An object of the present invention is to provide a light-absorbing anisotropic film having an excellent degree of alignment of a dichroic azo coloring agent; an optical laminate including the same; and an image display device using the same. The light-absorbing anisotropic film according to an embodiment of the present invention is a light-absorbing anisotropic film which is formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a dichroic azo coloring agent compound, a liquid crystalline compound, and a compound represented by Formula (1) and has a front transmittance of 60% or less, and in which a content mass ratio of the dichroic azo coloring agent compound to the liquid crystalline compound is 5% to 35% by mass.