Sin of a Family (South Korea, 2011)

When the body of a young boy is discovered at the lake, the police identifies him as Jeong Min-hwan, an autistic child who went missing for two months. Jo Chang-shik is tasked with the case but must still deal with a troubled relationship with his son, along with his partner. Chang-shik visits the victim's family and suspects Min-hwan's father may be behind his son's death after discovering their family secrets.

A well-balanced murder mystery where the crime gets unravelled in flashbacks and at the same time, Detective Chang-shik tries to uncover the truth behind the heinous crime. Nice mixture of thrills and slower paced investigations, with a little humor thrown in.

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

The Scarlet Letter (South Korea, 2004)

Ki-hoon is a police detective who investigates a murder case where he suspects infidelity to be involved, and at the same time, he's struggling to hang onto his relationships with his wife and mistress.

A solid piece of triangle drama that never gets stale, and finishes with an unexpected and dark ending. The murder investigation combined with the sexually loaded atmosphere gives off strong Basic Instinct-vibes, with emotionally complex characters. The Scarlet Letter gained attention when one of the female lead actresses, Lee Eun-ju, committed suicide and speculations said that it was the consequence of her extremely demanding role in this particular film which of course makes it tragic on a whole other level. 

Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller

The Killer (Hong Kong, 1989)

Chow Yun-fat plays the assassin Ah Jong, who accidentally damages the eyes of the singer Jennie during a shootout. He later discovers that if Jennie does not have an expensive operation soon, she will go blind. To get the money for Jennie, Ah Jong decides to perform one last hit. Meanwhile, the police detective Li who has been tracking Ah Jong for a long time, is determined to bring him to justice.

Director John Woo has made some of Hong Kong's best action films, and The Killer is one of his biggest highlights. Great shoot-outs and bodies being shredded by bullets are some of the key ingredients in this violence fest. You can clearly see how his action scenes influenced films in the following years, such as Heat from 1995, with a plot that jumps back and forth between the equally likeable good and bad guys, while having the story-threads erupt beautifully in slow-motion bullet-storms that would even make the Wachowski's green with envy.  

Genre: Action/Crimer/Thriller

Joint Security Area (South Korea, 2000)

In the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, two North Korean soldiers have been killed, supposedly by one South Korean soldier. But the 11 bullets found in the bodies, together with the 5 remaining bullets in the assassin's magazine clip, amount to 16 bullets for a gun that should normally hold 15 bullets. The investigating team from the neutral countries overseeing the DMZ suspects that another, unknown party was involved - all of which points to a cover up. 

One of director Park Chan-wook's (Oldboy, Thirst) earlier films, which really shows off his talent. The last shot is the icing on this great crime mystery. A story about forbidden friendship.

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Retribution (Japan, 2006)

Yoshioka, an experienced detective, investigates the murder of an unknown woman in a red dress. She was drowned on the Tokyo waterfront, but an autopsy reveals that her stomach is full of seawater. Moreover, all the clues he finds relate to himself: A button found at the murder scene matches one that is missing from his own coat, and fingerprints found match his own. Yoshioka realizes that the only viable suspect is himself; but he doesn’t remember a thing.

Retribution (Sakebi) is a murder mystery that drifts further and further into a ghost story. Actor Kōji Yakusho (13 Assassins, Cure) is perfect for the role as a man who's psyche comes crashing down on him, and the special effects are superb when they do appear. The director truly nailed the feeling of walls closing in on our protagonist, and the sudden bursts of supernatural elements must be one of the best implementations of horror I've ever seen. Masterful suspense.

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Drunken Angel (Japan, 1948)

After a battle with rival criminals, a small-time gangster is treated by an alcoholic doctor in post-war Japan. The doctor diagnoses the young gangster's tuberculosis, and convinces him to begin treatment for it. The two enjoy an uneasy friendship until the gangster's former boss is released from prison and seeks to take over his gang once again.

Drunken Angel is notable for being the first collaboration between director Akira Kurosawa and actor Toshiro Mifune, who would go on to make 16 films together. In this one, Mifune's character fits him like a hand in glove. He's just as charismatic as he is cool, and is perfect for the gangster noir-feel of the movie. In early drafts of the script, the story was to be almost entirely about the doctor (played by Takashi Shimura), but Kurosawa was so impressed by Mifune that he their parts equal in screen-time.

The best start you could wish for in a Kurosawa-movie-marathon.

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Crying Fist (South Korea, 2005)

Jobless, harassed by creditors, and abandoned by his wife, the once silver medalist Tae-shik has sunk to street hustling, becoming a human punching bag. Meanwhile, young Sang-hwan's delinquent ways land him behind bars. Both men look to boxing to turn around lives gone astray, aiming for the amateur title, ultimately pitting them against each other, but more importantly, against themselves.

