Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 2, 2026

Perhaps just a little sadly it may not seem as shocking to contemporary sensibilities to see "wicked" and "priest" combined in one title as it may have been when the films Arrow has aggregated for this collection were first released, but as a supplement featuring Matt Alt and Patrick Macias on one of the discs in Arrow's five film set of Wicked Priest offerings gets into, the original Japanese title may be a bit more nuanced, in that wicked doesn't necessarily mean "evil" or even "bad" in a traditional sense. That said, fans of this franchise might be prone to joke that you'd be hard pressed to really argue that focal monk Shinkai (Tomisaburō Wakayama) doesn't behave in ways that are not often associated with the quiet, celibate and reflective life of such an ostensible religious figure. But that said, according to the same supplement Japanese lore and legend is nonetheless evidently rife with descriptions of what might be called raucous and/or bawdy priests and/or monks. The Wicked Priest films appeared between 1968 and 1971, and were ostensibly set in an early 1920s Taishō period, even if that may or may not reflect the rise of Shinto and diminution of Buddhism during that era (as per the same aforementioned supplement). In that regard, a joke in the supplement kind of suggests it's more than obvious that the Wicked Priest films are not exactly models of a documentarian approach, but they are rowdy entertainments that helped cement the status of Wakayama, which would soon be confirmed with his breakthrough role in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Fans of this era of Japanese cinema will probably already know that Wakayama's younger brother was Shintarō Katsu who actually beat his elder sibling to superstar status courtesy of the Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman franchise. For those unacquainted with this duo, there are some fascinating rabbit holes to explore, maybe as internet palette cleansers in between the films in this set (which may contain an "in joke" or two about the brothers and the roles they played).

For reviews of the films in this set, please click on the following links:

Wicked Priest Blu-ray review

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray review

Wicked Priest 3: A Killer's Pilgrimage Blu- ray review

Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back Blu-ray review

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments Blu-ray review

Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged this release with two films each on Disc One and Disc Two, and with the fifth film and the following supplements on Disc Three:

• Composing the Gospel (HD; 20:56) is a new video essay about the venerable Isao Tomita by James Balmont.


• Taisho Troubles (HD; 20:26) is a new video essay by Jonathan Clements focusing on Wakayama and the historical context of the films.


• Offscreen Battles (HD; 31:32) is a new video essay with James Mudge offering an overview of 1960s Japanese cinema.


• Martial Arts and Super Mario Brothers (HD; 35:02) is the first of two pieces featuring Patrick Macias and Matt Alt. This one focuses on Wakayama.


• Priest or Monk (HD; 15:28) features Macias and Alt again moving on to plot points and historical context.


• Theatrical Trailers

Wicked Priest (HD; 3:13)




Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder (HD; 3:12)




Wicked Priest 3: A Killer's Pilgrimage (HD; 3:17)




Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back (HD; 3:11)




Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments (HD; 3:25)

Additionally Arrow's insert booklet offers an essay by Camille Zaurin and cast and crew lists for all five films. Packaging includes a slipcover.

Wicked Priest Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The first two films in this series are undeniably entertaining and provide Wakayama an incredible showcase for a side of his personality which was more tamped down in the subsequent Lone Wolf and Cub films. If the three concluding entries in the series never quite reach the heights of the first two, they all have moments of fun. Technical merits vary somewhat (see individual reviews) but are generally solid, and the release's franchise spanning supplements are enjoyable. Taken as a whole, Recommended.