News

The 10 Best Asian Movies To Watch During Lockdown

The coronavirus continues to sweep the globe, causing mass lockdowns everywhere. Luckily, we live in what is arguably the best time to be stuck at home in history. Widespread internet access means leisure activities are easy; you could spin a roulette on Casimba Casino, do a home workout routine, or listen to music without having to leave the comfort of your home. You also have access to some of the greatest movies ever made, not least by Asian filmmakers. Here are the 10 best Asian movies you can watch during lockdown.

Seven Samurai (dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1954)

This influential Kurosawa masterpiece eventually became The Magnificent Seven, a Western directed by John Sturges. That movie is great, of course, but the original is yet to be topped. Kurosawa’s cinematography is fluid and kinetic, and the characterisation of each of the samurai is compelling and bold. The plot is simple: seven samurai have been hired to protect a village of farmers from bandits. What follows is a masterclass in dialogue, pacing, and storytelling.

Oldboy (dir. Park Chan-wook, 2003)

If you’re squeamish – or if you have anything approaching a squeamish temperament – do not watch Oldboy. Park Chan-wook’s masterwork is tough and uncompromising; its notorious octopus scene is difficult to watch, but the narrative itself pulls no punches either. It’s an operatic paean to the value of violence as a narrative tool, and although its final reveals may put some off, there’s almost no better movie that melds action and storytelling as Oldboy does.

Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

Famously, US President Donald Trump mocked Parasite when it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, wondering where the American winners had gone. He was wrong to do so, because Parasite is a work of genius. At once comedy, tragedy, horror movie, social drama, and everything else besides, if aspiring filmmakers want to know how to craft genre-transcendent works then they need look no further than Parasite. Director Bong’s style is evident throughout, making this an easy yet challenging watch.

Wadjda (dir. Haifaa al-Mansour, 2013)

This Saudi Arabian coming-of-age tale was Haifaa al-Mansour’s directorial debut and was the first movie created by a female Saudi director. The titular Wadjda is a cipher for all girls everywhere, at once battling patriarchy and dreaming of her future. Haifaa al-Mansour’s cinematography is caring, framing Wadjda as a flawed human being and those around her as complex characters without traces of good or evil. Essential viewing for anyone interested in Asian cinema.

Mary Kom (dir. Omung Kumar, 2014)

Mary Kom stars treasured Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra as the titular boxer. Prior to this movie’s creation, Kom was not a well-known person throughout India, but Kumar’s muscular direction (no pun intended) and Chopra’s powerhouse performance made both Kom and the movie a household name. Watching Mary Kom, it’s easy to see why the story needed to be told; it’s an urgent, important tale of heroism and triumph, but it’s also a showcase for the unending talents of Priyanka Chopra.

Haider (dir. Vishal Bhardwaj, 2014)

2014 was a real purple patch for Indian cinema, and Haider is no exception. A crime drama that adapts both Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Basharat Peer’s memoir Curfewed Night, Haider takes place during the violent Kashmir conflicts of 1995. The titular Haider is a sensitive soul, a poet and student who gets mired in the bloody politics and battles of the time. Shahid Kapoor is excellent as Haider Meer, but Aarif Sheikh’s editing work is the real star of the show.

Ponyo (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)

The first of two anime features on this list, Ponyo is a beautiful, uplifting tale about fitting in and finding friends. Miyazaki knows how to spin an emotionally affecting yarn, and the magical realism of underwater girl Brunhilde and her transformation is no exception. As ever, the animation is achingly beautiful, colours and textures leaping off the screen as only Miyazaki knows how to make them do. During lockdown, Ponyo will provide the escapism you need.

Akira (dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988)

Akira is not for the faint of heart. This bleak, dark cyberpunk tale of biker gangs and horrifying body transformations provides an ironic double bill for Ponyo. The animation is incredible, but it’s the tale of Kaneda and Tetsuo that takes centre stage. The chances are that even if you’ve never seen Akira, you’ve seen a movie or played a video game strongly inspired by it; seminal PlayStation RPG Final Fantasy VII lifts whole sections of its plot from Akira.

The Raid (dir. Gareth Evans, 2011)

The Raid is essentially Die Hard meets Enter The Dragon. Special tactics officer Rama must lead a raid on a tower block full of drug dealers and slum lords. Of course, he’ll need his incredible martial arts skills (courtesy of lead actor and Pencak Silat practitioner Iko Uwais) to help him through. If you love martial arts movies, The Raid will appeal massively to you; its fight choreography is a brutal, beautiful ballet of flailing fists and feet.

Hard Boiled (dir. John Woo, 1992)

Hong Kong cinema is among the most influential and highly praised in the world. John Woo’s 1992 action masterpiece Hard Boiled may not have been massively loved in its home territory of Hong Kong, but it was much better received overseas and with good reason. Woo’s balletic choreography and Dirty Harry-style characterisation of Inspector Tequila mesh well with the strangely effective Michael Gibbs-composed jazz score. Watch this movie and marvel at Woo’s mastery of the medium.  

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

>