Asian Movies – Everything You Need to Know

36. A Separation (2012)

A married couple must choose between bettering their child’s life by migrating to another nation and caring for a failing parent with Alzheimer’s disease in Iran.

Director: Asghar Farhadi
Language: Persian
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Payman Maadi
Leila Hatami
Sareh Bayat

IMDb Rating: 8.3
Running Time: 123 minutes
Box Office: $22,926,076
Movie Trailer: A Separation (2012) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/separated-bc86b7c4-c8f1-454c-b8c8-80654be3ac73″ watchon=”Hulu”]

37. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

A confrontation between Sultan and Shahid Khan results in Khan’s exile from Wasseypur, igniting a three-generation bitter rivalry.

Director: Anurag Kashyap
Language: Hindi
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Romance
Main Cast:

Manoj Bajpayee
Richa Chadha
Nawazuddin Siddiqui

IMDb Rating: 8.2
Running Time: 321 minutes
Box Office: 32,66,44,867 crores
Movie Trailer: Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Gangs-Wasseypur-Manoj-Bajpai-Bajpayee/dp/B073SGLD17″ watchon=”Amazon”]

38. The Act of Killing (2012)

Former Indonesian death squad leaders are challenged to reproduce their mass murders in any film genre they like, including classic Hollywood crime scenes and spectacular musical performances.

Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn
Language: English, Danish, Norwegian and Indonesian
Genre: Documentary, Biography and Crime
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Running Time: 117 minutes
Box Office: $722,714
Movie Trailer: The Act of Killing (2012) – Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Act-Killing-Directors-Cut/dp/B07DYBS1BQ” watchon=”Amazon”]

39. Lovely Man (2011)

During a search for her father in Jakarta, Indonesia, Cahaya finds out her father works as a prostitution for men.

Director: Teddy Soeriaatmadja
Language: Indonesian
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Donny Damara
Raihaanun
Yayu Unru
Ari Syarif

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 76 minutes
Movie Trailer: Lovely Man (2011) – Movie Trailer

40. The Flowers of War (2011)

An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.

Director: Zhang Yimou
Language: Mandarin, English and Japanese
Genre: Drama, History and Romance
Main Cast:

Christian Bale
Ni Ni
Zhang Xinyi

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time:146 minutes
Box Office: $2,855,644
Movie Trailer: The Flowers of War (2011) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Flowers-War-Christian-Bale/dp/B008BX62IC” watchon=”Amazon”]

41. I Saw the Devil (2010)

Through a sequence of captures and releases, a secret spy exacts retribution on a serial murderer.

Director: Jee-woon Kim
Language: Korean
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Main Cast:

Lee Byung-hun
Choi Min-sik
Jeon Gook-hwan

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 144 minutes
Box Office: $12,966,357
Movie Trailer: I saw the Devil (2010) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/I-Saw-Devil-English-Subtitled/dp/B00503BENE” watchon=”Amazon”]

42. Confessions (2010)

Weird tale of a grieving, cold-blooded mother, who plots revenge on those responsible for the death of her daughter.

Director: Tetsuya Nakashima
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama and Thriller
Main Cast:

Takako Matsu
Yoshino Kimura
Masaki Okada

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 106 minutes
Box Office: $45,203,103
Movie Trailer: Confessions (2010) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/jp-en/title/70153638″ watchon=”Netflix”]

43. Aftershock (2010)

An epic saga of one family that was split apart by the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976.

Director: Feng Xiaogang
Language: Mandarin and English
Genre: Drama and History
Main Cast:

Zhang Jingchu
Li Chen
Xu Fan
Zhang Guoqiang

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 135 minutes
Box Office: $100,297,508
Movie Trailer: Aftershock (2010) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Aftershock-English-Subtitled-Fan-Xu/dp/B0069E7ASQ” watchon=”Amazon”]

44. Mother (2009)

When her son is falsely accused of murdering a young girl, his mother desperately searches for the killer.

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Language: Korean
Genre: Crime, Drama and Mystery
Main Cast:

Kim Hye-ja
Won Bin

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 128 minutes
Box Office: $17,100,000
Movie Trailer: Mother (2009) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Bong-Joon-Ho/dp/B003WKT27C” watchon=”Amazon”]

45. City of Life and Death (2009)

China’s capital, Nanjing, was occupied by Japan in 1937. After a battle, the inhabitants, especially those who sought refuge in the International Security Zone, were subjected to atrocities.

