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The Outsider

The Outsider

2018120 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Director
Martin Zandvliet
Starring
Jared Leto, Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shîna, Shioli Kutsuna

A former American G.I. joins a yakuza family after his release from prison in post-World War II Osaka.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Outsider?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Outsider streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Outsider?

The Outsider earns 5 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is The Outsider worth watching?

The Outsider's Midcredits score is the 49th percentile of all films, from 61K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

49th percentile

Better received than 49% of films

50th percentile among Crime50th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)55th

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

44th percentile among Crime44th percentile among 2010s

Critics 30 · Audience 62

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

56th percentile among Crime55th percentile among 2010s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 13% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Reach

How many have seen it

91st percentile

61K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Crime92nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$1.9K

4th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a stylishly shot, slow-burning yakuza crime drama centered on a stoic, underdeveloped Jared Leto character.

Fans praised

  • stylish, atmospheric post-war Osaka setting
  • Leto's quietly intense, subdued lead performance
  • faithful to classic yakuza genre tropes of honor and betrayal

Detractors panned

  • blank, unmotivated protagonist with no backstory or development
  • predictable, cliché-ridden story that goes nowhere
  • slow, tedious pacing with violence substituting for plot

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive78

immersive post-war Japan setting and world-building considered the film's strongest asset by both camps

CinematographyDivisive75

stylish, atmospheric visuals and authentic period production design widely praised, though some find shots underutilized

ActingDivisive62

Leto's impassive performance praised by fans as suitably enigmatic, panned by detractors as wooden and expressionless; Japanese supporting cast widely lauded by both sides

PacingDivisive40

slow burn that fans find fitting and immersive, detractors find boring and draggy

Plot and storyDivisive38

predictable, clichéd gangster narrative with logical holes and a meandering structure

CharactersDivisive35

universally criticized as underwritten and lacking depth, motivation, or backstory

OriginalityDivisive35

seen as derivative of better yakuza and gangster films, with the white-outsider premise adding little

Emotional impactDivisive35

difficulty caring about the protagonist or his relationships leaves both camps largely unmoved

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 12 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Outsider like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseCold
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material seriously, with a clinical, zen-like calm that underlies its bursts of brutal violence.
The rideSustained tension through quiet scenes and sudden violent outbursts, with a cold atmospheric dread.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically as Nick moves from prison into the yakuza.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's cold, clinical violence and morally ambiguous journey leaves an uneasy, lingering sense of the yakuza world.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% (this title) · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Fish out of water: Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).

4% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeAn American soldier is released from a Japanese prison after saving a yakuza member and becomes immersed in the yakuza world, adapting to a foreign culture and organized crime.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeNick's outsider status in a closed criminal society forces him to define himself beyond his American past, while his growing ties to the yakuza test his loyalties and his capacity for redemption.
StanceThe film questions whether an outsider can truly belong in a blood-bound criminal world, without fully endorsing or condemning Nick's path.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
SettingOsaka in 1954, where an American ex-con joins a yakuza clan amidst a shifting postwar power structure.
MusicThe score layers brooding strings and percussive pulses, amplifying the film's tension.

Content guide

Is The Outsider okay for kids?

TV-MA

The Outsider is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at moderate (41/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (56/100) and frightening material at moderate (45/100). Overall it is heavier than 68% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • Germany16
  • South Korea19
  • Poland16
  • SingaporeM18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 74% of all filmsHeavier than 68% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Moderate
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 20%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a TV-MA film
heavier than 76%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 30%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Outsider have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Outsider?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jared Leto
as Nick Lowell
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tadanobu Asano
as Kiyoshi
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kippei Shîna
as Orochi
Shioli Kutsuna
as Miyu
Min Tanaka
as Akihiro
Nao Ōmori
as Hiromitsu
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Emile Hirsch
as Paulie Bowers
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Rory Cochrane
as Anthony Panetti
Young Dais
as Takeshi
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Masaki Miura
as Kentaro

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Outsider?

Movies like The Outsider include Gozu (2003), Tokyo Drifter (1966) and Black Rain (1989). Of the 12 closest matches, most are gangster films, and most are stories about mentors and protégés.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: loyalty. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Outsider?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.