Barking Dogs Never Bite (South Korea, 2000)

Ko Yun-ju, an out-of-work college professor, is irritated by the sound of barking dogs in his apartment building and eventually resorts to abusing, kidnapping and killing them. Meanwhile, a young woman (played by Bae Doona) working at the apartment complex decides to investigate the matter after she starts receiving notices from the tenants about the missing dogs.

Barking Dogs Never Bite is now world-renowned director Bong Joon-ho's debut film, so it's very interesting going back to his roots after his latest years of success with films such as Parasite (2019) and Okja (2017). Even at this stage, it's unmistakably Joon-ho behind the camera and you can easily see his personal filming style. The movie flopped at the box office, perhaps because of its odd storyline involving a dog murderer, but even though it's not one of Joon-ho's better films there's still much to appreciate here and every fan of his should definitely watch it. 

Genre: Dark comedy

Chaos (Japan, 2000)

A man gets involved in a kidnapping scheme with the wife of a wealthy businessman. She lets herself be tied up and confined in his house while he sends the ransom demand. When he returns home that night, however, he finds her laying dead on the floor. In a panic he buries her body deep in the woods and tries to return to his ordinary life. One day, he thinks he spots her walking down the street. Is his mind playing tricks on him, or has she somehow returned from the grave?

A couple of years after Hideo Nakata directed one of the most iconic horror films ever with Ringu (1998) he tried his hands at a thriller involving a kidnap scheme which gets way out of control. It doesn't have the same weight as his other horror films like Dark Water (2002), but it's still a good film from the time Nakata actually made good films. The dark plot and direction reminds me a bit of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and while it's by no means as good as his Cure (1997) it still evokes some of those sinister undertones beneath a stylish thriller. 

Genre: Crime/Mystery/Thriller

Real Fiction (South Korea, 2000)

The film follows a South Korean artist as he systematically seeks out, and then guns down his real or imagined enemies.

The cool thing about Real Fiction is the fact that it was shot entirely in real-time. You won't see any retakes here. The film also plays around with the concept of what is real and what's not. If you're a fan of Kim Ki-duk (3-Iron, The Isle) you should take the time to see this little film of his, because it has his name written all over it.

Genre: Crime/Drama

Blood: The Last Vampire (Japan, 2000)

In Japan, the vampire-hunter Saya, who is a powerful original, is sent by her liaison with the government, David, posed as a teenage student to the Yokota High School on the eve of Halloween to hunt down vampires. Saya asks David to give a new katana to her. Soon she saves the school nurse Makiho Amano from two vampires disguised of classmates and Makiho witnesses her fight against the powerful demons.

The Last Vampire is the first part of the whole Blood-franchise. Later it would spawn anime series, manga sequels and a live-action film. But it all started with this 45 minutes long film about a schoolgirl slaying the demons of the night. The animation quality is high and the action fast and intense. Production I.G is the studio responsible for making this film, and they've made too many great films to count but Ghost in the Shell (1995) is probably one of the biggest. 

Blood: The Last Vampire is a cool and bloody vampire hunt, albeit a short one and you'll wish it went on longer when the credits roll. Still, it's a warm recommendation to fans of vampire films.

Genre: Animation/Action/Horror

Suzhou River (China, 2000)

Mardar, a motorcycle courier in his mid-twenties, is one day asked by a shady alcohol smuggler to deliver his sixteen-year-old daughter, Moudan, to her aunt. Mardar and Moudan grow fond of each other. But their tender happiness is disrupted when Moudan thinks that Mardar has kidnapped her for a ransom. She is so disappointed in him that she jumps off the bridge into the Suzhou River. Mardar is now suspected of murder. When, a couple of years later, he comes out of jail he meets the dancer Meimei, an alter-ego of Moudan, and becomes fascinated by her.

With great cinematic style, Suzhou River portrays a love story with much credibility and emotions. The cinematography has been compared to that of Wong Kar-wai (Fallen Angels, Chungking Express) due to its dreamy and surreal nature, and in terms of acting it's a slam-dunk. Good stuff.

