Hiruko the Goblin (Japan, 1991)

A school was built on one of the Gates of Hell, behind which hordes of demons await the moment they will be free to roam the Earth. Hiruko is a goblin sent to Earth on a reconnaissance mission. He beheads students in order to assemble their heads on the demons' spider-like bodies. Hieda, an archaeology professor, and Masao, a haunted student, investigate the gory deaths.

Hiruko the Goblin feels like a very ambitious film for director Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), with a much larger scope for the story than his usually more character focused movies like Bullet Ballet (1998) or A Snake of June (2002). With Hiruko the Goblin he basically makes an alien invasion film with a yokai skin and pits two unlikely heroes against the demons of hell. 

It's a fun, creepy horror adventure where Tsukamoto wears his influences on his sleeves, both David Cronenberg and The Thing (1982) can be dimly seen behind the scenery. A cool film for fans of Tsukamoto and Japanese monster films, although a hard sell for all the arachnophobes out there!

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror. 1h 29min.

Belle (Japan, 2021)

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters "U", a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious "beast" and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Belle is the latest adventure from acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) and it gives a modern twist to the Beauty and the Beast tale. The visuals are, as you'd expect, absolutely stunning and the world of U is exhilarating to behold. It's an interesting idea to adapt a story we all know and view it from inside a virtual reality, which resonates with modern viewers who know what it's like to have an online persona. 

Accompanied by some beautiful pieces of music, Belle delivers a classic adventure in a high-tech skin and is certain to draw you in to its fascinating and sometimes all to relatable world of online horrors.

Genre: Animated/Drama. 2h.