Since 2018, the Jujutsu Kaisen manga has been featuring epic battles between modern-day sorcerers and monsters known as Cursed Spirits, born from humanity’s negative emotions and inspired by Japanese folklore. The story centres on high school student Yuji Itadori, who swallows a cursed artifact and becomes a vessel for a powerful demon, joining Jujutsu High to learn how to control his powers and protect others.

The popular manga was soon adapted into the successful anime series, which is about to enter its third season at the beginning of 2026. Still, before that, fans can get an early preview of season 3 in a film adaptation titled Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, which is now bringing the epic battles into cinemas worldwide.

A veil abruptly descends over the busy Shibuya area amid the bustling Halloween crowds, trapping countless civilians inside. Satoru Gojo, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, steps into the chaos. But lying in wait are Curse Users and Spirits scheming to seal him away. Yuji Itadori, accompanied by his classmates and other top-tier Jujutsu Sorcerers, enters the fray in an unprecedented clash of Curses known as the Shibuya Incident.

In the aftermath, ten colonies across Japan are transformed into dens of Curses in a plan orchestrated by Kenjaku, the most wicked Curse User in history. As the deadly Culling Game starts, Special Grade Sorcerer and fellow student, Yuta Okkotsu, is assigned to carry out Yuji’s execution for his perceived crimes.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is the first two episodes of season 3 and a full recap of season 2, all combined into a film adaptation. The film begins with a season 2 recap and runs longer than expected, taking up a full third of the 90-minute runtime.

This is good for those who haven’t seen or finished the previous season, but those already familiar may want to go straight to season 3 rather than wait. For those who haven’t seen the anime at all, it’ll be best to start from the beginning, as Jujutsu Kaisen is a lore-heavy anime.

The flashbacks of season 2 are still fun to watch, even for those who have already seen it, and the two episodes of season 3 we get to see already give us some exciting things to look forward to and set things up in a big way for the Culling Game when the third season finally arrives. The plot thickens even more, and the battles are something to behold.

Even if the story is hard to follow, especially for those who aren’t up to date, the action-packed battles are something anyone can enjoy. The fight scenes are one of the biggest reasons to watch Jujutsu Kaisen. They are something that sets it apart from other anime, as the battles between the Jujutsu Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits send shockwaves throughout the city of Shibuya.

Seeing big epic battles in big cities is truly something to behold. They’re presented in a way that showcases the impact of the battles and how they affect everything around them.

Audiences will see the fights from many angles, as the camera pans around characters and backgrounds, revealing dark, cloudy skies and a city in ruins, showing how powerful the Jujutsu Sorcerers and Cursed Spirits are.

The film retains the same art style, presentation and animation of the anime series, and it looks amazing to watch in a theatre. It’s clear to see that this anime takes full advantage of the big silver screen, as if it were made for the cinema. There won’t be many occasions to see Jujutsu Kaisen in a cinema, so fans should definitely make the most of this opportunity.

The movie is available in select cinemas in both Japanese and English, and many of the original voice actors reprise their roles from the anime series. Fans will hear the voices of Junya Enoki, Yuma Uchida, Asami Seto, and Yuichi Nakamura in Japanese and Adam McArthur, Robbie Daymond, Anne Yatco, and Kaiji Tang in English, just to name a few. They all deliver outstanding performances in their respective roles, bringing the characters to life.

The movie adaptation features familiar songs from season 2 of the anime, the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie, and some brand-new tracks, composed primarily by Yoshimasa Terui. “More than words” by Hitsujibungaku, “SPECIALZ” and “Ichizu” (“One Way”) by King Gnu can be heard in the latest film. The music adds so much to the emotion and excitement of the battle scenes and even the more sombre moments.

Those who have already read the Culling Game arc in the manga already know what to expect in the latest film adaptation and upcoming season, but it is still just as exciting for them to see it in anime form. The manga ended in 2024, and after the Culling Game, there is one more story arc to adapt to anime, whether it’s a series, a film adaptation or a mix of both. Jujutsu Kaisen has taken the world by storm, building a strong and loyal following.

Beyond the anime series and films, special exhibitions are held around the world celebrating the franchise. It’s an exciting time to be a Jujutsu Kaisen fan, and even though the franchise is getting closer to its end, there is still so much to look forward to and Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution is an early indication of what we can expect.

The latest film adaptation of Jujutsu Kaisen may spend more than necessary recapping season 2, but we see of season 3 will doubt get fans excited to see the rest of the Culling Game story arc. The story goes even deeper, and the action-packed battles that sent shockwaves through the city were meant to be witnessed in cinemas. Season 3 is off to an epic start in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution.

Written by: Sammy Hanson