Director: Lu Chuan
Language: Mandarin, English, German and Japanese
Genre: Drama, History and War
Main Cast:

Liu Ye
Gao Yuanyuan
Fan Wei
Qin Lan

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 133 minutes
Box Office: $10,687,316
Movie Trailer: City of Life and Death (2009) – Trailer

Streaming Platform: Amazon

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/City-Life-Death-Liu-Ye/dp/B073SGQ6V4″ watchon=”Amazon”]

46. Tokyo Sonata (2008)

After the patriarch of an ordinary Japanese family loses his job at a prominent company, the family slowly disintegrates.

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Teruyuki Kagawa
Kyōko Koizumi
Yū Koyanagi
Kai Inowaki

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $943,547
Movie Trailer: Tokyo Sonata (2008) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/City-Life-Death-Liu-Ye/dp/B073SGQ6V4″ watchon=”Amazon”]

47. Breathless (2008)

Sang-hoon has climbed through the ranks of a criminal gang’s debt collector. Sang-hoon is restless, hostile, throwing punches, slaps, and expletives freely, possibly due to the cruelty inflicted on him by his father.

Director: Ik-joon Yang
Language: Korean
Genre: Crime, Drama
Main Cast:

Kkobbi Kim
Hwan Lee
Ik-joon Yang

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 130 minutes
Box Office: $686,703
Movie Trailer: Breathless (2008) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Breathless-Ik-june-Yang/dp/B00E7W359K” watchon=”Amazon”]

48. Secret Sunshine (2007)

A woman relocates to the town where her late husband was born in order to be near his family. As she tries to fit in, a tragic event occurs that completely changes her outlook on life.

Director: Chang-dong Lee
Language: Korean
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Jeon Do-yeon
Song Kang-ho

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 142 minutes
Box Office: $11,581,469
Movie Trailer: Secret Sunshine (2007) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sunshine-English-Subtitled-Do-yeon/dp/B005GIS1TI” watchon=”Amazon”]

49. Hollywood Chinese (2007)

Hollywood Chinese tells the long-untold tales of the Asian faces who have delighted the silver screen, weaving a rich and intricate tapestry defined by great performances and revolutionary film, but also by a tangled history of race and representation.

Director: Arthur Dong
Language: English
Genre: Documentary, Historical Fiction
Main Cast:

Turhan Bey
Joan Chen
Tsai Chin

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running time: 90 minutes
Movie Trailer: Hollywood Chinese (2007) Trailer

50. Letters from the Iwo Jima (2006)

Japanese perspective on World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Language: Japanese
Genre: Action, Adventure and Drama
Main Cast:

Ken Watanabe
Kazunari Ninomiya
Tsuyoshi Ihara
Ryō Kase

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 144 minutes
Box Office: $68,700,000
Movie Trailer: Letters from the Iwo Jima(2006) – Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Iwo-Jima-Ken-Watanabe/dp/B000R3E2WW” watchon=”Amazon”]

51. Fearless (2006)

Chinese martial arts master Huo Yuanjia is profiled in this biopic. He is also the creator and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.

Director: Ronny Yu
Language: Mandarin, Japanese and English
Genre: Action, Biography and Drama
Main Cast:

Jet Li
Nakamura Shidō II
Sun Li
Dong Yong
Nathan Jones

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 105 minutes
Box Office: $68,072,848
Movie Trailer: Fearless (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Jet-Lis-Fearless-Li/dp/B000M5DRMG” watchon=”Amazon”]

52. The Namesake (2006)

Notwithstanding his family’s refusal to abandon their ancient customs, American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, aspires to blend in with his fellow New Yorkers.

Director: Mira Nair
Language: Bengali, English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Irrfan Khan
Tabu
Kal Penn

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 122 minutes
Box Office: $20,354,321
Movie Trailer: The Namesake (2006) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Namesake-Irfan-Khan/dp/B001023N1A” watchon=”Amazon”]

53. Still Life (2006)

The Three Gorges Dam is slowly destroying and flooding a town in Fengjie county. Man and woman visit the town in search of their estranged wives, and experience the sociological changes as a result of their presence in the community

Director: Jia Zhangke
Language: Standard Mandarin, Jin Chinese and Sichuanese
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Tao Zhao
Zhou Lan
Sanming Han

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 108 minutes
Box Office: $2,504,465
Movie Trailer: Still Life (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=RpcRV8dXQDE.P” watchon=”Google Play”]

