Although not exactly famous for erotic films, particularly considering the conservative nature of many countries and the harsh censorship occasionally found (with the exception of Japan and Korea), films that could be described as erotic can be found in Asia also. Of note, however, is a recent trend that has begun within the Japanese movie industry, of presenting erotic films that try to cater to the aesthetics of both men and women, while abiding by the MeToo rules, with the result being interesting as much as ambitious as much as an effort mostly found in Chinese cinema, to come up with titles that combine the erotic with the intensely art house.
In this list, we tried to focus on titles where the erotic is one of the key elements, while trying to stay away from exploitation or soft-porn (S. Korean cinema is filled with these btw) for the most part, instead focusing on “regular” movies that simply include this aspect, in order to titillate or even make their comments through it.
Without further ado, here are 12 intriguing Asian erotic movies of 2023, in random order.
1. White River by Ma Xue (China)
Ash Chen's cinematography is one of the best aspects of the movie, with him implementing the voyeuristic approach to perfection, both in the erotic scenes and in a number of other instances, such as the aforementioned peeing sequence. The close ups to the sex add much to the titillation the movie offers while the presentation of the always empty restaurant adds a neo-noir, dystopian essence to the movie. Qin Yanan's editing adds to this last sense, with the cuts adding an element of disorientation about what is happening, that also works well for the film.
2. Safe Word by Koji Shiraishi (Japan)
Koji Shiraishi's approach, which combines the sensuality of the Roman Porno with S&M elements, drama, romance and the mockumentary, emerges as rather intriguing, as he handles all of them adequately, in a feat that is not exactly easy. At the same time, the purpose of the relaunch of the series, to present erotic films that are grounded in reality and also address female audience, seems to be met fully here, as he explores both the whole concept of BDSM and the way it works nowadays and the psychology of the people working in the field. Granted, the owner arc and the whole concept of shouting out about one's perverseness is somewhat excessive, in manga-esque fashion, but this is the only aspect of the narrative that goes that far in that direction.
3. Under Your Bed by Sabu (S. Korea)
In that fashion, the film starts in genuine exploitation fashion, by presenting Ye-eun's treatment on the hands of her husband in an intense combination of sex, violence, and voyeurism on the part of Ji-hoon (The Kim Ki-duk element mentioned before). And while this aspect does not leave completely, as the movie progresses, Sabu focuses more on the reasons behind the actions of the two men, with the main focus being on Ji-hoon, but also allocating some time to Hyung-oh. The story of the former emerges as quite interesting, as the reasons he became a watcher of his whole life practically are presented as both social and psychological, without, however, also providing a justification for his (in)action. The same, more or less, applies to Hyung-oh, who is a violent man who badmouths his patients and beats his wife, not to mention he does not even let her go see her sick father, but is also an individual who is utterly dependent to her, not to mention lonely throughout his life. Again, this is not presented as justification, but more as an explanation, as the psychiatrist essentially remains the villain throughout the movie.
4. Tea Friends by Bunji Sotoyama (Japan)
Evidently, the subject is quite difficult in its presentation but Bunji Sotoyama has done a great job in handling it all with both sensitivity and realism, in one of the best traits of the movie. In that fashion, that the elderly sex workers experience similar issues with their young counterparts (weird customers, others who want them younger, performance issues, the reasons that got them there etc) emerges as a rather interesting part of the story, which could actually carry the movie by itself. Sotoyama, however, goes several steps forward, by also highlighting the youths that are involved in the whole endeavor, with particularly Mana, and the reasons she got in the whole business forming another central arc of the film. Lastly, the interactions and overall connections of the two groups (the elderly and the youths) are also showcased, concluding the portrait of the whole endeavor and the individual characters in the best fashion.
5. Agra by Kanu Behl (India)
At the same time, through the characters and the story, Behl seems to make a number of pessimistic but also realistic comments about Indian society, which is presented in the bleakest colors. Violent, cheating, sex-crazed, dirty, poor, conniving and lying are things almost everyone in the movie seem to be on occasion, with the lack of any kind of care for the mental issues of Guru also highlighting the health issues of the country in that regard, not to mention people's ignorance. That sex (sexual release if you prefer) provides the relief and essentially a way out for all the issues, emerges as a rather intriguing approach, which borders, though, on the fairy tale realm, even if Behl takes care of returning us to reality in the last scenes.
6. Your Mother's Son by Jun Robles Lana (Philippines)
Normality is a facade in Lana's feature, which is made clear right from the start. As we get to know the true nature of the relationships between the characters, we are exposed to a network of exploitation, dependency and deception. It is an explosive dynamic, further heightened by, for example, the sex scenes which are passionate, yet always surrounded by the aura of manipulation and power, often adding a feral quality to them. At the same time, the characters have accepted this reality as their day-to-day-life, with even the newcomer Oliver perfectly fitting into the mold, until eventually the powder keg explodes in their faces. It is obvious violence has to be the consequence of the characters' actions, but there is something quite horrific about their inability (or perhaps even unwillingness) to stop this vicious circle. (Rouven Linnarz)
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