My favorite Asian movies.
by Bryn_pabo | created - 17 Jun 2011 | updated - 16 Aug 2016 | PublicIt is impossible for me to order these by preferance, so here are my favorite Asian films in no particular order:
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1. Oldboy (2003)
R | 120 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 635,311 | Gross: $0.71M
2. Death Note (2006)
Not Rated | 126 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A battle between the world's two greatest minds begins when Light Yagami finds the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to rid the world of criminals.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Asaka Seto, Yû Kashii
Votes: 31,863
3. A Werewolf Boy (2012)
Not Rated | 127 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Summoned by an unexpected phone call, an elderly woman visits the country cottage she lived in as a child. Memories of an orphan boy she knew 47 years ago come flooding back to her.
Director: Sung-hee Jo | Stars: Song Joong-ki, Park Bo-young, Yeong-ran Lee, Jang Young-nam
Votes: 8,901 | Gross: $0.34M
4. Initial D (2005)
TV-PG | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
After winning his first competition, Takumi focuses his attention on drift racing, a sport he has unknowingly perfected while delivering tofu in his father's Toyota AE86.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak, Ralph Rieckermann | Stars: Jay Chou, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue
Votes: 9,737
5. Death Note: The Last Name (2006)
Not Rated | 141 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
Picking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Erika Toda, Nana Katase
Votes: 17,620
6. War of the Arrows (2011)
R | 122 min | Action, Adventure
A skilled Korean archer goes up against the mighty force of Manchus with the sole purpose of rescuing his kidnapped sister.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Park Hae-il, Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Mu-yeol, Moon Chae-won
Votes: 12,798 | Gross: $0.25M
7. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
Director: Lee Jeong-beom | Stars: Won Bin, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Hee-won
Votes: 74,818 | Gross: $0.01M
8. 200 Pounds Beauty (2006)
Not Rated | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A talented but obese girl, who ghost-sings for a not-so-talented pop star, undergoes extensive plastic surgery to become a slender beauty with a new identity.
Director: Yong-hwa Kim | Stars: Ju Jin-mo, Kim Ah-jung, Sung Dong-il, Kim Hyun-sook
Votes: 8,810
9. Sad Movie (2005)
Not Rated | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
This film follows the lives of four very different couples as they deal with love, loss and life in these romantic, loosely interconnected tales.
Director: Jong-kwan Kwon | Stars: Jung Woo-sung, Lim Soo-jung, Cha Tae-hyun, Yum Jung-ah
Votes: 3,460
10. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
R | 114 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-su, Moon Geun-young
Votes: 68,246
11. The Twins Effect (2003)
R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
It's a high-kicking battle on the dark side when an ace vampire slayer and his beautiful sidekicks wage the ultimate martial-arts showdown with one of the most dangerous of the undead.
Director: Dante Lam | Stars: Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Ekin Cheng
Votes: 5,339
12. Antique (2008)
107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Jin-hyeok opens a cake shop in an old antique shop, hiring Seon-woo, Korea's best pastry chef, who fell in love with him in high school. Also there, are Su-young, crushing on Seon-woo, ex-boxer Ki-beom, and Seon-woo's French ex-boyfriend.
Director: Kyu-dong Min | Stars: Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jae-Wook, Yoo Ah-in, Choi Ji-ho
Votes: 1,614
13. Il Mare (2000)
105 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
In 1999, a voice actor moves from Il Mare, a seaside house, and leaves a Christmas card in its (magical) mailbox. An architecture student receives it in 1997, and a friendship separated by 2 years begins.
Director: Hyun-seung Lee | Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, Mu-saeng Kim, Jo Seung-yeon
Votes: 9,456
14. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (2010)
124 min | Drama, Romance
Diving to save a camera from a fall down a flight of stairs, high school junior Naomi Sukuse wakes with no memory of the last four years. Naomi must remember who she was and figure out who ... See full summary »
Director: Hans Canosa | Stars: Maki Horikita, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Yûya Tegoshi, Anton Yelchin
Votes: 684
15. Cyborg She (2008)
115 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
A lonely university student develops a romance with a beautiful interesting woman, who turns out to be a cyborg from the future.