Two plots weaving into each other with humor, violence, humiliation and grief. Min-sik Choi (Oldboy, I Saw the Devil) gives an outstanding performance as a man who's hit rock bottom, and he fights a young man who's family is about to fall apart. One thing that make Crying Fist stand out, is that the audience doesn't know who to root for. Both men are protagonists with their own hardships and reasons to fight. 

Highly recommended. 

Genre: Drama/Sport

Maborosi (Japan, 1995)

Yumiko and Ikuo are a young Osaka couple who have a new baby. One day Ikuo is walking along the tracks and is hit by a train. It seems like he may have done this deliberately yet there is no apparent motive. A few years pass. Yumiko agrees to an arranged marriage with a widower, Tamio, and she and her son Yuichi move to Tamio's house in a rustic village by the coast.

Maboroshi no Hikari (a.k.a. Maborosi) was directed by one of my favorite film makers, Hirokazu Koreeda, so before seeing it I had high expectations on the camera work. I was not let down. Most scenes are done with only a fixed camera, just like Yasujiro Ozu, with no movement and the sequences that are done with only one take makes me drool. The setting also seems to suit Koreeda like a glove; the sea, the small village by the coast and the desolate beach all gets filtered through his lens. He's a master at examining still, ordinary life, but never letting go of that melancholy underneath.  

The story is very somber, with little to no answers after a man's suicide. A personal, moving drama all around. 

Genre: Drama

The Unjust (South Korea, 2010)

A serial killer targeting elementary school students is on the loose—and 5 victims means even the president gets involved in the investigation. When the most probable suspect dies in custody and the case looks like it’s reached a dead end, high ranking police brass decide to create a killer—and anyone will do.

A complex and political thriller, The Unjust is filled to the brim with corruption and shady cops. The violence, though used sparsed, is handled very slick and stylistic. Might grow on you when watched a second time, due to its web of intrigues and intense plot. 

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Poetry (South Korea, 2010)

Loosely based on a true story, Poetry tells the story of a suburban woman in her 60s who begins to grow an interest for poetry while struggling with Alzheimer's disease and her irresponsible grandson.

Poetry has been called a "masterpiece of humanistic character development", which is pretty much spot on. It tackles themes such as grief and hopelessness, and how to deal with a heinous crime. The subtle progression of memory loss is also done very well, all thanks to the main character who's constantly the center of the plot, similar to Bong Joon Ho's Mother (2009). 

Fantastic drama.

Reign of Assassins (Hong Kong, 2010)

Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.

At first, to be honest, I thought the movie was going to be a bit silly (a magician? Really?), but it won me over against all odds. The story is enjoyable and the fight choreography is not bad at all. Notable for being directed by the acclaimed film maker John Woo (A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled). Great fun. Oh, and the magician is awesome.

Genre: Action

In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong, 2000)

Set in Hong Kong, 1962, Chow Mo-Wan is a newspaper editor who moves into a new building with his wife. At approximately the same time, Su Li-zhen, a beautiful secretary and her executive husband also move in to the crowded building. With their spouses often away, Chow and Li-zhen spend most of their time together as friends. They have everything in common from noodle shops to martial arts. Soon, they are shocked to discover that their spouses are having an affair. Hurt and angry, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.

An elegant, intimate drama with infidelity as its theme. When released, it won a ton of awards, and it's not hard to see why. Definitely one of the best shot movies I've ever seen, with an incredible attention to small details. Directed by the infinitely talented Wong Kar-wai (Chungking Express, Fallen Angels).

Genre: Drama/Romance

The Client (South Korea, 2011)

On his wedding anniversary, Chul-Min drives into his parking lot and sees a large crowd gathered by the entryway. Chul-Min enters his apartment when he sees police officers scattered about collecting evidence. A large pool of blood covers the the bed, and a body is nowhere to be found. Jang Ho-Won, a broker for attorneys, brings the case of Chul-Min to attorney Kang Sung-Hee. Is Chul-Min a cold blooded killer or the victim of a coverup? 

Both a sharp court room drama, and a mysterious murder case. Not anything new really, but I can't help but love these kind of crime solving movies that South Korea always do so very well.

Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller

Three... Extremes (Hong Kong/Japan/South Korea, 2004)

Three... Extremes is a East Asian horror film collaboration consisting of three segments by three directors from three countries. Fruit Chan from Hong Kong, Park Chan-wook (The Vengeance-trilogy, Thirst) from South Korea and Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer) from Japan. Those are some big names in the Asian film industry, so if that doesn't catch your interest, I don't know what does. 

