High and Low (Japan, 1963)

A wealthy businessman is told his son has been kidnapped and he will have to pay a very large sum for him to be returned safely. It is then discovered that his son is safe at home: the kidnapper took his chauffeur's son by accident. The kidnapper says this makes no difference: pay up or the child dies. This leaves him with a moral dilemma, as he really needs the money to conclude a very important business deal.

Akira Kurosawa thought his big thriller High and Low was gonna reduce the number of kidnappings in Japan and act like some sort of deterrence, instead, to his big surprise, he was criticized for their increase. High and Low is a suspenseful detective story where everything that easily could have been a slog to watch are exciting and really invites you to follow the bread crumbs. The cast is once again a Kurosawa's Greatest Hits with Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai and Takashi Shimura in the lead roles, all contributing in making this noir something truly special.

Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery

Steamboy (Japan, 2004)

Ray is a young inventor living in the U.K. in the middle of the 19th century. Shortly before the first ever World Expo, a marvelous invention called the "Steam Ball", behind which a menacing power is hidden, arrives at his door from his grandfather Roid in the U.S. Meanwhile the nefarious Ohara Foundation has sent men to acquire the Steam Ball so that they can use its power towards their own illicit ends.

Steamboy comes from the mind of the great Katsuhiro Otomo, best known as the creator of the insanely popular Akira. Here, we are thrown into an alternate nineteenth century where the power of steam has made it possible for revolutionizing advances in the fields of science and technology. It's steampunk galore every step of the way.

The film took ten years to complete due to all the complicated shots and frames, so give it a chance and you might discover one of the best animated films out there. Also, and this is merely a suggestion, but try to see it with English voices, because I can honestly say that they're really good and fits more with the setting.

Genre: Animation/Action. 2h 6min.

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

Akira (Japan, 1988)

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

A landmark in animation. Akira influenced a whole generation of film-makers and would come to be one of the movies that popularized anime outside of Japan. Based on a manga, Akira is set in a dystopian Neo-Tokyo, 2019. The story focuses on the young biker Kaneda, and his friend Tetsuo who gains destructive psychic powers.

Filled to the brim with glowing neon cyberpunk and sci-fi, this movie is gorgeous every second. Fluid animation and solid sound-effects makes this a masterpiece that still outshines many anime movies made today.

Genre: Action/Animation/Sci-Fi