

Woman in the Dunes
Haunting. Erotic. Unforgettable.
A vacationing entomologist suffers extreme physical and psychological trauma after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village and made to live with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them.
TMDB
8.2/10
554 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- Japanese
- based on novel or book
- insect
- sand
- art house
- water shortage
- psychological thriller
- black and white
- held captive
- skin
- trapped
- missing person
- sexual torture
Top billed cast
Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalNR25 Oct 1964
FranceFR
- Theatrical11 Nov 1964
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1823 Jun 1966
HungaryHU
- Theatrical21 Jan 1971
JapanJP
- Theatrical15 Feb 1964
MexicoMX
- Theatrical12 Aug 1966
NetherlandsNL
- Physical12DVD19 Oct 2004
SwedenSE
- Theatrical (limited)1515 Feb 1964
TaiwanTW
- PremiereTFAI - Love, Death & Rebels: The Japanese New Wave25 Jan 2026
Frequently asked questions
Woman in the Dunes was released on 15 February 1964.
Audience reviews
3- H10/10
hanszha
12/15/2023
- to me utterly & completely incomprehensable that this movie has been so neglected , Not included in - more 'popular' -watchlists ( or 'best movie' -lists ... ) - it is a Grand Feast for the eyes and the mind : the story , the acting , the photography is of such superb level !!! - i would hot hesitate to rate it ( - actually with many movie-'professionals' ... ) as among the top twenty best ( cinema-proper…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
2/6/2025
Yikes, but for a film almost entirely set outdoors it’s remarkably claustrophobic! It’s about the exploring bug hunter “Jumpei” (Eiji Okada) who finds himself a bit lost out in the sand dunes after he misses the last bus of the day. A friendly villager offers him some shelter for the night, buy boy is he ill-prepared for quite what that man, and his entire village, has in store. He is placed with a widow, but when he…
- A8/10
Alunauwie
6/26/2026
*Woman in the Dunes* is a haunting psychological drama that explores freedom, isolation, and human resilience through compelling character development, striking black-and-white cinematography, and an immersive atmosphere. While its limited setting and restrained character backstories create some emotional distance, the film's powerful symbolism and thoughtful storytelling leave a lasting impression. Overall, it is a …
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