While Hollywood has seemed to dominate the cinematic universe, different types of cinema are garnering more attention in North America, from Bollywood cinema to East Asian cinema. East Asian cinema are movies produced in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. There are a number of genres produced within East Asian cinema, from Chinese wuxia films to Japanese jidaigeki. Thanks to East Asian cinema, we have been granted a great number of actors including Jackie Chan and Toshirō Mifune, both of whom starred in a plethora of action films that led their names to become legendary in film history.
Within East Asian cinema, plenty of films have been produced and even inspired many Western films. For example; The Magnificent Seven was a Westernized remake of the Akira Kurosawa classic Seven Samurai. Thanks to the great number of films produced within East Asian cinema, the movement has also managed to influence a great number of directors, including Quentin Tarantino who drew a great deal of inspiration from the classic samurai revenge flick Lady Snowblood for his Kill Billfilm series. It all begins in East Asian cinema, and these are the best East Asian movies of the 2010s, ranked.
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7 Guilty of Romance
Nikkatsu
Guilty of Romance is a Japanese film about detective Kazuko, who is investigating the horrific murder of a woman from the red-light district. At the same time, housewife Izumi is hiding her double life as a sex worker from her husband. These two storylines are interwoven, exploring the love hotel district and the aspect of the seedy underground in Japan that often goes ignored. The third installation in Sion Sono’s Hate Film trilogy, Guilty of Romance is adapted from a true case in Tokyo involving a businesswoman who was suspected of being killed while looking for quick money in the rings of sex work. This gory film is a statement from Sono on women’s roles in Japan, a hidden gem worth the watch.
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6 Shadow
Tencent Pictures
Shadow is a Chinese wuxia film following army Commander Ziyu who secretly trains a “shadow” to retake a city against the wishes of the king. Set during China’s Three Kingdoms era, the king is an insufferable tyrant who many wish to overthrow, including his general who makes a plan to take him down with the help of his wife and a look-alike. The film’s unique style was created by rendering the costumes, props, and scenes in black and white in order to recreate the feel of a traditional Chinese ink painting. Shadow has received universal acclaim and was nominated for 18 awards, winning Zhang Yimou the Golden Horse Award for Best Director.
5 Ip Man
Mandarin Films Distribution Co. Ltd.
Ip Man tells the true story of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun, who opens a school to teach his art. The film is set during the Sino-Japanese War and the effect that this had on the life of Ip Man and his family. Starring martial artist Donnie Yen as the title character, Ip Man spawned a whole franchise revolving around the Ip Man, teacher of world-renowned martial artist Bruce Lee. Ip Man was subject to critical and commercial success and even before its release, a sequel had already been lined up. The film was nominated for a number of awards and, most notably, won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film and Best Action Choreography.
4 The Handmaiden
CJ Entertainment
The Handmaiden was inspired by the novel Fingersmith with the setting changed from Victorian Era Britain to Korea under Japanese colonial rule. The film revolves around Japanese Lady Izumi living on a secluded estate, who takes on the Korean Nam as her handmaiden. Little does Izumi know that Nam is plotting with a conman to steal her large inheritance. The film has been subject to universal acclaim thanks to the directorial talents of Park Chan-wook. The Handmaiden was nominated for a plethora of awards and even won the British Academy Film Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
3 Shoplifters
Fuji Television
Set in the outskirts of Tokyo, Shoplifters follows a group of outsiders united by their petty thievery to make ends meet and fight poverty. Everything changes for them when they take in a homeless girl off the street, uncovering a deep dark secret. Shoplifters premiered at Cannes Film Festival, where it took home the Palme d’Or. Upon the official release of the film, Shoplifters was a critical and commercial success, even receiving the nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Shoplifters was praised for its realistic look at poverty in Japan and its bittersweet feel, contrasting the emotional impoverished family with the frigid emotionless behavior of the upper-class.
2 Burning
Pinehouse Film
Former neighbors Jong-su and Hae-mi meet once again, and she asks him to watch her cat while she is out of town. Upon Hae-mi’s return, she introduces Jong-soo to Ben (Steven Yeun), a man she met on her trip away. Jong-su becomes suspicious of Ben and believes that he is dangerous. Burning was subject to universal acclaim almost immediately after its release for its ambiguous narrative, making it the perfect psychological thriller. Burning won a total of 83 accolades, including the Vulcan Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
1 Parasite
Considered one of the best films South Korea has ever produced, Parasite tells the story of a poor family who scheme to get employed by a wealthy family to infiltrate their household by posing as qualified individuals. The film covers prominent issues in Korea, including social inequality and class conflict, both of which are covered in the film with a sense of humor without losing true meaning. Parasite destroyed the competition, taking home four Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, being the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture. Many critics have considered Parasite to be one of the greatest films of the 21st Century, making it a must-watch for any film lover.
