Фільм складається з чотирьох окремих історій, в основу яких лягли традиційні японські «кайдани» — розповіді про привидів.

Фільм за однойменним романом Кобо Абе. Ентомолог і учитель, що збирав свою колекцію комах поблизу бідного села, залишається заночувати у будинку самотньої жінки. Усі будинки знаходяться у ямах. Наступного дня він виявляє, що опинився у пастці. Мотузяну драбину ніхто не подає. Він робить кілька спроб втечі, але марно. Фільм про те, на що приречений кожен чоловік і кожна жінка у цьому житті.

Все той же затрапезного вигляду самурай, любитель випити, але майстерно володіє мечем, тепер допомагає дев’яти чесним воїнам провінційного містечка отримати перемогу над корумпованими лиходіями, що рвуться до влади над кланом.

Обов'язок «Водія» — тікати від переслідування поліції після пограбування. Ще нікому не вдалося його зловити. Після чергового вдалого пограбування, детектив вирішує поставити на карту свою репутацію, але знайти злочинця. Він домовляється з кількома кримінальниками, щоб ті заманили його в пастку. Водій і його компаньйонка, дівчина, що промишляє азартними іграми, намагаються обіграти детектива.

A man awakes to find himself trapped in a dirty, confined crawlspace. He barely has enough room to move. He also has no memory of why he's there, or why he's bleeding from a stomach wound. Apparently drugged, he occasionally 'zones out' of his surroundings as he tries to edge towards his way to freedom. But the more he explores, the more pain he has to endure, and the more frightening his predicament becomes.

Історія сновиди Іво Сальвіні, який любить гуляти ночами. Сальвіні потрапляє в одне непорозуміння за іншим, знайомлячись з різними людьми і відкриваючи їм чудеса підмісячного світу. Подорож Сальвіні стає метафорою всього людського життя.

Сюжет фільму розгортається 1998 року в Макао. Саме тоді, коли влада в Макао переходила від португальських колонізаторів до уряду Китайської Народної Республіки. Острів моментально перетворився на арену лютої боротьби за сфери впливу поміж місцевою мафією і бандитськими угрупованнями, що завітали до острова з материка та Гонкоґа, який став Спеціальним адміністративним районом Китаю за рік до Макао.

After years on the road establishing his reputation as Japan's greatest fencer, Takezo returns to Kyoto. Otsu waits for him, yet he has come not for her but to challenge the leader of the region's finest school of fencing. To prove his valor and skill, he walks deliberately into ambushes set up by the school's followers. While Otsu waits, Akemi also seeks him, expressing her desires directly. Meanwhile, Takezo is observed by Sasaki Kojiro, a brilliant young fighter, confident he can dethrone Takezo. After leaving Kyoto in triumph, Takezo declares his love for Otsu, but in a way that dishonors her and shames him. Once again, he leaves alone.

A man in a gleaming white suit comes to a small Southern town on the eve of integration. He calls himself a social reformer. But what he does is stir up trouble--trouble he soon finds he can't control.

Various experiences of childhood are seen in several sequences that take place in the small town of Thiers, France. Vignettes include a boy's awakening interest in girls, couples double-dating at the movies, brothers giving their friend a haircut, a boy dealing with an abusive home life, a baby and a cat sitting by an open window, a child telling a dirty joke, and a boy who develops a crush on his friend's mother.

A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.

Rich old Cyrus West's relatives are waiting for him to die so they can inherit. But he stipulates that his will be read 20 years after his death. On the appointed day his expectant heirs arrive at his brooding mansion. The will is read and it turns out that Annabelle West, the only heir with his name left, inherits, if she is deemed sane. If she isn't, the money and some diamonds go to someone else, whose name is in a sealed envelope. Before he can reveal the identity of her successor to Annabelle, Mr. Crosby, the lawyer, disappears. The first in a series of mysterious events, some of which point to Annabelle in fact being unstable.

An insane surgeon's obsession with an actress leads him to replace her wounded pianist husband's hands with the hands of a knife murderer--hands which still have the urge to throw knives.

100 miles north, a bit east and up, is Pinchcliffe, the home of bicycle repairman Reodor Felgen and his two assistants, Solan Gundersen and Ludvig. Sponsored by oil sheik Ben Redic Fy Fazan, they build the car "Il Tempo Gigante" to race against Reodor's former assistant Rudolf Blodstrupmoen, who has stolen one of Reodor's inventions to become a world racing champion.

An old bear goes out every day to a busy street corner. Through a tin marionette theater of his own making, the bear will tell us his life story.

Ichiko bakes a cake for an end-of-year party with her friends. In the depths of winter, making mochi and curry keeps the people of Komori warm. Later, spring brings thoughts of her absent mother as well as rice planting and sakura, and she begins to think of leaving Komori behind again.

Set in cold rural Quebec at Christmas time, we follow the coming of age of a young boy and the life of his family which owns the town's general store and undertaking business.

Centres on Jeanne, a journalist tracking a mysterious rare herb that appears only once every 997 years.

In late 1700s Korea, Lady Cho challenges the playboy Lord Jo-won into seducing and sleeping with her husband's coming young, virgin concubine. Lady Cho agrees to sleep with him if he succeeds.

Utamaro, a great artist, lives to create portraits of beautiful women, and the brothels of Tokyo provide his models. A world of passion swirls around him, as the women in his life vie for lovers. And, occasionally, his art gets him into trouble.