Weird Japanese Movies to Watch
by ajeshhshah | created - 18 Mar 2015 | updated - 18 Mar 2015 | PublicList of all the weird movies to watch or that I have watched!
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1. Paprika (2006)
R | 90 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.
Director: Satoshi Kon | Stars: Megumi Hayashibara, Tôru Emori, Katsunosuke Hori, Tôru Furuya
Votes: 97,008 | Gross: $0.88M
2. The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A family moves to the country to run a rustic mountain inn when, to their horror, the customers begin befalling sudden and unlikely fates.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida
Votes: 10,029
3. As the Gods Will (2014)
TV-MA | 117 min | Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi
A group of high school students are forced to play a game of death without knowing who, why or how.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Shôta Sometani, Nijirô Murakami, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nao Ômori
Votes: 8,068
4. Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)
Not Rated | 129 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A renegade film crew becomes embroiled with a yakuza clan feud.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaidô, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Hiroki Hasegawa
Votes: 8,992 | Gross: $0.03M
5. Ichi the Killer (2001)
R | 129 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômori, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun
Votes: 60,070 | Gross: $0.02M
6. The Babadook (2014)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.
Director: Jennifer Kent | Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney
Votes: 247,424 | Gross: $0.92M
7. Akira (1988)
R | 124 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 205,392 | Gross: $0.55M
8. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
TV-MA | 76 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A lone sellsword named Guts gets recruited into a mercenary band and attempts to help the Band's leader, Griffith, on his rise to power.
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka | Stars: Hiroaki Iwanaga, Carrie Keranen, Takahiro Sakurai, Kevin T. Collins
Votes: 14,281
9. Tokyo! (2008)
Unrated | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A triptych examines the nature of one unforgettable city as it's shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok) inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated megalopolis, the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo.
Directors: Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Ayako Fujitani, Ryô Kase, Ayumi Ito, Nao Ômori
Votes: 11,873 | Gross: $0.35M
10. Short Peace (2013)
TV-MA | 72 min | Animation, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
A traveler is confronted by spirits in an abandoned shrine; a story of honor and firefighting in ancient Japan; a white bear defends the royal family from a monstrous red demon; ragtag soldiers battle a robotic force in futuristic Japan.
Directors: Hiroaki Andô, Hajime Katoki, Kôji Morimoto, Shûhei Morita, Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Kôichi Yamadera, Aoi Yûki, Takeshi Kusao, Saori Hayami
Votes: 1,843
11. Love Exposure (2008)
Unrated | 237 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A bizarre love triangle forms between a young Catholic upskirt photographer, a misandric girl and a manipulative cultist.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Takahiro Nishijima, Hikari Mitsushima, Sakura Andô, Yutaka Shimizu
Votes: 15,918
12. Tokyo Tribe (2014)
R | 116 min | Action, Musical
In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. Merra, leader of the Wu-Ronz tribe of Bukuro crosses the line to conquer all of Tokyo. The war begins.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Ryohei Suzuki, Young Dais, Nana Seino, Shunsuke Daitô
Votes: 3,647
13. The World of Kanako (2014)
Not Rated | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
As former detective Akikazu searches for his missing daughter, Kanako, he soon learns she has a mysterious secret life.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hiroya Shimizu
Votes: 5,897 | Gross: $0.02M
14. Confessions (2010)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada, Yukito Nishii
Votes: 42,087
15. Cold Fish (2010)
Not Rated | 146 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
The lives of a bored suburban couple are changed forever when a seemingly nice old man gives their daughter a job at his fish store, and soon his gruesome hobbies are brought to light.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Denden, Asuka Kurosawa, Megumi Kagurazaka
Votes: 14,535
16. R100 (2013)
Unrated | 99 min | Comedy, Drama
A man in search of joy hires a bondage club to have dominatrices surprise him at random times.
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto | Stars: Nao Ômori, Mao Daichi, Shinobu Terajima, Hairi Katagiri
Votes: 2,897 | Gross: $0.02M
17. Big Man Japan (2007)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
An eccentric man living alone in a decrepit house in Tokyo periodically transforms into a 100-foot tall giant in order to defend Japan against similarly sized monsters.
