# High and Low (1963) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/high-and-low-1963/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 83% |
| Editorial Rating | 86/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 88% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 80/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4/5 |
| IMDb | 8.4/10 |
| Director | Akira Kurosawa |
| Genres | Drama, Crime, Thriller |
| Runtime | 142 min |

## Quick answer

High and Low (1963) earns a 83% Celluloid Score — Recommended. IMDb Top 250 #72 (8.4/10) — High and Low remains one of the most highly rated films of all time. Metascore 80/100. Directed by Akira Kurosawa.

## Celluloid verdict

IMDb Top 250 #72 (8.4/10) — High and Low remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

## Synopsis

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

## Cast

Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyōko Kagawa, Tatsuya Mihashi, Isao Kimura, Kenjirō Ishiyama, Takeshi Katō, Takashi Shimura, Jun Tazaki, Nobuo Nakamura

## Where to watch

Global: HBO Max, The Criterion Channel
the United States: HBO Max, The Criterion Channel
the United Kingdom: BFI Player
Japan: U-NEXT

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is High and Low worth watching?**
High and Low holds a 83% Celluloid Score. IMDb Top 250 #72 (8.4/10) — High and Low remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

**What is High and Low about?**
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

**Who directed High and Low?**
High and Low (1963) was directed by Akira Kurosawa.

**What is the Celluloid Score of High and Low?**
83% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (86/100), Metascore (80/100), Letterboxd (4/5), and IMDb (8.4/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**Where can I watch High and Low?**
High and Low is streaming on HBO Max, The Criterion Channel; on HBO Max, The Criterion Channel in the United States; on BFI Player in the United Kingdom; on U-NEXT in Japan. Availability varies by region.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

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