They truly brought out the essence of horror as a genre…
Japan is known for many things. However, something that is truly commendable about the country, and that is it’s storytelling tradition. The genre of horror or any movie genre in Japan is very aesthetically involved. If you know the right ones, you’ll find that their cinema is fantastic. There are so many brilliantly executed films made but we have managed to list down the six best.
- Battle Royale
We’ll start off easy. Battle Royale is a film that follows a different and unique timeline and era. It is somewhat placed in the future and surrounds a high school. But, it’s not the typical romance flick you’d expect. What happens is that every year one high school class is made to forcefully kill off each other. Yes, you heard us right. The class is made to kill their fellow classmates. Now, although the film focuses on basically all groups of teenagers in the class, the main plot focuses on two students in particular. The film is the perfect blend of teenage issues and brutal violence (Not that we ever thought of such a combination, it’s sheer brilliance). Overall, of you’re looking for a better teen murder romp film, Battle Royale is the one for you.
- A Page of Madness
We’re going back a little for this one. A Page of Madness is a silent film that was released back in 1926. However, do not misunderstand it for a boring thoughtless film. This one was unique in its own way. The movie put more thought into imagery execution than on plot. The films of this era were usually accompanied by some narrators that sort of guided you through the film. Without them, you would probably be left to figure out the film by yourself. Now, the film doesn’t really consist of a thrilling plot. However, with the way that A Page Of Madness was edited, you are sure to feel the thrill of the asylum.
- Onibaba
This one is known all over the world as “Japan’s Best Horror Film”. After analysing, you’ll find out why. The film was grounded with simplicity and sometimes that’s the best that you can offer. Horror films nowadays are filled with VFX and other cheesy effects. However, Onibaba proves right that you don’t always need those to make an excellent film. Onibaba revolves around a woman and her daughter in law. It is thoroughly war based and portrays the harsh truth of war-struck Japan. The execution shows how the families of the army members were faced with the true horror of humanity.
- Ju-On: The Grudge
There was no way we could mention Japanese horror films without listing this one. The Grudge, released back in 2002, follows the ghosts of a woman and her son. They were brutally murdered by the man of the house and therefore haunt whoever enters their home. This happens due to the grudge that stayed within them when they died. The film did exceedingly well in the rising fame of J-horror as a genre and made several more parts. The short slices of scares in this film is much recommended.
- Dark Water
Dark Water was immensely emotional and for the right reasons. Released back in 2002, the film revolves around a single mother and her fight to obtain custody of her daughter. Surprisingly, the film focuses on the protagonist’s struggles more than the actual paranormal activities. However, it does have its disturbing moments. Dark Water does have its flaws considering the lack of logic in some parts. But it doesn’t make it any less of a must-watch.
- Tetsuo: The Iron Man
A prior warning- this film is not for the weak of heart. We just thought you should know before you could watch it. After the main character’s girlfriend stated,” nothing bothers me”, we thought that the film would be a mere one. However, we were very wrong. Tetsuo: The Iron Man follows the main character after he turns into a weird creature. The film is filled with enormous amounts of disturbing imagery that is definitely not for faint viewers. Apart from this, one must also acknowledge that the movie has many graphic sex scenes as well as nudity portions. It focuses more on losing control over one’s body and mind, which is probably the scariest thing that can happen to us as human beings.
Categorised in: Horror Movies
This post was written by Nadia Vella