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto | Stars: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua, Ryunosuke Kamiki
Votes: 4,000 | Gross: $0.04M
18. Party 7 (2000)
Not Rated | 104 min | Comedy
Seven characters, introduced at the start of the film, get thrown together into the same hotel room: a thief who's stolen a suitcase of money from the mob, his ex-girlfriend, her obsessive ... See full summary »
Director: Katsuhito Ishii | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Akemi Kobayashi, Yoshinori Okada, Keisuke Horibe
Votes: 726
19. Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)
R | 108 min | Mystery, Action, Thriller
In dreamlike mountain scenery, Toshiko makes a daring escape from her sexually warped Uncle Sonezaki. Fortunately, she met Samehada as she runs for her life, which is also escaping from ... See full summary »
Director: Katsuhito Ishii | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Sie Kohinata, Shingo Tsurumi, Kimie Shingyôji
Votes: 2,303
20. 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: 8,139
21. The Snow White Murder Case (2014)
126 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A young woman who works at cosmetic company becomes the prime suspect after her beautiful co-worker is murdered.
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura | Stars: Mao Inoue, Gô Ayano, Nanao, Misako Renbutsu
Votes: 2,099
22. The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji (2013)
130 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Reiji Kikukawa, who has a strong sense of justice, graduated from the police academy with the lowest score ever. He becomes a police constable, but is suddenly fired by the Police Chief due... See full summary »
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Tôma Ikuta, Ryôhei Abe, Yoshiki Arizono, Ken'ichi Endô
Votes: 1,082
23. Milocrorze: A Love Story (2011)
90 min | Comedy
A mish-mash of past and present; A childlike man, a counselor, and a one-eyed ronin are all connected.
Director: Yoshimasa Ishibashi | Stars: Takayuki Yamada, Anna Ishibashi, Sayaka Fukita, Mieko Harada
Votes: 235
24. Lesson of the Evil (2012)
Unrated | 129 min | Horror, Thriller
A popular high school teacher concocts an extreme plan to deal with the rise of bullying and bad behavior among the student body.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Fumi Nikaidô, Takehiro Hira, Hideaki Itô, Shôta Sometani
Votes: 6,796
25. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa, Michiyo Yasuda
Votes: 51,552 | Gross: $0.85M
26. Over Your Dead Body (2014)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Fiction begins to bleed into reality for actors (Ebizo Ichikawa, Ko Shibasaki, Hideaki Ito) as they rehearse a stage production of a classic Japanese ghost story.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kô Shibasaki, Hideaki Itô, Ebizô Ichikawa, Toshie Negishi
Votes: 1,594
27. House (1977)
Not Rated | 88 min | Comedy, Horror
A schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted.
Director: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi | Stars: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ôba, Ai Matsubara
Votes: 33,753
28. 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: 13,733
29. Survive Style 5+ (2004)
120 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Five bizarre stories with no apparent connection to one and other eventually become intertwined, resulting in surreal circumstances.
Director: Gen Sekiguchi | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Reika Hashimoto, Kyôko Koizumi, Hiroshi Abe
Votes: 10,151
30. Tokyo Gore Police (2008)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
In future Tokyo, a young woman in the privatized police force tracks down her father's killer while battling against mutant rebels known as engineers.
Director: Yoshihiro Nishimura | Stars: Eihi Shiina, Itsuji Itao, Yukihide Benny, Jiji Bû
Votes: 12,740
31. Ranpo jigoku (2005)
134 min | Fantasy, Horror
This four-part anthology takes its cue from the short fiction of legendary horror writer Edogawa Rampo.
Directors: Akio Jissôji, Atsushi Kaneko, Hisayasu Satô, Suguru Takeuchi | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Yûko Daike, Chisako Hara, Masami Horiuchi
Votes: 1,195
32. RoboGeisha (2009)
TV-MA | 102 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
After receiving robotic implants, two sisters compete as assassins.
Director: Noboru Iguchi | Stars: Aya Kiguchi, Hitomi Hasebe, Takumi Saitô, Etsuko Ikuta
Votes: 2,680
33. Dead Leaves (2004)
Not Rated | 55 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two aliens awaken on Earth with no recollection of their past and embark on a devastating crime spree but are sent to an infamous lunar penitentiary named Dead Leaves.
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi | Stars: Kappei Yamaguchi, Takako Honda, Yûko Mizutani, Mitsuo Iwata
Votes: 4,416
34. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Not Rated | 67 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A businessman accidentally kills The Metal Fetishist, who gets his revenge by slowly turning the man into a grotesque hybrid of flesh and rusty metal.