Director: Jae-young Kwak | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Keisuke Koide, Risa Ai, Nya Daigo
Votes: 4,250
16. I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006)
Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Rain, Park Byeong-eun, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 25,886
17. The Eye 2 (2004)
R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
After a failed suicide attempt, a pregnant woman gains the ability to see ghosts.
Directors: Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang | Stars: Shu Qi, Eugenia Yuan, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Thanarat Poonnarattanakul
Votes: 5,080
18. The Eye (2002)
R | 99 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A blind girl gets a cornea transplant so that she will be able to see again. She gets more than she bargained for upon realizing she can also see ghosts.
Directors: Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang | Stars: Angelica Lee, Chutcha Rujinanon, Lawrence Chou, Jinda Duangtoy
Votes: 30,068 | Gross: $0.51M
19. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
TV-PG | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda | Stars: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi
Votes: 70,830
20. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
PG | 119 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Tatsuya Gashûin, Akihiro Miwa
Votes: 448,740 | Gross: $4.71M
21. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A romantic police captain breaks a beautiful member of a rebel group out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Dandan Song
Votes: 116,240 | Gross: $11.05M
22. Bangkok Dangerous (2000)
R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The story is of a deaf-mute hitman and his partner who are based in Bangkok. He is friends with his partner's girlfriend who is a stripper at a local club. They go about their assassination... See full summary »
Directors: Danny Pang, Oxide Chun Pang | Stars: Pawarith Monkolpisit, Premsinee Ratanasopha, Patharawarin Timkul, Pisek Intrakanchit
Votes: 3,779 | Gross: $0.02M
23. Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)
R | 140 min | Action, Drama, War
When two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Jang Dong-Gun, Won Bin, Eun-ju Lee, Kong Hyeong-jin
Votes: 41,067 | Gross: $1.11M
24. As Tears Go By (1988)
Not Rated | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Mid-level gangster Wah falls in love with his beautiful cousin, but must also continue to protect his volatile partner-in-crime and friend, Fly.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Alex Man
Votes: 12,481 | Gross: $0.01M
25. Ringu (1998)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Mystery
A reporter and her ex-husband investigate a cursed video tape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it.
Director: Hideo Nakata | Stars: Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani, Yûko Takeuchi, Hitomi Satô
Votes: 77,439
26. 2 Become 1 (2006)
Not Rated | 98 min | Comedy, Drama
An advertising executive with a carefree lifestyle discovers she has breast cancer.
Director: Wing-Cheong Law | Stars: Miriam Chin-Wah Yeung, Richie Jen, Jo Kuk, Yujun Wu
Votes: 246
27. Arahan (2004)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
As a dorky cop falls in with five Tao masters who admire his c'hi, an ancient foe comes looking for them all.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Ryu Seung-beom, Yoon So-yi, Ahn Sung-ki, Doo-hong Jung
Votes: 4,008
28. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
R | 103 min | Drama, Romance
A boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Kim Ki-duk, Oh Yeong-su, Jong-ho Kim, Kim Young-min
Votes: 86,788 | Gross: $2.38M
29. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.
Directors: Jung Doo Hong, Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Kim Yeong-cheol, Hwang Jung-min
Votes: 42,905
30. Au revoir Taipei (2010)
85 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A love story takes place over the course of one evening in Taipei.
Director: Arvin Chen | Stars: Chun-Yao Yao, Amber Kuo, Hsiao-chuan Chang, Lawrence Ko
Votes: 1,463
31. Confession of Pain (2006)
110 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A detective helps a friend investigate the mysterious death of his father-in-law.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Shu Qi, Jinglei Xu
Votes: 2,823
32. Fallen Angels (1995)
Not Rated | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
This Hong Kong-set crime drama follows the lives of a hitman, hoping to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Charlie Yeung
Votes: 50,771
33. Versus (II) (2000)
R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
There are 666 portals that connect this world to the other side. These are concealed from all human beings. Somewhere in Japan exists the 444th portal.... The forest of resurrection.