54. Lady Vengeance (2005)

Thirteen years in prison and the loss of her child later, a woman seeks revenge by using increasingly brutal methods.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Language: Korean, English and Japanese
Genre: Crime, Drama and Thriller
Main Cast:

Lee Young-ae
Choi Min-sik
Jeong-nam Choi

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 115 minutes
Box Office: $23,834,149
Movie Trailer: Lady Vengeance (2005) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Vengeance-English-Subtitled-Yeong-ae/dp/B00E4BUFI8″ watchon=”Amazon”]

55. The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005)

After being rejected by her parents, Nansal finds an abandoned puppy in the Mongolian veld.

Director: Byambasuren Davaa
Language: Mongolian
Genre: Drama and Family
Main Cast:

Urjindorjyn Batchuluun
Buyandulamyn Daramdadi
Batchuluuny Nansal
Batchuluuny Batbayar

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 93 minutes
Box Office: $3,447,214
Movie Trailer: The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005)

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Cave-Yellow-Dog-Tartan-Films/dp/B003216OFE” watchon=”Amazon”]

56. Linda Linda Linda (2005)

Before the school festival, a music group of females must learn a song.

Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Language: Japanese
Genre: Comedy, Drama and Music
Main Cast:

Bae Doona
Aki Maeda
Yu Kashii
Shiori Sekine

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 114 minutes
Box Office: $68,591
Movie Trailer: Linda Linda Linda (2005) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Doona-Bae/dp/B000MKXF5U” watchon=”Amazon”]

57.Bittersweet Life (2005)

It is bad news for a high-ranking mobster who does not follow directions.

Director: Kim Jee-woon
Language: Korean, Russian and Filipino
Genre: Action, Crime and Drama
Main Cast:

Lee Byung-hun
Kim Yeong-cheol
Shin Min-ah
Hwang Jung-min

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 119 minutes
Box Office: $10,080,094
Movie Trailer: A Bittersweet Life (2005) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Bittersweet-Life-Lee-Byung-hun/dp/B07QWBVW3G” watchon=”Amazon”]

58. 3-Iron (2004)

One night, a young man breaks into a vacant house to live with the vacationing residents for a few nights.

Director: Kim Ki-duk
Language: Korean
Genre: Crime, Drama and Romance
Main Cast:

Lee Seung-yeon
Jae Hee

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 88 minutes
Box Office: $3,400,000
Movie Trailer: 3-Iron (2004) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/3-Iron-Seung-yeon-Lee/dp/B087J1YM4J” watchon=”Amazon”]

59. The Hidden Blade (2004)

Samurai from the 19th century who has fallen out of favor because of his father’s actions must reconcile with a maid and a close friend about his past in order to move forward in life.

Director: Yōji Yamada
Language: 132 minutes
Genre: Action, Drama and History
Main Cast:

Masatoshi Nagase
Takako Matsu
Yukiyoshi Ozawa

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 132 minutes
Box Office: $8,043,781
Movie Trailer: The Hidden Blade (2004) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Blade-Masatoshi-Nagase/dp/B00E3OUUJ0″ watchon=”Amazon”]

60. The Taste of Tea (2004)

A brief glimpse into the slightly surreal life of a rural family.

Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Language: Japanese
Genre: Comedy and Fantasy
Main Cast:

Tadanobu Asano
Takahiro Sato
Maya Banno

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time:143 minutes
Box Office: $21,324
Movie Trailer: The Taste 0f Tea (2004) – Movie Trailer

Streaming Platform: Amazon

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Tea-Takahiro-Sato/dp/B000PE0H0E” watchon=”Amazon”]

61. Old Boy (2003)

Oh Dae-Su is liberated after being abducted and jailed for fifteen years, only to discover that he must find his kidnapper within five days.

Director: Park Chan-Wook
Language: Korean
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery
Main Cast:

Choi Min-Sik
Yoo Ji-Tae
Kang Hye-Jeong

IMDb Rating: 8.4
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $15,189,934
Movie Trailer: Old Boy (2003) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Oldboy-English-Subtitled-Choi-Min-shik/dp/B00E25RD68″ watchon=”Amazon”]

62. Memories of Murder (2003)

In a tiny Korean region in 1986, two investigators are charged with solving the case of numerous young ladies who were raped and murdered by an unknown perpetrator.

