The Idiot
A gentle, war-shattered ex-soldier, Kinji Kameda, arrives in wintry Hokkaidō and is pulled into a volatile tangle of love and pity between the disgraced Taeko Nasu, the proud Ayako, and his possessive friend Akama. Kameda’s saintly compassion exposes everyone’s wounds, steering the quartet toward jealousy, violence, and inexorable tragedy. Adapted from Dostoevsky’s novel.
Where to watch The Idiot in United States
Can I watch The Idiot in United States? Yes — you can stream The Idiot in United States on Criterion Channel.
Criterion ChannelClick a service to open The Idiot there. Availability last verified on October 20, 2026.
Where is The Idiot streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Criterion Channel | — |
| Canada | Criterion Channel | — |
| Germany | filmingo | filmingo |
| Spain | Filmin, Acontra Plus, Tivify | Acontra Plus |
| Brazil | Belas Artes à La Carte | — |
| Japan | Hulu, U-NEXT, FOD Channel Amazon Channel, Plus Shochiku Amazon Channel | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
About The Idiot
The Idiot is a 1951 Japanese-language drama and romance film directed by Akira Kurosawa. The cast is led by Setsuko Hara, Masayuki Mori, Toshirō Mifune. It has a runtime of 2h 46m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.
The Idiot was produced by Shochiku and made in Japan. It was released on May 23, 1951.
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Writers
- Akira Kurosawa, Eijiro Hisaita
- Release date
- May 23, 1951
- Original language
- Japanese
- Status
- Released
- Country
- Japan
- Production
- Shochiku
The Idiot cast & crew
The Idiot was directed by Akira Kurosawa and written by Akira Kurosawa and Eijiro Hisaita.
The cast features Setsuko Hara as Taeko Nasu, Masayuki Mori as Kinji Kameda, Toshirō Mifune as Denkichi Akama, Yoshiko Kuga as Ayako, Takashi Shimura as Ono, Ayako's father, and Chieko Higashiyama as Satoko, Ayako's mother.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Fumio Hayasaka, cinematography is by Toshio Ubukata, and it was produced by Takashi Koide.
Is The Idiot worth watching?
The Idiot holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 135 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.
At 2h 46m, it's a full-evening commitment.
If you enjoy drama and romance, The Idiot is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch The Idiot
In United States, you can stream The Idiot on Criterion Channel. Click any service above to open it directly.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of The Idiot
Setsuko Hara
Taeko Nasu
Masayuki Mori
Kinji Kameda
Toshirō Mifune
Denkichi Akama
Yoshiko Kuga
Ayako
Takashi Shimura
Ono, Ayako's father
Chieko Higashiyama
Satoko, Ayako's mother
Eijirō Yanagi
Tohata
Minoru Chiaki
Mutsuo Kayama, the secretary
Noriko Sengoku
Takako
Kokuten Kōdō
Junpei
Bokuzen Hidari
Karube
Eiko Miyoshi
Madame Kayama
The Idiot — FAQs
▸Where can I watch The Idiot in United States?
The Idiot is streaming on Criterion Channel in United States.
▸Is The Idiot on Criterion Channel?
Yes — The Idiot is currently available on Criterion Channel in United States.
▸What language is The Idiot in?
The Idiot is originally in Japanese. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is The Idiot?
The Idiot runs 2 hours 46 minutes (166 minutes).
▸What is The Idiot rated?
It holds a 7.0/10 audience score from 135 ratings.
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