Dumplings - An aging actress wishing to reclaim her youth goes to a woman who makes dumplings that supposedly have regenerative properties; however, they contain a gruesome secret ingredient.

Cut - A successful film director and his wife are kidnapped by an extra, who forces the director to play his sadistic games. 

Box - A soft spoken young woman has a bizarre recurring nightmare about being buried in a box in the snow.

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Election (Hong Kong, 2005)

Rival gang leaders are locked in a struggle to become the new chairman of Hong Kong's Triad society.

I actually didn't know what to think of it the first 20 minutes or so, but Election really did grow on me. It's a stylish crime drama about the ways of appointing a new leader for a triad- a huge criminal organization. Have patience with it and hopefully you'll see, as I did, why it has become one of the most critically acclaimed movies from Hong Kong.


The story continues into the also great sequel Election 2 (a.k.a. Triad Election).

Genre: Action/Drama/Crime

Spider Forest (South Korea, 2004)

Awaking alone in the middle of a dark forest, Kang Min sees a secluded cabin nearby and wanders towards it. Upon entering the small home, he is shocked to discover a brutal, bloody crime had taken place. A man, hacked repeatedly by a sickle, lies on the floor, dead. Min hears a noise nearby and discovers his girlfriend Su-Young, stabbed and nearly dead, stammering something about "spiders."

Now, here's a real mind twister. Don't dismiss it due to its somewhat creepy title (if you hate spiders), Spider Forest is a smart psychological thriller that's been smashed into a hundred pieces and needs you to solve its deadly puzzle.

Genre: Horror/Mystery  

...ing (South Korea, 2003)

Min-ah is a young woman who has become reserved and indifferent to the world as a result of her chronic illness and deformed hand. Things change when she meets the high spirited and carefree photographer Young-jae, who moves into their apartment complex.

...ing could be described as a romantic drama with a sad undertone. Not everyones cup of tea, but a welcomed (and maybe needed) change of genre on this list.  Check it out if you want to see a moving portrayal of a growing relationship.

Genre: Drama/Romance

1778 Stories of Me and My Wife (Japan, 2011)

A science fiction writer finds out his wife has cancer, and decides to write her a story every day to keep her alive, and perhaps to cope with the inevitability of his loss.

Based on a remarkable true story, this is one of the most heartfelt and tragically beautiful dramas of 2011. The sci-fi inspired and comical short stories are nice additions to the otherwise sorrowful plot about losing the closest person in life.

Genre: Drama/Romance

Ab-normal Beauty (Hong Kong, 2004)

Jiney is a talented student of Arts with a trauma in her childhood and lack of communication with her mother, and excellent photographer that is not satisfied with her awarded works. When she witnesses a car crash, she is driven by a morbid wish and takes pictures of the dead victim. She becomes obsessed with death, and her close friend Jas feels that Jiney needs help with her abnormal behavior and attraction.

It has been labeled as a horror film, but don't expect Ab-normal Beauty to scare you to death, though it has an overall creepy mood. The turns and twists of the plot keeps things interesting, and the story is just as freaky as it is enjoyable.

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Summer Wars (Japan, 2009)

The film tells the story of Kenji, a timid eleventh-grade math genius who is taken to the hometowns of his crush Natsuki, to celebrate her great-grandmother's 90th birthday. However, he is falsely implicated in the hacking of a virtual world by an artificial intelligence. Kenji must repair the damage done to the virtual world and he must find a way to stop the artificial intelligence from causing any further damage.

Hailed as one of the best animated films in recent years, Summers Wars shows pretty fast that it's a force to be reckoned with. It's both a sci-fi inspired adventure with the insanity level on top, and also a subtle, quiet drama that excels in how to show human emotions. 

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who also made the brilliant The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Genre: Adventure/Sci-Fi

Memories (Japan, 1995)

Memories is made up of three separate science-fiction stories. In the first, "Magnetic Rose," three space travelers are drawn into an abandoned spaceship that contains a world created by one woman's memories. In "Stink Bomb," a young lab assistant accidentally transforms himself into a human biological weapon set on a direct course for Tokyo. The final episode, "Cannon Fodder," depicts a day in the life of a city whose entire purpose is the firing of cannons at an unseen enemy.

With three great animation stories for the price of one, how can it possibly go wrong? From horror elements in space to retro-futurism, all done with crazy good animation. Based on short stories by artist and director Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy), this is a shining gem for fans of anime.

