Moss (South Korea, 2010)

Ryu Hae-Kuk enters a reclusive country village to attend his father's funeral. During his stay he investigates the death of his father and uncovers what appears to be a conspiracy. Why do the villagers act so strange? Why do they keep asking him when he will return to Seoul? The man then confronts the village leader Cheon Yong-Deok. The secrets of the village then start to unravel...

I hope you are sitting comfortably, because Moss is an almost three hour long mystery that demands your full attention. I saw this film a couple of years ago and didn't think too much of it, but after re-watching it, I've come to the conclusion that it's a terrific and suspenseful story with a great setting. Many may be afraid of its running time, and yes it's long, but also well worth the trip to a remote village where a dark secret has been brewing for many years.

Genre: Crime/Mystery

The Raid 2: Berendal (Indonesia, 2014)

Following immediately after the events of The Raid, Ram is forced to reinvent himself as an undercover cop in order to provide protection for his wife and child. Working for the anti-corruption taskforce led by the one person he can trust, Bunawar, he is given a mission to engage himself as an enforcer for a local mob boss, Bangun. Finding a way in through Bangun's son Uco, Rama must hunt for information linking Bangun with police force corruption.

The first The Raid made huge headlines in 2011 when it was unleashed upon the cowering cinemas all over the world, with critics saying it could be the best action film ever made. That is of course an overstatement, but it was certainly up there among the giants. The Raid 2 continues with the same formula, fight sequences upon fight sequences to beat the living crap out everyone and everything. 

You have to be in the mood for a lengthy and bloody brawl to appreciate this film, otherwise it may get a bit monotonous or too violent, depending on how sensitive you are. One thing I will say for sure is that it has one of the best car chase scenes ever put to film, how the camera moves around and the brutal action that keeps going on while speeding down the road, it's just crazy, gorgeous, all-out action and extremely exhilarating. If you want some of the best martial-arts performances in one giant fighting flick, check this one out. 

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller

The Face of Another (Japan, 1966)

A businessman facially scarred in a laboratory fire receives psychotherapy from a psychiatrist, and obtains an amazingly lifelike mask from the doctor. Strangely enough, his personality seemingly begins to change after he puts on the mask as if the mask has influenced his personality.

A fascinating film that deals with how society can treat the physically challenged. Even decades after its release, it still feels very relevant to our own time where looks and peoples appearances seem to be the most important. The Face of Another is riddled with great performances and fantastic scenes, and in the lead role we have Tatsuya Nakadai who's been in classics such as High and Low (1963) and Harakiri (1962). It's one of the more well-known films from Japanese film history, but if you missed it, here's a reminder just for you.

Genre: Drama

White Night (South Korea, 2009)

A pawnbroker is found murdered in a remote town. Police suspect that he was murdered by an acquaintance, as even the most experienced investigator on the case could identify no signs of resistance. Three people come under suspicion but all of them have perfect alibis and the investigation comes to a standstill. Almost fifteen years pass and the lead inspector, now approaching retirement, reflects on the only case he could not solve in an otherwise successful career. Haunted by a sense of responsibility and guilt that he caused suffering by letting the murder case go unsolved, he decides to re-investigate.

White Night is one of the better thriller's I've seen in a long time. It has a great cast, stunning camera work and is just as intense and exciting you want a thriller to be. It's a little longer than two hours, so there's nothing undeveloped with these characters once we're through. Solid as a rock and tight as a drum, White Night is a fantastic and competent thriller that should not be missed by fans of the genre.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

The Concubine (South Korea, 2012)

To escape a life of poverty, Hwa-yeon is forced to offer herself as one of the king's concubines. Once inside the royal palace, two men are immediately captivated by her. The Grand Prince Seong-won, a powerful, lust filled megalomaniac and Kwon-yoo, who has everything to lose if his desire for Hwa-yeon is exposed.

Here's another historical costume drama for you, and a great one. The lust for revenge runs thick, no one know's who to trust and eventually, an intense power struggle is at hand. The Concubine is worth seeing a couple of times due to the somewhat intricate web of subplots and many scheming characters. Though it's done with such style and great photography that it won't be hard to give it another go. 

Genre: Drama/History

The Life of Oharu (Japan, 1952)

A fifty-year-old prostitute, no longer able to attract men, looks back on her sad life. Once a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court at Kyoto, Oharu fell in love with, and became the lover of, a man below her station. They were discovered, and Oharu and her family were exiled. For Oharu there followed a life filled with one sorrow and humiliation after another.

Let's turn back the clock to 1952, a time that's often referred to as the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. Kenji Mizoguchi was one of the directors that made some of his most well-known pictures during this period, such as Ugetsu (1953) and Street of Shame (1956). He also made The Life of Oharu, a tough story about a woman who's life never seems to go in the right direction. Not much joy can be found in this tale, but if that isn't a problem for you, then you have a memorable classic in front of you.

Genre: Drama

Untold Scandal (South Korea, 2003)

The irresistible temptress Lady Cho asks her cad of a younger cousin, Jo-won, to deflower the innocent young Soh-ok, who is to become her husband's concubine. But, his attentions soon shift to the graceful and aloof Lady Sook, who lives according to her convictions as a Catholic. Jo-won becomes obsessed with seducing this chaste woman who has remained celibate for nine years since her husband's death. However, conquering the most virtuous woman in the land proves to be more difficult than Chosun's notorious playboy expects.

Revolving mostly around two characters, Untold Scandal digs deep into the art of seduction, but with a few more wicked intentions than just love. See it if you want a costume drama with good actors and a love story with a little bit less love in it, but more spite. Oh, and the ending was really good, too.

