The Best Asian Horror Movies

 

1. Ringu (1998)

Director: Hideo Nakata

Country: Japan

Where To Watch: Shudder, Netflix

 

If you’re a fan of the remake trend, you might want to shake your fist at Hideo Nakata. Ringu is largely responsible for many of the Western horror remakes that have come out in recent years – and with good cause. Simply told, it’s a timeless horror masterpiece that exploited our fascination with technology.

You must sit down with Ringu, even if you’ve seen the American version. It simply does a better job of conveying the concept of a malevolent spirit spreading its vengeance via VHS tape. And much more terrifying. There’s something about Ringu’s interpretation of that legendary sequence that makes it so much better, and it’s probably.

 

2. Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)

Director: Takashi Shimizu

Country: Japan

Where To Watch: Shudder, Netflix

 

Even if you’re the hardest person to scare, the hairs on the back of your neck will rise up when you hear that strange guttural death rattle. There’s no other word to describe it except unpleasant.

When a horrible murder occurs in Ju-On: The Grudge, a curse is placed on the site where it occurred. The curse manifests as terrifying pale-faced spirits who appear at inconvenient times. When you’re attempting to hide behind your blanket.

 

3. Train to Busan (2016)

Director: Yeon Sang-ho

Country: South Korea

Where To Watch: Shudder, Netflix

Train to Busan is not your typical zombie film. It’s a huge improvement. There’s something about Yeon Sang-zombie ho’s film that raises it above so many others, whether it’s the claustrophobic setting of a train or the zombies’ animal-like viciousness.

The film has a lot of heart, and you’ll fall in love with a lot of the characters. That is, of course, the first error in a zombie film, because no one is safe. When it comes to ripping your heart out and then devouring it with an insatiable appetite for blood, Train to Busan pulls no punches.

 

4. One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Director: Shin’ichiro Ueda

Country: Japan

Where To Watch: Shudder.

 

The best horror films aren’t always the ones that take themselves too seriously. When Shin’ichiro Ueda released One Cut of the Dead, he probably had no idea that his zombie comedy would go on to win an Academy Award. After countless quarts of artificial blood and a $30.5 million box office, he’s still here.

We’ve seen a lot of zombie movies over the years, but this one is really enjoyable. Takayuki Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu) only wants to make a low-budget zombie film, but his cast proves difficult to work with. The gang finds themselves in the heart of a real zombie apocalypse before they can even make any progress.

 

5. The Eye (2002)

Director: Pang Brothers

Country: Singapore

Where To Watch: Shudder

 

Take care who you accept organs from. It’s an odd message, but after seeing 2002’s The Eye, it’ll become your mantra. The Pang brothers and co-writer Jojo Hui have created a classic ghost narrative, packed with all of the elements we enjoy in supernatural films.

Mun discovers that the gift of sight comes with a catch when she obtains an eye cornea transplant to cure her 18-year blindness. Her newfound eyesight allows her to see deaths coming up ahead of time, which could be handy if it didn’t come with the odd terrifying ghostly visitor.

 

6. The Wailing (2016)

Director: Na Hong-jim

Country: South Korea

Where To Watch: Shudder

 

Na Hong-jim, a South Korean director, transported spectators to the rural community of Gokseong in 2016. This wasn’t a vacation, though; a strange man from Japan has arrived, bringing with him a terrible disease. As the disease spreads throughout the town, hysteria, violence, and death follow.

The Wailing isn’t only a great horror film; it’s also an award-winning effort that follows a police investigator as he investigates the origins of an epidemic. The South Korean village’s collapse is both entertaining and terrifying, and it is well-deserving of the more than 60 award nominations it has received.