Onibaba is a Japanese horror film directed by Kaneto Shindo and released in 1964. The story is set during the Muromachi period in Japan, a time of civil war, and follows a mother and daughter-in-law as they struggle to survive by killing and robbing samurai who venture into their swamp.
The film opens with the two women attacking a samurai and selling his armor. They are shown to be skilled hunters and killers who use cunning and deception to lure their victims into the swamp. The mother is a bitter and manipulative woman who resents her daughter-in-law and seeks to control her every move.
After learning of her son's death, the daughter-in-law becomes depressed and isolated. She begins to have vivid nightmares and is plagued by guilt over the murders she has committed. This marks a turning point in the film, as it shifts from a tale of survival to a more introspective exploration of guilt and grief.
The arrival of Hachi, a neighbor who survived the war, brings new complications to the women's dynamic. Hachi is initially viewed with suspicion by the mother, who tries to sabotage his budding romance with her daughter-in-law. But as she becomes increasingly fixated on Hachi, the daughter-in-law begins to pull away from her mother-in-law and their shared criminal enterprise.
The film's climax features a haunting and iconic sequence in which the mother dons a demonic mask taken from a dead samurai. This surreal and dreamlike scene is rich with symbolism and serves to heighten the tension between the two women.
Onibaba is notable for its stunning black-and-white cinematography, eerie score, and atmospheric use of natural settings. The film has been praised for its exploration of female sexuality and power dynamics, as well as its meditations on the human psyche during times of war.