Genre: Drama/Romance

The Foul king (South Korea, 2000)

Dae-Ho is an unproductive bank clerk who is late to work every morning and the object of his manager's frustrations. He was a fan of TV wrestling as a child, but can't get out of a headlock. He finds a local wrestling trainer and through a series of events eventually starts to train. He is slowly transformed as he begins his second job as the cheating villain wrestler known as the Foul King. He starts to stand up for himself in odd ways that are not really in his own best interest. Events get out of hand as conflicting influences come together.

The Foul King brings two massive names together: director Kim Ji-woon (I Saw the Devil, A Bittersweet Life) and actor Song Kang-ho (Thirst). It's quirky and a lot of fun, Kang-ho is such an amusing actor and really can save any scene that he's in. 

Genre: Comedy/Sport

Long Dream (Japan, 2000)

Dr. Kuroda's credibility is taxed when his young patient Mukoda Tetsurou claims that his fear of sleep is due to dreams that last for months, though they occur in a single night. As Mukoda's condition worsens, with dreams that subjectively last for years and even decades, Kuroda begins to take an unhealthy interest in the case.

Long Dream is made by the same director who gave us the bizarre horror film Uzumaki (2000), and just like that one, Long Dream is also based on a manga by horror writer Junji Ito. Once again we get a really strange and spooky experience that can seriously draw you in and/or make you wonder if you've fallen asleep and is having a really weird dream. If watched in the right time of the night, Long Dream can be a rememberable, strange and spooky watch.

Genre: Horror. 58min.

Monday (Japan, 2000)

A salaryman wakes up in a posh hotel room, totally clueless about how he got there. Slowly, he recalls what happened a day before - attending a funeral, annoying his girlfriend, getting drunk in a pub and getting to know a yakuza and his beautiful mistress, and last but not least, there's a used rifle right next to him...

Monday is a brilliant film about what happens when a white-collar worker drinks to much booze and gets a hold of a shotgun. Highly entertaining as it is equally funny and thrilling. 

Genre: Comedy/Crime

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan/Hong Kong/China, 2000)

The disappearance of a magical jade sword spurs a breathtaking quest for the missing treasure. Li is embittered by the loss of his jade sword, and his unrequited pursuit of Yu is further complicated by the mysterious intrusion of an assassin. The identity of the assassin is gradually unveiled as another poignant tale of love begins to ravel with that of Li and Yu against the backdrop of Western China's magnificent landscape.

To me, this is one of the finest films ever made. The fight choreography is the work of a genius, every sword fight is gorgeous and the duel among the treetops is insanely beautiful. It probably would be best to just describe it as a work of art. It made a huge splash on release and became an instant classic, but if you somehow missed it, do yourself a favor and give it a watch.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (Japan, 2000)

It is many thousand years in the future. Vampires once ruled the night but have seen their numbers reduced by fearless bounty hunters. One such hunter is D, the halfbreed son of a human mother and vampire father. When a girl from a rich family is taken from her home by the vampire Meier Link, her father contracts both D and the Markus brothers (a rival group of hunters) to race to retrieve her. As the heroes fight their way through Meier's hired guards, they begin to suspect that the girl may have gone with him willingly.

Bloodlust is, without a doubt, one of the best vampire themed films ever. It does just about everything right, the bloodthirsty creatures of the night are beautiful in their human forms, and they prove to be seemingly impossible to kill. The superb visuals, intense action and flawless design makes it a truly enjoyable experience from start to finish. It could also serve as a great first taste of animation for those who haven't watched a great deal of that.

Any way you look at it, it's an extremely cool tale of bounty hunters, demons and vampires so powerful they make crosses twist and turn into scrap metal. Mandatory viewing at every Halloween.

Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure

Freeze Me (Japan, 2000)

Chihiro is raped by three men and it is captured on video. She leaves her hometown, prepares to marry a colleague five years later and tries to live a normal life. However, one day she's visited by her three rapists in her apartment...

Freeze Me (a.k.a. Freezer) is made out of two themes: rape and revenge. You may get frustrated over how the main character first acts when she's faced with the horrors of her past, but trust me, the solution is brutally satisfying. 

Genre: Drama/Thriller

The Isle (South Korea, 2000)

Mute Hee-Jin is working as a clerk in a fishing resort in the Korean wilderness; selling baits, food and occasionally her body to the fishing tourists. One day she falls in love with Hyun-Shik, who is on the run for the police and saves him when he tries to commit suicide.

