku. Anything is allowed.” Scenes of chaos follow, as warriors fight to claim neck tags from one another. The announcer shouts, “Fight over the tags—begin!” followed by a swift and violent sword strike that silences the crowd.
Visually, the trailer features stylised combat sequences, samurai symbolism, and hints at deeper themes about honour, poverty, and societal upheaval. Fans flooded social media with reactions, sharing excitement and impatience. One user commented: “Just watched the trailer for this—hella excited.” Another asked, “Should we wait the whole year for the release?”
Last Samurai Standing is available to stream from 13 November 2025. Whether it meets the high expectations of Netflix’s action fanbase remains to be seen.
IOL Entertainment
