# Ikiru (1952) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/ikiru-1952/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 82% |
| Editorial Rating | 85/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 87% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 79/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4/5 |
| IMDb | 8.3/10 |
| Director | Akira Kurosawa |
| Genres | Drama |
| Runtime | 143 min |

## Quick answer

Ikiru (1952) earns a 82% Celluloid Score — Recommended. IMDb Top 250 #95 (8.3/10) — Ikiru remains one of the most highly rated films of all time. Metascore 79/100. Directed by Akira Kurosawa.

## Celluloid verdict

IMDb Top 250 #95 (8.3/10) — Ikiru remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

## Synopsis

Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.

## Cast

Takashi Shimura, Haruo Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Bokuzen Hidari, Miki Odagiri, Shinichi Himori, Minoru Chiaki, Minosuke Yamada, Kamatari Fujiwara, Makoto Kobori

## Where to watch

Global: HBO Max, The Criterion Channel
the United States: HBO Max, The Criterion Channel
the United Kingdom: BFI Player
South Korea: not currently streaming
Japan: U-NEXT

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is Ikiru worth watching?**
Ikiru holds a 82% Celluloid Score. IMDb Top 250 #95 (8.3/10) — Ikiru remains one of the most highly rated films of all time.

**What is Ikiru about?**
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.

**Who directed Ikiru?**
Ikiru (1952) was directed by Akira Kurosawa.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Ikiru?**
82% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (85/100), Metascore (79/100), Letterboxd (4/5), and IMDb (8.3/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**Where can I watch Ikiru?**
Ikiru 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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