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Animation

Into the Mirror (South Korea, 2003)

After accidentally causing the death of his partner during a hostage situation, Wu Young-min quits the police force to work for his uncle as head security of Dreampia, a shopping center. Dreampia is currently in the rebuilding stages as a fire destroyed parts of it five years ago. The re-opening was scheduled in a few days, until some strange murders begin to occur in the building. It seems that the victims, all employees of the mall, have committed suicide in very gruesome and unconventional ways.

Into the Mirror is a great murder mystery with some ghostly elements. For a horror film, it got some good character development and features lots of cool ways of shooting scenes by using mirrors which in other movies can be a huge trope but here it's warranted and done with excellency. 

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Ju-on: White Ghost (Japan, 2009)

At a certain house, a father brutally and methodically murders all five of his family members, before hanging himself. Years later,  every person who comes in contact with the house is being haunted by the victims ghosts. 

As part of a tenth year anniversary of the Ju-on series, White Ghost (a.k.a. Old Lady In White) was released together with Ju-on: Black Ghost. In my opinion, White Ghost is the better one. Every scene with the old lady is terrifying, and that throat sound is just as haunting as ever.

Genre: Horror

One Missed Call (Japan, 2003)

People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths, along with the exact date and time of their future death, listed on the message log. The plot thickens as the surviving characters pursue the answers to this mystery which could save their lives. 

Another spooky ghost flick, and this one made by Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins). Guaranteed to send chills down your shaky spine. Has a huge B-movie feel of course, but can be fun if you're in the mood for some lightweight horror. It's basically Ringu (1998) but with the well replaced by a flip phone. If you like it, you should definitely check out the sequel from 2005.

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Adrift In Tokyo (Japan, 2007)

Leading a lazy life, Fumiya has been a student for 8 years and owes money to loan sharks. One day, a man named Fukuhara comes to collect the loan, which Fumiya cannot pay. So Fukuhara makes a proposition: He will cancel the debt as long as Fumiya agrees to walk with him across Tokyo to the police station of Kasumigaseki, where he intends to turn himself for a crime he deeply regrets. Not having much choice, Fumiya accepts the deal, and they start walking through the city of Tokyo.

A charming and funny movie with an interesting idea: just to keep on walking. On their stroll they encounter some folks that are just as quirky as Fumiya's hairstyle. Down-to-earth and with just the right amount of goofiness, this is a walk you should take. 

Genre: Drama

Villain (Japan, 2010)

A young woman’s body is found by a roadside in the Japanese countryside. Police immediately look for the last person to have seen her, an obnoxious and spoilt young socialite who took her for drive despite his distaste for her. When he is apprehended and an alibi proves his innocence, the focus turns to an admirer of hers who has long tried to befriend her on the internet. The said man is Yuichi, a lonely, troubled worker who looks after his grandmother in distant solitude.

Villain (a.k.a. Akunin) is one of 2010's most brilliant dramas. The pace of the plot is perfect, and the aforementioned crime is pieced together more and more as the story progresses. Great actors and suitable music composed by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli).

Genre: Drama

I Wish (Japan, 2011)

Two brothers with divorced parents wants to live as a family again, so they come up with a plan to meet where the bullet trains pass so that they can make that wish.

I Wish is made by Hirokazu Koreeda (Nobody Knows, Still Walking), a man who has established himself as one of Japans leading directors when it comes to drama movies. With I Wish he creates a mix of Japanese culture; late nights drinking sake, the art of making rice cakes and urban legends concerning bullet trains. 

Genre: Drama

Millennium Actress (Japan, 2001)

A movie studio is being torn down. TV interviewer Genya has tracked down its most famous star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who has been a recluse since she left acting some 30 years ago. Genya delivers a key to her, and it causes her to reflect on her career; as she's telling the story, Genya and his long-suffering cameraman are drawn in. The key was given to her as a teenager by a painter and revolutionary that she helped to escape the police. She becomes an actress because it will make it possible to track him down, and she spends the next several decades acting out that search in various genres and eras. 

A film that uses memories as its set; from geishas to astronauts, feudal Japan to the burning plains of the second world war. Millennium Actress is a mind-blowing, thought-provoking chase scene through life itself and possibly my favorite film by genius film maker Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue). 

Susumu Hirasawa is once again in charge of the soundtrack and the melodies are some the most memorable pieces of music, and together with the emotional and intense scenes you can't help getting goosebumps. It contains nods to Japan's cinema history such as Setsuko Hara and Kurosawa's films. Satoshi Kon has mastered the incredible art of bringing out nostalgia, so even if we the viewers weren't actually present during the film's events Kon makes us look back at the journey behind us just as if we'd been through it all. If you don't see this film you are missing something truly incredible.

Genre: Animation/Drama/Romance