The 60 Best Asian Films of the Decade (2011-2020)

39. 13 Assassins (Takashi Miike, 2010, Japan)

Miike took the former film and added violence, blood, and slapstick humor (the scene with the mayor is preposterously hilarious), thus transforming it into his own unique style. The movie is split into two parts: the initial one has almost no action, apart from Naritsugu’s violent acts that are shot in Miike’s typically extreme fashion; the second is filled with impressive battle scenes, where the large budget of the film becomes obvious. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Buy This Title

38. Tatsumi (Eric Khoo, 2011, Singapore)

“Tatsumi” is a deeply personal work. Anyone who has spent hours working on a piece of art, honing their skill, will surely relate to this movie. There is a touch of justice when we see an old Tatsumi creating art. It hooks the audience in and takes them for a ride. It is not just a journey into who Yoshihiro Tatsumi is, but also into who we are. (Anand Singh)

Buy This Title

37. Lucky Chan Sil (Kim Cho-hee, 2019, S. Korea)

Kim Cho-hee has put to good use her insider knowledge of the industry, without exceeding in movie snobbism, to create a humorous character in turmoil and a story of transition and hope. (Adriana Rosati)

36. Rebirth (Izuru Narushima, 2011, Japan)

Izuru Narushima took a risk, exposing little Konomi Watade (Kaoru) so much in front of the camera, though at the end he certainly won the gamble, since she performed in utter professionalism despite her age. Another accomplishment of his is that he managed to portray a character like Kiwako, whose crime is universally considered nefarious, in a way that makes her seem as the true tragic figure of the story, resulting in the audience sympathizing with her in the end. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

35. On the Job (Erik Matti, 2013, Philippines)

Erik Matti directs a genuine crime thriller that shows its nature from the first sequence, with the two hired assassins killing the drug dealer among a parade in the street. This initial sequence introduces the characters, and the second one, that consists of live footage, the setting of the story, where violence, corruption, and utter disregard for human life are the main rules. The first scene is also indicatory of the visual style of the film, which features a number of lengthy single shots, equally impressive presentation of the prison, the slums, and life on higher circles, in combination with the almost perpetual music, which, occasionally, gives the film a music video essence. In that fashion, Francis Ricardo Buhay III’s cinematography is outstanding, as it focuses on the hard realism of life in the Phillipines. The same applies to Jay Halili’s editing, who changes the pace from rapid in the action scenes, to relatively slow in the dramatic ones, perfectly fitting the film’s general aesthetics. Ervin Romulo’s music and a great soundtrack consisting mostly of guitar-dominated tracks provide a great background for the events unfolding on screen… “On the Job” is an impressive film, as it combines artistry, entertainment, and meaningfulness in an outstanding package.(Panos Kotzathanasis)

Buy This Title

34. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2012, Iran)

Asghar Farhadi directs a true masterpiece that tackles many social issues in the theocratic country of Iran, including honor, correctitude, touchiness, justice, and religion. His characters are all presented as prey to the norms society imposes on them, with Nader, portrayed magnificently by Peyman Moaadi, being the most tragic figure of all. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Buy This Title

33. Bad Genius (Nattawut Poonpiriya, 2017, Thailand)

Nattawut Poonpiriya’s direction has styled the film in the fashion of a music video, with the pace being extremely fast, Chonalsit Upanigkit’s editing pleasantly dizzying, and the music almost constant. Through this tactic, Poonpiriya succeeds in retaining the agony throughout the movie, and at the same time to present a very entertaining film, that highlights both its story and its comments with gusto and artfulness. This sense benefits the most by Phaklao Jiraungkoonkun’s cinematography, who presents a vivid combination of retro and contemporary visuals, which, occasionally, reminded me of the style of Japanese anime adaptations. Of equal excellence is Patchara Lertkai’s production design, who has come up some impressive sets, while the almost constantly changing costumes of Lynn highlight her beauty and elegance… “Bad Genius” is a great film, an impressive combination of elaborate visuals, entertainment, and meaningfulness, by a director who seems to have reached very high standards in his work, in this second film of his. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

Watch This Title

32. An Elephant Sitting Still (Hu Bo, China, 2018)

The world is a wasteland. That’s how the world is described in “An Elephant Sitting Still”, the directorial debut and (sadly) the last film of Chinese film director Hu Bo. In other words, a character in the film also states that the world is just disgusting. Now that’s a hard statement to start with. However, that’s the conclusion you will get after the film. “An Elephant Sitting Still” is extraordinary, uncomfortable and compelling at the same time. (Pedro Morata)

Buy This Title

31. The Great Buddha+ (Huang Hsin-yao, 2017, Taiwan)

“The Great Buddha +” is the debut feature film of Taiwanese director Huang Hsin-yao and it’s an extended version (hence the “+”) of his 2014 short movie “The Great Buddha”. Previously a documentary director focused on social and environmental issues, Huang has been helped in his new enterprise by fellow director Chung Mong-hong, in the role of producer and DOP. “The Great Buddha +” scooped several awards at the Taipei Film Festival and later the prestigious New Director Award at the Golden Horse Awards, along with Best Original Film Score, Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay… An art-house movie with a humorous dark heart and a sarcastic observation of social insurmountable divide, “The Great Buddha +” is a very high starting point for first-time feature director Huang that deserves wide visibility and recognition. (Adriana Rosati)

Buy This Title