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura | Stars: Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda
Votes: 13,726
34. Koma (2004)
R | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Jealousy, desire, trust, and revenge. A complicated love triangle emerges during an investigation into the theft of a woman's kidney. At a wedding party in a fancy hotel, a guest happens on... See full summary »
Director: Chi-Leung Law | Stars: Karena Kar-Yan Lam, Angelica Lee, Andy Chi-On Hui, Raymond Ho-Yin Wong
Votes: 1,884
35. Samaritan Girl (2004)
R | 97 min | Drama
Jae-Young is an amateur prostitute who sleeps with men while her best friend Yeo-Jin "manages" her, fixing dates, taking care of the money and making sure the coast is clear. When Jae-Young... See full summary »
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Lee Eol, Kwak Ji-min, Han Yeo-reum, Hyun-min Kwon
Votes: 14,076
36. Time (2006)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
To save her relationship, a woman puts herself through extensive plastic surgery.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Ha Jung-woo, Park Ji-yeon, Baek Gwang-Doo, Jung Gyu-woon
Votes: 12,876 | Gross: $0.01M
37. Joint Security Area (2000)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
After a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Kim Tae-woo
Votes: 34,178
38. Cinderella (2006)
Not Rated | 94 min | Horror, Thriller
The daughter of a plastic surgeon experiences strange events that seem to be connected her childhood.
Director: Man-dae Bong | Stars: Ah-yung Ahn, Gyu-ryun Ahn, Yoo Da-in, Do Ji-Won
Votes: 1,600
39. One Last Dance (2006)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Romance
An assassin is hired to kill the men responsible for kidnapping an important man's son. With every death, the killer gets closer to the last kidnapper's name.
Director: Max Makowski | Stars: Francis Ng, Lung Ti, Vivian Hsu, Joseph Quek
Votes: 635
40. Death Bell (2008)
Not Rated | 88 min | Horror, Thriller
Advanced students who take a special class are being tortured by their class rank.
Director: Hong-Seung Yoon | Stars: Lee Beom-su, Kim Bum, In-sook Choi, Da-Geon
Votes: 3,178
41. Portrait of a Beauty (2008)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama, Romance
Born to a family of established court painters, a woman is forced to carry on her family name and take over her brother's life after he commits suicide.
Director: Yun-su Jeon | Stars: Kim Gyu-ri, Yeong-ho Kim, Kim Nam-gil, Chu Ja-hyeon
Votes: 1,111
42. Butterfly Lovers (2008)
Not Rated | 102 min | Action, Romance
Zhu Yanzhi (Charlene Choi), disguised as a man, seeks to learn martial arts with an elite clan. Once she begins her intense training, Zhu finds herself at odds with her trainer and superior, Liang (Chun Wu).
Director: Jingle Ma | Stars: Charlene Choi, Chun Wu, Ge Hu, Siu-Wong Fan
Votes: 441
43. Air Doll (2009)
Unrated | 125 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Bae Doona, Arata Iura, Itsuji Itao, Joe Odagiri
Votes: 8,126
44. A Million (2009)
114 min | Thriller
Eight young people try to survive a deadly game show for the million-dollar prize.
Director: Min-ho Cho | Stars: Jae-ho Baek, Lee Cheon-hee, Seo-wu Choi, Shin Dong-mi
Votes: 517
45. My Kingdom (2011)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Drama, Romance
The story of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge in the heyday of Shanghai opera.
Director: Xiaosong Gao | Stars: Chun Wu, Geng Han, Barbie Hsu, Louis Liu
Votes: 485
46. Attack on the Pin-Up Boys (2007)
G | 81 min | Comedy
After the unusual attack (tossing of a bag of feces) on a school 'flower boy' (heartthrob or pretty boy), Sungmin, on February 14, the same attacks begin to happen at different high schools... See full summary »
Director: Kwon Lee | Stars: Ki-bum Kim, Dong-hae Lee, Kim Heechul, Young-woon Kim
Votes: 346
47. The Handmaiden (2016)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Moon So-ri
Votes: 172,522 | Gross: $2.01M
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