Genre: Drama

Unknown Pleasures (China, 2002)

Two unemployed slackers, neither with job prospects nor motivation, hang out in sheltered town in China trying to make sense of their aimless and uncertain futures. As youths, they struggle for individual freedom and the social responsibility that comes along with it.

With Unknown Pleasures, director Jia Zhangke (A Touch of Sin) wanted to portray the new generation that was emerging China, the so called "birth control" generation. These were kids who grew up in front of TV and computer screens and were fed with everything the media would allow. The whole film was shot only with a digital camera due to budget constraints, but I think it makes it more realistic without all the refining filters and whatnot. A great film showing how hard it can be growing up in a modern world, and not knowing where to belong. 

Genre: Drama

Ugetsu Monogatari (Japan, 1953)

Genjuro is a potter who longs for wealth and luxury, while Tobei, a farmer, dreams of the glories of the samurai to the point of ignoring his wife. Though a war rages around them, they venture to town to sell their wares. Genjuro meets a beautiful woman and is immediately bewitched.

Ugetsu is one of the more well-known films in Japanese history, and it's often said to have popularized Japanese cinema in the west. A ghostly story where men's actions such as greed and violence have a horrible effect on the women. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi (Street of Shame, The Life of Oharu), one of Japans most important directors. Ugetsu's literal title is Tales of Moonlight and Rain, which is one of the best titles ever.

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery. 1h 36min.

Like Father, Like Son (Japan, 2013)

The life of go-getting workaholic architect Ryotaone, of comfort and quietly ordered affluence with his wife Midori and son Keita, is violently overturned when hospital administrators reveal the unthinkable: Keita is not his biological son. Due to a mistake made by a negligent nurse, his "true" son has been raised in the dishevelled but warm-hearted home of working-class shopkeeper Yudai and his wife.

Finally one of my favorite Japanese directors, Hirokazu Koreeda, is back with another film. His work includes Nobody Knows (2004) and Still Walking (2008), among others. One thing that can be said of his films is that he always uses really good child actors, and that is once again true for Like Father, Like Son. That's fortunate because the plot is highly focused on two boys who are told they're in the wrong family. Koreeda is a very calm director, lots of static shots and when he moves the camera it's often very gentle and carefully done. Definitely one of the best drama movies of 2013, it's moving and features outstanding performances.

Genre: Drama

The Way Home (South Korea, 2002)

Seven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings. Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashes out in anger, perceiving that he has been abandoned. He trades his grandmother's only treasure for a video game; he throws his food and he throws tantrums. But then something happens, and Sang.woo starts to change. 

The Way Home is sure to melt every heart, even those that are made of stone. This is a simple but great film were young and old meets, and shows us that you don't have to be a certain age to know the importance of family. One thing of note is that the 78-year old woman who plays the grandmother never in her life had seen a film, yet the film is graced with very good acting. Amazing stuff. 

Genre: Drama

Waterboys (Japan, 2001)

In a Japanese high school, a class of adolescent geeks joins the new synchronized swimming teacher and takes up the challenge to take part in the competition, in spite of the mockeries of the "real sportsmen".

Over the years, Waterboys has gained a huge fanbase, and I don't blame the in the slightest. It's a funny story that's quirky in a very Japanese sort of way. One thing that has been said about it numerous times is that it's humor resembles that of an anime almost, and uses many tropes that  is often seen in anime series. Check it out it you want something easy to watch and nothing too serious. 

Genre: Comedy/Sport

The Harmonium in My Memory (South Korea, 1999)

Hong-yun is a high school girl in little mountain village when she falls head-over-heels for a handsome new school teacher, Mr. Jang. What with taking care of her youngest baby brother for her widowed mother and the impossible age difference, it is a roller-coaster ride for her as she tries to become someone special for Mr. Jang while he seems interested in the other new teacher at the school, Miss Yang.

The Harmonium in My Memory stars two fantastic actors in the lead roles: Byung-hun Lee who you might recognize from films such as A Bittersweet Life (2005) and I Saw the Devil (2010), and  Jeon Do-yeon, who's starred in great films like Happy End (1999) and Secret Sunshine (2007). This could have been just another romance film, but fortunately, they turned down the age of the love interest to seventeen and placed her in a messy high school. A fun love story with an age gap, this should be your next film if you want something lighthearted and sweet.

Genre: Drama/Romance

This Transient Life (Japan, 1970)

Set around a remote Buddhist monastery, it features Masao, a young son of a rich merchant who doesn't want to follow his father into business or go to college, preferring to study under a famous Master how to make statues of the Goddess of Mercy. At the same time, his sister Yuri is struggling to find a potential husband, only for it to explode when their horseplay in masks one day leads to an incestuous consummation that brings disaster to all. 

This Transient Life (a.k.a. Mujo) may be hard for some viewers to get into. Not only does in delve deep into existentialism, incest and religion, but it does so for about two and a half hours. It got some great cinematography and screenplay, so if you're in the mood for something heavy, check this one out. 

Genre: Drama

Samurai Rebellion (Japan, 1967)

During peace in 1725, aging swordsman Isaburo is living a henpecked life when his clan lord requests that Isaburo's son marry the lord's mistress, with whom he's displeased, even though she's born him a son. Isaburo wants to refuse, but his son Yogoro accepts the woman, Ichi, and they fall deeply in love. Their love renews Isaburo, so when the clan lord's elder son dies and the lord sends for Ichi to return to his side as mother of his heir, Isaburo opposes his lord, and his father will have none of it.

Toshiro Mifune has starred in a lot of samurai flicks, Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) to name a few of my favorites, and here's another one. If you're into this genre, there's a good chance you'll fall for this one. It's not an action oriented samurai film, but a great portrayal of an event that sparks a feud between samurai clans. 

Genre: Drama