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

30. Harmonium (Koji Fukada, 2016, Japan)

Koji Fukada directs, pens and edits a film that soars with tension, despite the calmness that seems to emit from the characters. However, it eventually erupts from all of them. In that fashion, Toshio is tormented by his past and Kusataro's presence only makes the sentiment worse. His eruption, though, comes later, after the horrific event, in the form of a slap. Mariko is sexually repressed and her eruption comes when she starts having feelings for Kusataro. He is actually infuriated and jealous of the fact that he went to prison and Toshio stayed behind, managing to have a business and a family. His first eruption comes when the family makes a trip to the river, but he manages to contain it. The second one though, is horrific, in an act that makes the tension even more intense in the second part… “Harmonium” is another great piece of Japanese cinema, and the Jury Prize it received from the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, well reserved. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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29. Moebius (Kim Ki-duk, 2013, S. Korea)

Kim's obvious purpose was to shock his audience and he definitely succeeded in doing so. Almost every onerous notion is present in “Moebius”, including self-torture, misogynism and Oedipal inclinations. Adding to the sense of perversion erupting from the movie is the almost complete absence of dialogue, a tactic meant to force the spectator to focus on the very graphic images… Evidently, “Moebius” is a very difficult film for somebody to watch, a fact stressed by its obvious low budget. (I found myself sweating in a number of scenes although I am not at all strange to movie violence). However, if one were to surpass the shock, he would discover a true masterpiece of the grotesque. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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28. Bunohan: Return to Murder (Dain Said, 2011, Malaysia)

Dain Said directs a film that implements an unusual approach, lingering towards the magical (as dictated by superstition) realism, in order to present the harsh living conditions in the east coast state of Kelantan, in a number of socioeconomical comments that also mirror the situation of the whole of Malaysia… “Bunohan” is a strange but quite captivating film that highlights Dain Said's style and comments in the best fashion. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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27. Masquerade (Choo Chang-min, 2012, S. Korea)

A jester imitates a king for a few days and ends up being a better king than the real one in Choo Chang-min's sumptuous historical drama that features one of Lee Byung-hun's finest performances till date. Ryu Seung-ryong provides competent support, but the production design plays just as much apart in making “Masquerade” one of the best Korean films of the decade. (Rhythm Zaveri)

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26. Alipato: The Very Brief Life of an Ember (Khavn, 2016, Philippines)

Khavn directs and pens a truly chaotic film, that seems more like a collage of his extreme thoughts than an actual film. However, here lies his biggest trait, since, through all that images and absurd sequences, he manages to tell a story quite clearly, despite the evident surrealism. Furthermore, music is almost constant in the movie, frequently making it look like an extreme music video, much like Sogo Ishii's “Burst City.” although in a more contemporary way. In that fashion, the film's music plays a very important role, and Brezel Göring and Francis de Veyra do a great job in the score and in the arrangement of the various tracks, which are composed by Khavn, Bing Austria and others. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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25. A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (Shunji Iwai, 2016, Japan)

The three-hour script is split in three parts and revolves around Nanami, a timid, extremely low profile woman, who, at the beginning of the movie, works as a part-time teacher, despite having issues with her students who mock her for her very low voice, and in a convenience store, to make ends meet. She spends most of her free time on “Planet” a social network, and seems to have no actual friends or a boyfriend. However, eventually she takes part in a blind date with Tetsuya, after meeting him online, who is also a teacher. The two of them get along from the beginning, and soon decide to get married. However, Tetsuya proves to be a mama's boy, and additionally, asks from Nanami, who has no friends and her parents are divorced, to find additional people to invite to the wedding. Having no alternative, Nanami turns to Amuro, a mysterious jack-of-all-trades who provides guests for weddings among his other services… “A Bride for Rip Van Winkle” is a truly great film, one of the best in Shunji Iwai's filmography and a great sample of meaningful, contemporary Japanese cinema. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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24. Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2013, Thailand)

Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's sophomore feature “Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy” is one of the first films based entirely on the twitter feed by an existing user of the platform. Using 410 consecutive tweets by the user @marylony as its inspiration, this Venice Biennale-funded feature tells the universal and relatable story of growing up, falling in love, and moving on while trying to make the ultimate minimal school yearbook…A beautiful and relatable depiction of the vicissitudes of growing up, “Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy” is a splendid sophomore feature of a unique and visionary director and a touching and relatable film about growing up. (Martin Lukanov)

23. Asura: The City of Madness (Kim Sung-su, 2016, S. Korea)

The power struggles between all the characters, along with the constant shifting of both loyalties and the upper hand, are the backbone of an intricate script, which is concluded, in the most spectacular fashion, in the final sequence of the film. Furthermore, Kim presents a clear message regarding corruption, which, according to him, touches every aspect of Korean society, including justice and politics. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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22. Hime-Anole (Keisuke Yoshida, 2016, Japan)

Keisuke Yoshida manages to merge two films into one, elaborately, as the transition between the two parts is utterly smooth, despite their many differences. The fact that the second part, which contains violence, gore and sex comes after the first one, which could be rated PG13, is a very unusual tactic, but Yoshida made the most of it. The same applies to the messages he presents, as the first part shows the lives of the people living in the borders of society and where that can lead them, while the second highlights the consequences of bullying and violence in general… “Himeanole” may be an unusual film, but is definitely a masterpiece. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

21. Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts (Mouly Surya, 2017, Indonesia)

Through the four acts, Surya presents an odyssey of a woman who experiences an awakening about who she actually is and the world around her, with the end of the trip finishing a cycle in the most meaningful way, as Surya elaborately builds the sympathy of the audience towards the main characters… “Marlina” is a film with very few faults, that manages to present a completely different take on the western, through an artful, meaningful and quite entertaining approach. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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20. Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, S. Korea)

Acting in zombie movies is usually on a very low level, since the genre tends to focus on the action and the creatures, rather than the actual actors. However, Yeon Sang-ho used a different tactic, since the film also features much drama and the occasional comedy, which demands good acting, at least to some degree. In that fashion, Gong-yoo is quite good as Seok-woo, the detached executive that has been ignoring his family for years and now has to make up for it. The fact that he is not completely good, particularly when his and his daughter's survival are at stake, adds another interesting layer in his character, and he is very convincing in that aspect. Ma Dong-seok as Kim Soo-an holds the most entertaining role in the film, being great in the dramatic, comic, and action sequences, as his presence always seems to elevate the film. Kim Su-an as Seok-woo's kid daughter is also great, in a very mature role for a child that avoids the usual standards of similar roles that just demand cuteness. Kim Eui-sung as Yong-suk is impressive as the definite villain of the film, as he portrays a truly despicable human being that is actually even worse than the zombies. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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