Inn of Evil

Set in feudal Japan, when trade with the outside world is forbidden, the story gathers a group of smugglers at a remote inn on a river island. Their hideout is a waypoint for contraband moving along the water, and the money they have stashed away is meant for more than business. Into this closed world comes an idealist with a desperate purpose: he needs the smugglers' funds to buy back the woman he loves from a brothel. His arrival unsettles a place already under pressure. The authorities have long tolerated the inn, but a fresh push by law enforcement threatens the arrangement, and the bandits must decide how much they are willing to risk for a stranger.

Masaki Kobayashi directed the film, which followed Samurai Rebellion in his filmography and was released in 1971. Yasuko Miyazaki wrote the screenplay, and the cast is led by Tatsuya Nakadai as Sadashichi, alongside Komaki Kurihara, Wakako Sakai, Kan'emon Nakamura, Shigeru Kōyama and Kei Satō. Toho and Haiyuza Eiga Hoso Company produced the 121-minute crime drama.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.2 from roughly 2,200 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.3 from a much smaller number of votes. The wider IMDb sampling indicates a solid reputation among viewers, whereas the TMDB figure rests on too few responses to carry the same weight.