One Cut of the Dead (Japan, 2017)

Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.

This has to be one of the best surprises in a while. I've heard of how this film tried to break some new ground in a genre that's so stale it's practically a walking corpse itself, and at the beginning I couldn't help but feel really sceptical, but then director Shin'ichiro Ueda makes a sharp turn with the narrative and makes you feel stupid for thinking this was just another run-of-the-mill comedy. Characters you thought you hated are redeemed and everything just clicks. An original and very funny film that gives you a great lasting feeling. Now we can say that Japan has its own Shaun of the Dead (2004), and for the moment I rate this movie higher than most other zombie films I've seen. 

Genre:  Comedy/Horror

Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (Japan, 1997)

A radio play is going to go on air at a Tokyo radio station. It is a weepy melodrama written by housewife Miyako, who is the winner of the competition run by the station. Suddenly, the hot-tempered lead actress Nokko decides she wants the name of her character to be Mary Jane and not Ritsuko. That leads to the chain of events which changes the play completely.

Here's a film with a very simple and concentrated story; a group of voice actors are trying to put together a radio drama. Though, not much goes according to plan as one could guess. So many laugh-out-loud moments in this film, the characters are all very funny and likeable, even the "mean" ones. I haven't seen this film being mentioned at all on a lot of film sites and that's no less than a gigantic mistake. It's an excellent film that leaves you in a great mood and should be considered an hidden classic. 

Genre: Comedy