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Tomorô Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Votes: 25,944
35. Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead (2011)
Not Rated | 85 min | Comedy, Horror
A group of teenagers go camping in the woods where they find themselves in deep trouble, when poop covered zombies that are controlled by parasites come out to attack them.
Director: Noboru Iguchi | Stars: Arisa Nakamura, Mayu Sugano, Asana Mamoru, Yûki
Votes: 2,413
36. Mutant Girls Squad (2010)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
After a high-school girl discovers that she descends from a long line of mutants, she joins other mutants to battle anti-mutants. Ordinary humans that can't run fast get caught in the slaughter.
Directors: Noboru Iguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Tak Sakaguchi | Stars: Tak Sakaguchi, Asami, Naoto Takenaka, Yoshihiro Nishimura
Votes: 2,033
37. Mushi-Shi: The Movie (2006)
131 min | Drama, Fantasy
A wandering mystical doctor passes through remote regions of Japan uncovering supernatural creatures called the Mushi and curing people of their effects.
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Joe Odagiri, Nao Ômori, Yû Aoi, Lily
Votes: 1,185
38. Suicide Club (2001)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A detective is trying to find the cause of a string of suicides.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Mai Hosho, Tamao Satô
Votes: 22,228
39. Symbol (2009)
Not Rated | 93 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery
A man wakes up in a white room empty other than buttons on the walls, he must find out which button to push to get what he wants.
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto | Stars: Hitoshi Matsumoto, David Quintero, Luis Accinelli, Lilian Tapia
Votes: 4,453
40. Naisu no mori: The First Contact (2005)
150 min | Comedy, Fantasy
An outrageous collection of surreal, short attention span non-sequiturs largely revolving around Guitar Brother, his randy older sibling, and the pair's portly Caucasian brother.
Directors: Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, Shunichirô Miki | Stars: Andrew Alfieri, Hideaki Anno, Moyoco Anno, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 2,731
41. Tôkyô zonbi (2005)
Not Rated | 103 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A horror-comedy about two blue-collar factory workers (who happen to be jiu-jitsu experts) dealing with a ravenous, flesh-eating zombie uprising in Tokyo.
Director: Sakichi Sato | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Shô Aikawa, Erika Okuda, Arata Furuta
Votes: 2,108
42. Dead Sushi (2012)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Keiko, the daughter of a legendary sushi chef, runs away from home when his Karate-style regimen becomes too severe. Finding work at a rural hot springs inn, she is ridiculed by the eccentric staff and guests.
Director: Noboru Iguchi | Stars: Rina Takeda, Kentarô Shimazu, Takamasa Suga, Takashi Nishina
Votes: 1,808
43. Chanbara Beauty: The Movie - Vortex (2009 Video)
TV-MA | 85 min | Horror
In 20XX the world is still overpopulated by Zombies and Aya and Saki stop fighting to join together against there new enemy, Himiko
Director: Tsuyoshi Shôji | Stars: Yû Tejima, Akari Ozawa, Rika Kawamura, Chika Arakawa
Votes: 352
44. Dead or Alive (1999)
R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A yakuza of Chinese descent and a Japanese cop each wage their own war against the Japanese mafia. But they are destined to meet. Their encounter will change the world.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Shô Aikawa, Riki Takeuchi, Renji Ishibashi, Hitoshi Ozawa
Votes: 8,565 | Gross: $0.00M
45. Audition (1999)
R | 115 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura
Votes: 89,296
46. Outrage (2010)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shîna, Ryô Kase, Fumiyo Kohinata
Votes: 14,666
47. Battle Royale (2000)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama
Votes: 194,512
48. Legendary Panty Mask (1991)
Action
Panty Mask is a super-heroine in skimpy Indian outfit who wears leather undies on her head - as disguise. Panty Mask fights a group of evil whip wielding Catholic nuns in an all-girl version of Tombstone.
Director: Takafumi Nagamine | Stars: Miyuki Katori, Misa Chûjô, Suzumi Hanai, Torata Nanbu
Votes: 32
49. Kyûketsu Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken (2009)
TV-MA | 84 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A reconstructed girl is created from the pieces of a vampire girl's mini-butchery. Slaughter abounds as both of them pursue the same boy.
Directors: Yoshihiro Nishimura, Naoyuki Tomomatsu | Stars: Yukie Kawamura, Takumi Saitô, Eri Otoguro, Sayaka Kametani
Votes: 3,914
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