Definitely one of the strangest movies I've ever seen, but it's also really good in a psychotic kind of way. The Isle became notorious when at its premiere viewers vomited or passed out due to its gruesome scenes. Personally I wouldn't say it's that bad, but yes, there's a couple of scenes that has some serious shock value. I would say that the concepts and twisted ideas are the most disturbing things, rather than the visuals and actual scenes. 

The Isle manages to always top itself in strangeness and the unique setting is a winner. Director Kim Ki-duk (3-Iron) succeeds in combining dark humor with sex and bloodshed in a mature and fascinating way. It's like no other film, that's for sure. A love story with fish hooks.

Genre: Drama/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

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

Ju-on: The Curse (Japan, 2000)

It is the story of Takeo, a man who killed his wife, and his son Toshio, in a jealous rage. Then Toshio's teacher, Kobayashi, looks for him because he has not been in school. He slowly discovers the horror that has taken place. 


Ju-on is one of very few horror films that mostly takes place in daylight. It isn't long either, clocking in at barely over an hour. But, despite those facts, it's one of the most horrifying films of it's time. It started a tidal wave of sequels wich are all fantastic horror films (except the american versions, of course).  The Japanese Ju-on series:

Ju-on: The Curse
Ju-on: The Curse 2
Ju-on: The Grudge
Ju-on: The Grudge 2

Genre: Horror

Yi Yi (Taiwan, 2000)

A film about the emotional struggles of a businessman and the lives of his middle-class Taiwanese family in Taipei seen through three generations.

If you were to ask me what my favorite film of all time is, I would nine times out of ten answer Yi Yi. It's a film about life to put it simply. About everything, and about nothing. A drama that has so much heart and soul, and is in my opinion perfect in every way. I'm almost at a loss for words when trying to describe it actually, there's no way I can do it justice.

It's such an incredible match of cast and cinematography (the reflections, oh God the reflections). The acting and the different subplots just come together to form a heavenly mix of everything you could want from a movie. So unbelievably well-directed. Edward Yang who made the film really created something special here, and well, I've made myself perfectly clear already but I'm just so stunned and floored by this movie. Give it a chance, I'm certain you won't regret it.

Genre: Drama/Romance. 2h 53min.

Uzumaki (Japan, 2000)

The plot concerns a small town infected with malevolent spirals. More and more people becomes obsessed with the pattern until things really gets crazy.

Watching this movie a late night, alone, is one hell of a weird experience. There are some gory scenes, and yes you'll probably get frightened by something that suddenly jumps out, but this movie is more like being under the influence of some crazy drug than watching a horror movie. The director is very playful in his way of framing his shots, and it's clear he didn't want to make a quick cash in, but a serious and faithful adaption of the manga from which the film is based upon. The special effects has a B-movie quality to them, and there's some obvious overacting, but it fits with the surreal atmosphere. 

One of my favorite things about the movie is the fact that it's not a psychopath that does the killing, it's not a serial killer nor is it ghosts. The culprit is simply a pattern. A spiral (see if you can find all the hidden ones!), and I just love that concept of a pattern that influences people and gradually takes over an entire town. For the last half-hour or so, you'll feel like your head is spinning down a green spiral. 

I also highly recommend that you read the manga by Junji Ito, of which the film is based on, it's really good. Disturbing, but really good.

Genre: Horror

Battle Royale (Japan, 2000)

A group of ninth-grade students from a Japanese high school have been forced by legislation to compete in a Battle Royale. The students are each given a bag with a randomly selected weapon and a few rations of food and water and sent off to kill each other in a no-holds-barred (with a few minor rules) game to the death, which means that the students have three days to kill each other until one survives--or they all die. 42 students, three days, one deserted Island: welcome to Battle Royale.

The extreme-violent cult movie that became a phenomena. If you've slept under a rock and somehow missed this film, you should do yourself one of the biggest favors ever and see it now. Before its release it was screened for members of the Japanese parliament. They were all disgusted and labeled it "crude and tasteless". Now that's a sign of a good film right there. It spawned a disappointing sequel that wasn't nearly as good as this one.

Genre: Adventure/Drama/Action