11. Midnight Runners (Kim Joo-hwan, 2017, S. Korea)
Predominantly, what “Midnight Runners” succeeds most in is a relentless dedication to consistent comedy. Sure, there is still an abundance of sobriety given to the more humourless aspects of the narrative, such as the underground organ farming and forced ovulation for the sake of profit, but Kim's writing ensures there are sufficient laughs in unanticipated moments, as well as in the expected places, even if it means risking breaking-up tension. To elaborate, whilst there is certainly some of the more predictable, throwaway humour sprinkled in; namely subtly deployed middle-finger taunts, ostentatious death stares and cliched flirting, there are just as many unforeseen laugh-out-loud moments that stay in your head long after the end credits. Regardless of whether it is a botched self-defence drill or the protagonists running back to pick up equipment to avoid fines after a tense, heroic final fight scene, there is attentive depth put into the comedic elements of the story, supplementing the plot's crucial elements seamlessly. (Nathan Sartain)
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12. Miracle in Cell No 7 (Lee Hwan-kyung, 2013, S. Korea)
“Miracle in Cell No 7” is a rare film, a comedy that incorporates mental illness while also pulling at the heartstrings oh-so-strongly. A mentally disabled man is falsely charged with the rape and murder of a young child and thrown into a prison cell with hard-on-the-outside but actually emotionally fragile criminals. With his 6-year-old daughter, his only life support, left alone to fend for herself, his cellmates manage to sneak her into their cell and keep her hidden from the authorities. What plays mostly as a comedy and a tender father-daughter relationship drama brings on the feels massively by the time it reaches its now-famous climax. It was with this that Ryu Seung-ryong proved himself to be a strong leading actor and a big pull at the box-office, with “Miracle in Cell No 7” still sitting at 7th among the highest grossing domestic films of all time in South Korea. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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13. My Sassy Girl (Kwak Jae-yong, 2001, S. Korea)
These days, if someone mentions a romcom from Korea, it is still very likely to be about “My Sassy Girl”. If not, it was probably inspired by it in some way, or perhaps it paved its way. Despite some of its jokes having aged poorly, it is still worth a watch when looked at with context. Purely from a cultural and educational standpoint, for being one of the films that signified the Korean New Wave of cinema, but also just because it's a really good watch. (Reiner Brands)
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14. Office Royale (Seki Kazuaki, 2021, Japan)
What would happen, though, if the shonen anime style was transferred to the corporate world, where female employees are the brawlers, the gang members, and essentially the ultimate fighters of this world? And what if the humor was even more slapstick than in anime, but also meta and self-deprecating? And what if some of the female fighters were actually male crossdressers? Seki Kazuaki and writer Bakarhythm provide the answer in a film that manages to be both “Crows Zero” and white-collar drama at the same time. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
15. One Cut of the Dead (Shinichiro Ueda, 2017, Japan)
Frankly, this is an exceptionally enjoyable effort that finally offers a unique take on the zombie genre, which comes from plenty of strong characters and witty situations. This is definitely worthwhile for those that are trying for something new in the genre or can appreciate bizarre zombie comedies such as these, while others that don't even agree on that should heed caution with the film. (Don Anelli)
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16. R100 (Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2013, Japan)
“R100” is a movie experience that goes into the absurd, has fun breaking the fourth wall of cinema and is actually, even though sometimes pretty messed up, an interesting and enjoyable ride. That is if you can get passed a certain few pretty shocking scenes. Crazy and daring, sexy and the absolute opposite; Matsumoto's new high (or probably to some, new low) in making films. (Thor)
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17. Scandal Makers (Kang Hyung-chul, 2008, S. Korea)
South Korean comedy royalty Cha Tae-hyun stars as a failed-muscian-turned-successful-Radio-Jockey who has his peaceful bachelor life turned upside down when a very young single mother, who calls and writes to his Agony Uncle-type radio show asking for help in dealing with her absent father, turns up at his doorstep with her son claiming to be his daughter. Chockful of belly laughs and pulls at your heartstrings, “Scandal Makers” (or “Speedy Scandals”) doesn't try many new things but does what it does exceptionally well. As good as Cha Tae-hyun usual is, Park Bo-young is a revelation in the role that made her a household name. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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18. Shaolin Soccer (Stephen Chow, 2001, Hong Kong)
The jokes come thick and fast, breaking the 4th wall on occasion. The key element being it is simply fun. There is a genuine respect for martial arts amongst all the mirth, with surprisingly practical applications of their usage, especially with Zhao Wei's Tai Chi baker. The gang that feature in one of the film's funniest scenes are redeemed by joining the monks' team again, showing a respect for the spiritual side of the arts. (Ben Stykuc)
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19. Summer Detective (Xu Lei, 2019, China)
“Summer Detective” is about as deadpan as you can get in terms of comedy, and for the characters at hand, this is perfect. The premise of two old geezers undertaking detective work in modern China is about as ridiculous as it sounds, yet their efforts are highly amusing. Chaoying and Zhanyi are the least likely pair of investigators you could imagine, and their amateur attempts at breaking into car parks, tricking store owners, and avoiding security are about as entertaining as you might imagine. While never in considerable danger, there's still a thrill in seeing these two elders pull off all manner of trickery to try and find the driver behind their friend's accident. (Tom Wilmot)
20. Sunny (Kang Hyung-chul, 2011, S. Korea)
A chance meeting with an old friend triggers in Na-mi fond memories of Sunny, her group of friends in school consisting of girls who couldn't be more dissimilar to each other yet had a special bond with each other. Kang Hyung-chul's film finds a rare perfect balance between the differences within the joys of childhood, the hopes and dreams that come with it and the reality of adulthood, while being insanely hilarious for the large part. Gang wars, “possessed” girls, a potty-mouthed granny, fantastic performances all round (specially from future stars Shim Eun-kyung and Chun Woo-hee), an inspired dance sequence that's both heart-warming and heartbreaking and easily the funniest depictions of the Gwangju Uprising ensure that “Sunny” remains a must-watch! (Rhythm Zaveri)