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Language: Korean, English
Genre: Crime, Action, Mystery
Main Cast:

Kang-ho Song
Kim Sang-kyung
Roe-ha Kim

IMDb Rating: 8.1
Running Time: 132 minutes
Box Office: $1,163,424
Movie Trailer: Memories of Murder (2003) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Murder-Kang-ho-Song/dp/B08LYVP13J” watchon=”Amazon”]

63. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (2003)

Monk raises a boy on an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons in a Buddhist monastery.

Director: Kim Ki-duk
Language: Korean
Genre: Drama and Romance
Main Cast:

Oh Yeong-su
Kim Ki-duk
Kim Young-min
Seo Jae-kyung

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 103 minutes
Box Office: $9,300,000
Movie Trailer: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter/dp/B0083GPHJM” watchon=”Amazon”]

64. Infernal Affairs (2002)

A movie about a police department mole and an undercover cop. Their goals are the same: to figure out who the mole is and who the cop is.

Director: Andrew Lau and Alan Mak
Language: Cantonese
Genre: Action, Crime and Drama
Main Cast:

Andy Lau
Tony Leung
Anthony Wong

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 101 mins
Box Office: $8,708,932
Movie Trailer: Infernal Affairs (2002) – Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Infernal-Affairs-English-Subtitled-Leung/dp/B0088BIQ6I” watchon=”Amazon”]

65. Hero (2002)

The King of Qin called a defense official, Nameless, to report on his accomplishment in eliminating three warriors.

Director: Yimou Zhang
Language: Mandarin
Genre: Action, Adventure, History
Main Cast:

Jet Li
Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
Maggie Cheung

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $177,395,557
Movie Trailer: Hero (2002) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/hero-4dcbbbfb-f80c-4922-b86a-5b6924188652″ watchon=”Hulu”]

66. Failan (2001)

There are unintended consequences for both parties in the marriage of convenience between a small-time criminal and an illegal immigrant whom he’s never met before

Director: Song Hae-sung
Language: Korean
Genre: Drama and Romance
Main Cast:

Choi Min-sik
Cecilia Cheung
Dae-Hoon Jeong

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 115 minutes
Box Office: $49,665
Movie Trailer: Failan (2001) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Failan-English-Subtitled-Min-sik-Choi/dp/B00L8P1VZY” watchon=”Amazon”]

67. Spirited Away (2001)

A gloomy 10-year-old girl stumbles into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, where humans are transformed into monsters, during her family’s move to the suburbs.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Language: Japanese
Genre: Animation and Adventure
Main Cast:

Daveigh Chase
Suzanne Pleshette
Miyu Irino

IMDb Rating: 8.6
Running Time: 125 minutes
Box Office: 358,900,000
Movie Trailer: Spirited Away (2001)- Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/60023642″ watchon=”Netflix”]

68. All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)

The story of problematic lives of teen students whose only escape from an alienated, aggressive and callous environment is Lily Chou-lovely Chou’s music.

Director: Shunji Iwai
Language: Japanese
Genre: Crime, Drama and Music
Main Cast:

Hayato Ichihara
Shugo Oshinari
Ayumi Ito
Takao Osawa

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 146 minutes
Box Office: $38,082
Movie Trailer: All About Lily Lily Chou Chou (2001) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/About-Lily-Chou-Chou-Hayato-Ichihara/dp/B07R92HPHH” watchon=”Amazon”]

69. Devils on the Doorstep / Guizi Lai le (2000)

During Japan’s conquest of China, two captives are dropped in a farmer’s home in a tiny village. The owner is coerced into keeping the captives until the next New Year when they will be retrieved. The village chiefs gather to question the detainees. The locals then scramble to find suitable housing for the convicts. One is a genuine Japanese patriot, while the other is an anxious translator. Will the residents be able to retain the inmates till the New Year?

Director: Wen Jiang
Language: Mandarin, Japanese, French, English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Main Cast:

Wen Jiang
Kenya Sawada
Hongbo Jiang

IMDb Rating: 8.2
Running Time: 139 minutes
Box Office: $18,944
Movie Trailer: Devils on the Doorstep (2000) Trailer

70. In the Mood for Love (2000)

After both suspect their husbands’ adulterous affairs, two neighbors establish a deep relationship. They agree, however, to keep their relationship platonic to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Language: Cantonese, Shanghainese, French, Spanish
Genre: Drama, Romance
Main Cast: