Asian Movies – Everything You Need to Know

After Parasite fetched the Best Film award at the prestigious Academy Awards, the director Bong Joon-Ho said, “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,”. The viewership of Asian movies has risen after Parasite was honored at the Oscars.

If you do not mind overcoming the tiny hurdle of subtitles, here’s a list of captivating Asian movies.

Most Popular Asian Movies

1. The Year of Everlasting Storm (2021)

7 Stories from 7 Authors captures this extraordinary period and is a true love letter to the magic of cinema and its storytellers.

Director: Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Malik Vitthal, Laura Poitras, Dominga Sotomayor, David Lowery and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Language: English, Persian, Chinese, Spanish, Thai
Genre: Mystery, Drama
Main Cast:

Yay Yay Bobby Jones
Catherine Machovsky
Yu Zhang

IMDb Rating: 7.0
Running Time: 115 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Year of Everlasting Storm (2021) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-year-of-the-everlasting-storm-e5657578-593f-4d78-9426-a686bea4b1d9″ watchon=”Hulu”]

2. Minari (2020)

A Korean Family in 1980 Begins a farm in Arkansas.

Director: Lee Isaac Chang
Language: Korean, English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Steven Yeun
Yeri Han
Alan S. Kim

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Running Time: 115 minutes
Movie Trailer: Minari (2020) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Minari-Steven-Yeun/dp/B08WLY2G31″ watchon=”Amazon”]

3. Be Water (2020)

After being turned down by Hollywood, Bruce Lee came to Hong Kong to finish four films. Be Water addresses themes of identity and portrayal through rare archival, personal interviews, and his writings, charting his difficulties between two worlds.

Director: Bao Nguyen
Language: Chinese, English
Genre: Documentary
Main Cast:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Linda Lee Cadwell
Dan Inosanto

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 105 minutes
Movie Trailer: Be Water (2020) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hotstar.com/in/home?ref=%2Fin” watchon=”Disney+ Hotstar”]

4. Driveways (2019)

A lonely youngster joins his mother on a trip to clear up his late aunt’s house and ends up making an unanticipated acquaintance with the retiree who lives nearby.

Director: Andrew Ahn
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Lucas Jaye
Hong Chao
Brian Dennehy

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 83 minutes
Movie Trailer: Driveways (2019) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”Watch Driveways | Prime Video (amazon.com)” watchon=”Amazon”]

5. Babyteeth (2019)

Severely disabled Milla falls in love with her family’s greatest nightmare: Moses, a heroin dealer.

Director: Shannon Murphy
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, and Music
Main Cast:

Eliza Scanlen
Toby Wallace
Michelle Lotters
Eugene Gilfedder

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 118 minutes
Movie Trailer: Babyteeth 92019) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Babyteeth-Eliza-Scanlen/dp/B08B7FJJY9″ watchon=”Amazon”]

6. Jallikattu (2019)

The film shows a village where people face huge trouble after a buffalo escapes.

Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery
Language: Malayalam
Genre: Crime, Action
Main Cast:

Santhy Balachandran
Antony Varghese
Chemban Vinod Jose

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 93 minutes
Movie Trailer: Jallikattu (2019) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Jallikattu-Antony-Varghese/dp/B07ZQMQ9TT” watchon=”Amazon”]

7. Parasite (2019)

Greed and class prejudice endanger the newly created symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the impoverished Kim clan.

Director: Bong Joon Ho
Language: Korean, English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Main Cast:

Kang-ho Song
Sun-kyun Lee
Yeo-jeong Cho

IMDb Rating: 8.6
Running Time: 132 minutes
Movie Trailer: Parasite (2019) Trailer
Streaming Platform: Hulu

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/parasite-2fd691a0-f66b-467f-8635-00d7f151f3d4″ watchon=”Hulu”]

8. The Farewell (2019)

When her loving grandma is diagnosed with terminal cancer, a fiery Chinese-American woman returns to China. Billi is troubled by her family’s choice to keep grandmother in the closet about her sickness, even as they all organize an impromptu marriage to see grandmother one final time.

Director: Lulu Wang
Language: Mandarin, Japanese, Italian, English
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Main Cast:

Shuzhen Zhao
Awkwafina
X Mayo

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 100 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Farewell (2019) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Awkwafina/dp/B07V4TH3M5″ watchon=”Amazon”]

9. Minding the Gap (2018)

Three teenage guys form an unlikely alliance to flee their turbulent families in their Rust-Belt village. Unfortunately, unexpected truths jeopardize their decade-long relationship as they face adult responsibilities.

Director: Bing Liu
Language: English
Genre: Documentary, Sport
Main Cast:

Keire Johnson
Bing Liu
Zack Mulligan

IMDb Rating: 8
Running Time: 93 minutes
Movie Trailer: Minding The Gap (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/minding-the-gap-efcd9be9-9541-46b4-abbc-dd8b0606b304″ watchon=”Hulu”]

10. Shoplifters (2018)

The story revolves around a family who adopted a child from outside during the cold.

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Language: Japanese
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Main Cast:

Lily Franky
Sakura Ando
Kirin Kiki

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 121 minutes
Movie Trailer: Shoplifters (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/shoplifters-66391a03-6d2c-4876-90d1-bb820b7bea2b” watchon=”Hulu”]

11. An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)

Four individuals in the Chinese city of Manzhouli have a tough day as their lives cross. A schoolboy is among them, on the run, after knocking a bully down the stairs. His friend has run away and fallen for her teacher’s charms.

Director: Bo Hu
Language: Mandarin
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Yu Zhang
Yuchang Peng
Uvin Wang

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 230 minutes
Movie Trailer: An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Sitting-Still-Zhang-Yu/dp/B07ZS32T65″ watchon=”Amazon”]

12. Searching (2018)

When David Kim’s daughter goes missing, a local inquiry is launched, and a detective is assigned to the case. But after 37 hours and no leads, David decides to check, which no one has searched yet, where all secrets are stored today: his daughter’s laptop. David follows his daughter’s digital footprints before she vanishes forever in a hyper-modern thriller presented through the electronic devices we use daily to connect.

Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Main Cast:

John Cho
Debra Messing
Joseph Lee

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 102 minutes
Movie Trailer: Searching (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Searching-John-Cho/dp/B07GVSRNBC” watchon=”Amazon”]

13. Burning (2018)

Jong-su stumbles into a girl from his old neighborhood who begs him to care for her cat when she travels to Africa. When she returns, she meets Ben, a fascinating man who reveals his hidden passion.

Director: Lee Chang-dong
Language: Korean, English
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Main Cast:

Yoo Ah-in
Steven Yeun
Jeon Jong-seo

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 148 minutes
Movie Trailer: Burning (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Ah-YOO/dp/B07L3WKLH8″ watchon=”Amazon”]

14. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

Lara Jean Covey sends letters to all her former lovers for her satisfaction, until one day, when all of her past lovers get all her love letters. Then, her life is instantly turned upside down as her previous loves face her individually.

Director: Susan Johnson
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Main Cast:

Lana Condor
Noah Centineo
Janel Parrish

IMDb Rating: 7.1
Running Time: 99 minutes
Movie Trailer: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80203147″ watchon=”Netflix”]

15. Shadow (2018)

The story revolves around an ancient Chinese Court.

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

Chao Deng
Sujin Zhu
Wei Li

IMDb Rating: 7.0
Running Time: 116 minutes
Movie Trailer: Shadow (2018) Trailer

16. Shirkers (2018)

A lady investigates the details following a film she and her friends started filming years ago with a mystery stranger.

Director: Sandi Tan
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Main Cast:

Sophia Siddique Harvey
Philip Cheah
Jasmine Kin Kia Ng

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 97 minutes
Movie Trailer: Shirkers (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80241061″ watchon=”Netflix”]

17. House of Hummingbird (2018)

In the year when the Seongsu Bridge crashed, 14-year-old Eunhee walks the streets of Seoul looking for love.

Director: Bora Kim
Language: Korean
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Park Ji-hu
Kim Sae-byeok
In-gi Jeong

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Running Time: 138 minutes
Movie Trailer: House Of Hummingbird (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/House-Hummingbird-Ji-hu-Park/dp/B08DTXQG1X” watchon=”Amazon”]

18. Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018)

Returning home after an extended period, Luo Hongwo starts looking for his lady love, whom he could not forget even being away for so many years.

Director: Bi Gan
Language: Mandarin
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Main Cast:

Tang Wei
Jue Huang
Sylvia Chang

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 138 minutes
Movie Trailer: Long Day’s Journey into Night (2018) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Long-Days-Journey-Into-Night/dp/B07ZL762CZ” watchon=”Amazon”]

19. Taxi Driver (2017)

After becoming caught up in turmoil surrounding him, a widower father and cab driver who drives a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to chronicle the 1980 revolt eventually regrets his decision.

Director: Hun Jang
Language: Korean, German, Japanese, English
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Main Cast:

Song Kang-Ho
Thomas Kretschmann
Yoo Hae-Jin

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 137 minutes
Movie Trailer: Taxi Driver (2017) Trailer

20. One Cut of The Dead (2017)

Things go wrong when a hack filmmaker and his film team are attacked by actual zombies while filming a low-budget zombie film at an abandoned WWII Japanese facility.

Director: Shin’ichro Ueda
Language: Japanese
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Drama
Main Cast:

Takayuki Hamatsu
Yuzuki Akiyama
Harumi Shuhama

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 96 minutes
Movie Trailer: One Cut Of The Dead (2017) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/One-Cut-Dead-Harumi-Shuhama/dp/B081QDSKHL” watchon=”Amazon”]

21. The Great Buddha + (2017)

Pickle works as a night guard at a bronze statue workshop. Pickle’s coworker, Belly Bottom, serves as a trash collector during the day. His greatest pleasure in life is browsing through the porn magazines Belly Bottom gathers in the security room at all-night hours. Late-night snacking and television viewing are an essential part of their mundane existence. When the television breaks one day, their lives are permanently altered. The plot revolves around gods, the sexual desires of middle-aged men, and discourse between spirits and humans.

Director: Hsin-yao Huang
Language: Min Nan
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Main Cast:

Cres Chuang
Bamboo Chu-Sheng Chen
Leon Dai

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 102 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Great Buddha+ (2017)

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Great-Buddha-Cres-Chuang/dp/B079WM6CDR” watchon=”Amazon”]

22. Okja (2017)

A little girl puts a lot on stake to keep her best friend Okja – a spectacular beast from being abducted by an evil global corporation.

Director: Bong Joon-ho
Language: English and Korean
Genre: Action, Adventure and Drama
Main Cast:

Tilda Swinton
Paul Dano
Ahn Seo-hyun
Byun Hee-bong

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 120 minutes
Movie Trailer: Okja (2017) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80091936?source=35″ watchon=”Netflix”]

23. Columbus (2017)

A Korean-born guy is stranded in Columbus, Indiana since his architect dad is in a coma. The man encounters a lady who prefers to stay in Columbus with her mom, a recovered addict, rather than pursue her ambitions.

Director: Kogonada
Language: Korean, English
Genre: Drama
Main cast:

John Cho
Parker Possey
Haleh Lu Richardson

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 100 minutes
Box Office: $1,093,077
Movie Trailer: Columbus (2017) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Columbus-John-Cho/dp/B0778GGF86″ watchon=”Amazon”]

24. The Big Sick (2017)

Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistani-born comedian, and Emily Gardner, a graduate student, fall in love but endure when their cultures clash. When Emily develops a strange illness, Kumail is forced to confront her obstinate parents, his family’s expectations, and his genuine feelings.
Director: Michael Showwalter
Language: Urdu, English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Main Cast:

Kumail Nanjiani
Zoe Kazan
Holly Hunter

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $56,411,585
Movie Trailer: The Big Sick (2017) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Big-Sick-Kumail-Nanjiani/dp/B089Y8DYY9″ watchon=”Amazon”]

25. Your Name (2016)

This is a fantasy story about body swapping. A body and a girl find a magical connection after swapping their bodies.

Director: Makoto Shinkai
Language: Japanese
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Main Cast:

Mone Kamishiraishi
Ryûnosuke Kamiki

IMDb Rating: 8.4
Running Time: 112 minutes
Box Office: $358,180,115
Movie Trailer: Your Name (2016) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Your-Name-Makoto-Shinkai/dp/B078SNJK8G” watchon=”Amazon”]

26. The Handmaiden (2016)

A lady is recruited as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, secretly plotting to swindle her.

Director: Par Chan-Wook
Language: Korean, Japanese
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Romance
Main Cast:

Kim Min-hee
Ha Jung-woo
Cho Jin-woong

IMDb Rating: 8.1
Running Time: 145 minutes
Box Office: $37,767,206
Movie Trailer: The Handmaiden (2016) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Handmaiden-KIM-MIN-hee/dp/B08J8K9KJQ” watchon=”Amazon”]

27. Lion (2016)

An Australian couple adopts a five-year-old Indian boy who got lost hundreds of kilometres away from home. The search for his family continues 25 years later.

Director: Garth Davis
Language: English
Genre: Biography and Drama
Main Cast:

Dev Patel
Sunny Pawar
Nicole Kidman
Rooney Mara

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 118 minutes
Box Office: $140,300,000
Movie Trailer: Lion (2016) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Dev-Patel/dp/B01MT3LMT4″ watchon=”Amazon”]

28. Train to Busan (2016)

Seok-woo, on his daughter’s birthday, boards on a train along with his daughter to visit his wife. Unfortunately, their train gets caught in a sudden zombie attack.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Language: Korean
Genre: Horror, Action
Main Cast:

Gong Yoo
Yeon Sang-ho
Ma Dong-seok

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 121 minutes
Box Office: $92,764,199
Movie Trailer: Train to Busan (2016) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Train-Busan-Gong-Yoo/dp/B0861KTPPS” watchon=”Amazon”]

29. Bahubali: The Beginning (2015)

When Sanga and her husband, members of a tribe living near the province of Magilmathi, save a sinking newborn, they have no idea of the infant’s history or what the future holds for him. Instead, the child grows up to be Shivudu, a free-spirited mountaineer who discovers his ancestors and finds the true meaning of his existence before fighting the great Bhallala Deva!

Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Language:Telugu, Tamil, Hindi
Genre:Action, Drama
Main Cast:

Prabhas
Rana Daggubati
Ramya Krishnan

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 159 minutes
Box Office: $24,548,038
Movie Trailer: Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80205231″ watchon=”Netflix”]

30. Twinsters (2015)

On YouTube, a French fashion design student comes upon a familiar face: her own. Finding the similarity astounding, she sends a message to the video’s American creator, and the two discover that they are twins separated at birth.

Director: Ryan Miyamoto, Samantha Futerman
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Main Cast:

Anaïs Bordier
Samantha Futerman
Kanoa Goo

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 89 minutes
Box Office: $100,575
Movie Trailer: Twinsters (2015) trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Twinsters-Samantha-Futerman/dp/B015JVL9CW” watchon=”Amazon”]

31. The Raid 2 (2014)

Only a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.

Director: Gareth Evans
Language: Indonesian and Japanese
Genre: Action, Crime and Thriller.
Main Cast:

Iko Uwais
Arifin Putra
Oka Antara
Tio Pakusadewo

IMDb Rating: 8.0
Running Time: 150 minutes
Box Office: $6,600,000
Movie Trailer: The Raid 2 (2014) – The Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/vn-en/title/70299880″ watchon=”Netflix”]

32. Kung Fu Hustle (2014)

In the 1940s Shanghai, China, a would-be criminal seeks to join the infamous “Axe Gang,” while inhabitants of a housing complex demonstrate exceptional abilities in protecting their land.

Director: Stephen Chow
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Main Cast:

Stephen Chow
Wah Yuen
Qiu Yuen

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 99 minutes
Box Office: $104,882,445
Movie Trailer: Kung Fu Hustle (2004) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Kung-Fu-Hustle-Stephen-Chow/dp/B076HCPTK1″ watchon=”Amazon”

33. Like Father, Like Son (2013)

Ryota is a successful businessman who is a workaholic. Since his biological son was switched at birth with another boy, he must decide whether to keep his biological son or to take care of the boy he has raised with his wife as their own.

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
Main Cast:

Masaharu Fukuyama
Machiki Ono

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $31,100,000
Movie Trailer: Like Father, Like Son (2013) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Like-Father-Son-Masaharu-Fukuyama/dp/B00L5SHWUW” watchon=”Amazon”]

34. New World (2013)

As ‘Goldmoon,’ Korea’s most prominent crime organization, grows its influence, Kang, the chief of the police investigative planning section, orders undercover policeman Ja-Seoung to take part in the project “New World,” which would bring ‘Goldmoon’ down. Ja-Seong must choose between following Kang’s orders as a cop and being loyal to Jeong Cheong, the ‘Goldmoon’ crime organization’s underboss.

Director: Park Hoon-Jung
Language: Korean, Mandarin
Genre: Action, Drama, Crime, Thriller
Main Cast:

Jung-jae Lee
Choi Min-sik
Jung-min Hwang

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 135 minutes
Box Office: $31,673,928
Movie Trailer: New World (2013) Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/New-World-Lee-Jeong-jae/dp/B00DU728O6″ watchon=”Amazon”]

35. The Wind Rises (2013)

Jiro is fascinated by the legendary Italian aviation designer Caproni and dreams of flying and constructing magnificent planes. Jiro, born nearsighted and unable to fly, joins a prominent Japanese engineering firm in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most inventive and talented airplane designers. The film depicts major historical events such as the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the TB epidemic, and Japan’s entry into World War II. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and his friendship with his coworker Honjo deepens and blossoms.

Director: Hayayo Miyazaki
Language: Japanese, German, Italian, French, English
Genre: Animation, History, Biography, Romance, Drama, War
Main Cast: