my top asian films
by Funkenspalter | created - 09 May 2014 | updated - 13 Dec 2020 | Publicfunny, romantic or action from asian
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,241
2. Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Drama
A samurai travels to Edo with his two servants. On their way, they meet many people and encounter great injustice.
Director: Tomu Uchida | Stars: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa, Yuriko Tashiro
Votes: 956
little juwel, nice in filming and story - 7/10
3. Samsara (2001)
R | 138 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A spiritual love-story set in the majestic landscape of Ladakh, Himalayas. Samsara is a quest; one man's struggle to find spiritual Enlightenment by renouncing the world. And one woman's ... See full summary »
Director: Pan Nalin | Stars: Shawn Ku, Christy Chung, Neelesha Barthel, Lhakpa Tsering
Votes: 8,253
spirit inside 8/10
4. The Last Samurai (1974)
159 min | Action, Drama
Toranosuke Sugi, a brave and loyal Samurai, fights to practice and preserve his master's teachings amid a civil war. With friends on both side will he cave to temptation, or stand on principle and for freedom?
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Ken Ogata, Takahiro Tamura, Teruhiko Saigô
Votes: 393
great film about the end of the samurai 9/10 - well filmed, great in all ascpects
5. Green Tea (2003)
83 min | Drama, Romance
Well, apparently Wu Fang (Wei Zhao) is a young lady on a mission. Namely, to go on as many dates as quickly as possible, not to drink as much tea as possible, but to find the man of her ... See full summary »
Director: Yuan Zhang | Stars: Wen Jiang, Wei Zhao, Lijun Fang, Haizhen Wang
Votes: 758
Green Tea - wonderful 7/10
6. Pinpon (2002)
114 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
The film traces the growth and friendship of two very different high-school ping-pong players. "Peco" Hoshino is a brash, arrogant player, determined to turn pro. He taught his quiet, nerdy... See full summary »
Director: Fumihiko Sori | Stars: Yôsuke Kubozuka, Arata Iura, Sam Lee, Shidô Nakamura
Votes: 3,487
sport and spirit - Ping Pong 8/10
7. The Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurô Tanba, Yôko Tsukasa, Ruriko Asaoka
Votes: 2,620
sometimes to slow but good if you in the mood
8. Hitokiri (1969)
140 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima, Yûjirô Ishihara
Votes: 1,228
really watchful, more compact and straight than Goyokin, i like it better than Goyokin, so my vote 8/10 it near the samurai Trilogie in charcters, locations and filming
9. The Cup (1999)
G | 93 min | Comedy, Sport
While the soccer World Cup is being played in France, two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery/boarding school in exile in India. Its atmosphere of serene contemplation is somewhat ... See full summary »
Director: Khyentse Norbu | Stars: Orgyen Tobgyal, Neten Chokling, Jamyang Lodro, Lama Chonjor
Votes: 3,406 | Gross: $1.07M
silent also funny 8/10
10. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Depicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Rentarô Mikuni, Kurôemon Onoe
Votes: 9,514
Samurai I - nice start of the 3 films -best best 9/10
11. Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
TV-PG | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Musashi Miyamoto returns to Kyoto after years of absence. After a series of fights against the Yoshioka School, he challenges its master to a duel.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,966
Samurai II - also epic in filming and storyline 9/10
12. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
TV-PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Musashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Mariko Okada, Kôji Tsuruta, Kaoru Yachigusa
Votes: 6,702
Samurai III - epic end, constantly epic level in cinema 9/10
13. Sanjuro (1962)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 41,163
classic! must see! 8/10
14. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
129 min | Drama, Romance
As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 25,529
8/10 also very good
15. The Hidden Blade (2004)
R | 132 min | Drama, History, Romance
A 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Votes: 7,206 | Gross: $0.04M
epic - 8/10 if you like silence films
16. When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama, History
A samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Kôichi Satô, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata
Votes: 5,360
one of the best for me - 9/10
17. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 367,060 | Gross: $0.27M
8/10 really good action and deep
18. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
A tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Munetaka Aoki, Naoto Takenaka, Hikari Mitsushima
Votes: 9,161 | Gross: $0.08M
7/10 - made for cinema
19. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,779
Harakiri 8/10 - masterpiece from 1962, better then 2011 version
20. Kill Zone (2005)
Not Rated | 93 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A near retired inspector and his unit are willing to put down a crime boss at all costs while dealing with his replacement, who is getting in their way. Meanwhile, the crime boss sends his top henchmen to put an end to their dirty schemes.
Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Jing Wu
Votes: 13,206
21. Hi! Dharma! (2001)
95 min | Drama, Comedy
Laughs and thrills go hand-in-fist in this Korean action comedy, as a band of criminals fleeing a violent gang war hides out in a monastery. The monks in residence quickly tire of the goons... See full summary »
Director: Cheol-kwan Park | Stars: Shin-yang Park, Jung Jin-young, Park Sang-Myeon, Kang Seong-jin
Votes: 354
22. Taboo (1999)
Unrated | 100 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The new member of a samurai militia unit causes disruption as several of his colleagues fall in love with him, threatening to disturb the rigid code of their squad.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Ryûhei Matsuda, Shinji Takeda, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 8,078 | Gross: $0.05M
7/10 also very good
23. The Classic (2003)
127 min | Drama, Romance
A college student finds a diary detailing a long-ago love triangle involving her mother, her future father, and his best friend.
Director: Jae-young Kwak | Stars: Son Ye-jin, Zo In-sung, Cho Seung-woo, Lee Ki-woo
Votes: 10,141
"the Classic" - romantic 7/10
24. A Moment to Remember (2004)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama, Romance
A young couple's enduring love is tested when 27-year-old Su-jin is diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.
Directors: Park Kyung-Jin, John H. Lee, Kim Tae-Won | Stars: Jung Woo-sung, Son Ye-jin, Jong-hak Baek, Lee Seon-jin
Votes: 25,581
romatic 6/10
A Moment to Remember (2004)
25. Battle Royale (2000)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama
Votes: 194,538
7/10 - not for all
26. Bôkoku no îjisu (2005)
126 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A biological weapon is smuggled aboard a high tech battleship named Aegis. Militants are determined to unleash it on Japan. But a brave Chief Petty Officer has other ideas. He and an undercover agent attempt to stop them.
Director: Junji Sakamoto | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Akira Terao, Kôichi Satô, Kiichi Nakai
Votes: 297
27. The Last Samurai (2003)
R | 154 min | Action, Drama
Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton
Votes: 471,540 | Gross: $111.11M
us version of japan 6/10, mostly ok
28. Hero (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 187,705 | Gross: $53.71M
8/10 - epic, uncut and original end
29. Oldboy (2003)
R | 120 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 636,445 | Gross: $0.71M
7/10 good stuff
30. Shiri (1999)
R | 125 min | Action, Thriller
South Korean agents Ryu and Lee are tracking a female assassin from North Korea who has mysteriously disappeared. With new killings and the theft of a deadly bomb, time is running out to catch her.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-sik, Yunjin Kim, Song Kang-ho
Votes: 8,582 | Gross: $0.10M
31. The Twins Effect (2003)
R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
It's a high-kicking battle on the dark side when an ace vampire slayer and his beautiful sidekicks wage the ultimate martial-arts showdown with one of the most dangerous of the undead.
Director: Dante Lam | Stars: Gillian Chung, Charlene Choi, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Ekin Cheng
Votes: 5,344
32. Spider Forest (2004)
R | 112 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A recently widowed TV producer is drawn to an isolated cabin in a mysterious woods.
Director: Song Il-gon | Stars: Kam Woo-seong, Jung Suh, Kang Kyung-hun, Jang Hyun-sung
Votes: 2,259
33. The Legend of Gingko (2000)
117 min | Action, Adventure, Romance
A teenage girl becomes an object of contention among a queen who wants to sacrifice her and two warriors who lust for her.
Director: Je-hyeon Park | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Jin-shil Choi, Yunjin Kim, Lee Mi-sook
Votes: 455
34. Nae namjaui romance (2004)
112 min | Comedy, Romance
The scent of a woman... on my guy! Hyun-joo is an average girl, with seven years of her life invested in her boyfriend So-hoon, an employee at an extermination company. Sure, he can be a ... See full summary »
Director: Je-hyeon Park | Stars: Kim Jeong-eun, Kim Sang-kyung, Lee Yu-jin, Seung-Hyun Oh
Votes: 222
35. Azumi (2003)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Raised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroki Narimiya, Takatoshi Kaneko
Votes: 15,160
fun action 6/10
36. Watch Out, Crimson Bat! (1969)
87 min | Drama, Action, Adventure
Oichi, the blind swordswoman, receives a scroll with a secret message from a dying courier, that must be handed to Murobuse, a high officer of the Shogunate. Her path is full of obstacles ... See full summary »
Director: Hirokazu Ichimura | Stars: Yôko Matsuyama, Gorô Ibuki, Tamayo Mitsukawa, Mayumi Arai
Votes: 70
better than 2008 Ichi version 7/10
37. Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)
88 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young blind girl is abandoned by her mother. When her guardian is killed, she learns to wield a sword from a traveling "Ronin". She travels to seek her mother and her revenge.
Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda | Stars: Yôko Matsuyama, Isamu Nagato, Akitake Kôno, Chizuko Arai
Votes: 192
better than 2008 Ichi version 7/10
38. Mekurano Oichi inochi moraimasu (1970)
86 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Oichi, the blind bounty hunter, frees a woman from unjust prison and is now hunted by order of the local magistrate. She is concerned with the poor fishermen, who are oppressed and robbed by a gang in collusion with the authorities.
Director: Hirokazu Ichimura | Stars: Yôko Matsuyama, Yûki Meguro, Meichô Soganoya, Reiko Ôshida
Votes: 73
6/10
39. Ichi (2008)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Ichi is a blind woman who roams about town with her shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar), but she has exceptional sword skills with which she fights off yakuza and other villains.
Director: Fumihiko Sori | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Shidô Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Takao Osawa
Votes: 3,979
ok 6/10 - original from 1969 is much better
40. Il Mare (2000)
105 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
In 1999, a voice actor moves from Il Mare, a seaside house, and leaves a Christmas card in its (magical) mailbox. An architecture student receives it in 1997, and a friendship separated by 2 years begins.
Director: Hyun-seung Lee | Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Jun Ji-hyun, Mu-saeng Kim, Jo Seung-yeon
Votes: 9,468
7/10
41. Samurai Assassin (I) (1965)
122 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
February 17 to March 3, 1860, inside Edo castle. A group of assassins wait by Sakurada Gate to kill the lord of the House of Ii, a powerful man in the Tokugawa government, which has ruled ... See full summary »
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Yûnosuke Itô
Votes: 2,509
42. Naked Weapon (2002)
R | 90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Madame M, kidnaps forty pre-teen girls to train them as the most deadly assassins. CIA operative follows the case for 6 years with no leads, but when a series of assassinations begin to occur, he suspects that Madame M is back in business.
Director: Siu-Tung Ching | Stars: Anya, Marit Thoresen, Maggie Q, Daniel Wu
Votes: 8,089
43. Shaolin Soccer (2001)
PG | 87 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
Director: Stephen Chow | Stars: Stephen Chow, Wei Zhao, Yat-Fei Wong, Man-Tat Ng
Votes: 89,269 | Gross: $0.49M
funny action 8/10
44. The Warrior (2001)
R | 158 min | Action, Drama, History
1375. Nine Koryo warriors, envoys exiled by Imperial China, battle to protect a Chinese Ming Princess from Mongolian troops.
Director: Kim Sung-su | Stars: Jung Woo-sung, Ahn Sung-ki, Ju Jin-mo, Ziyi Zhang
Votes: 11,265
6/10
45. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Gô Katô, Tatsuyoshi Ehara
Votes: 14,110
46. The Coast Guard (2002)
R | 91 min | Drama, War
A member of Coast Guard Platoon 23, Private Kang monitors a high-infiltration stretch of beach lined with barbed-wire fencing. Driven by the belief that killing a spy is the highest honor, he waits for a chance to prove his worth.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Jang Dong-Gun, Kim Jeong-hak, Park Ji-ah, Yoo Hae-jin
Votes: 3,533
47. Volcano High (2001)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
This year is the 108th anniversary of the Korean high School "WaSanGo" (Volcano High). Principal hides himself with "Secret Manuscript" which every WaSanGo student wants to take from ... See full summary »
Director: Tae-gyun Kim | Stars: Jang Hyuk, Shin Min-a, Kim Soo-ro, Kwon Sang-woo
Votes: 3,589
48. Owls' Castle (1999)
138 min | Action, Drama
As the great military commander Nobunaga Oda was consolidating his power across Japan, one of his actions was to wipe out a clan of assassins, killing every man, woman and child he found in... See full summary »
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Mayu Tsuruta, Riona Hazuki, Takaya Kamikawa
Votes: 548
49. Samurai Fiction (1998)
111 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A noble young samurai searches for a thief who has stolen a precious treasure and killed one of his clansmen and meets an older samurai who tries to deter him from the violence of revenge.
Director: Hiroyuki Nakano | Stars: Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Tomoyasu Hotei, Tamaki Ogawa
Votes: 2,760
50. Zu Warriors (2001)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Fantasy
Between the heaven and the Earth exist the Zu's mountain range, where live the immortals of Omei, the highest mountain of Zu, but the kingdom is in danger by Amnesia, a renegade immortal ... See full summary »
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Ekin Cheng, Louis Koo, Ziyi Zhang, Cecilia Cheung
Votes: 3,685
51. Fury of the Shaolin Master (1978)
86 min | Action, Drama
A government law officer is dispatched to bring his brother's killers to justice. On his bloody mission, untold assassins are thrown at him, but to no avail. One by one they are done away with in a most militant style.
Director: Fu-Ti Lin | Stars: Hua Yueh, Yin-Tze Pan, Sing Chen, Chiang-Lung Wen
Votes: 158
52. Shogun (1980)
TV-MA | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, History
An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan.
Stars: Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Shimada, Furankî Sakai
Votes: 15,746
8/10 - like a big movie in old japan, must see
53. Yojimbo (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 131,439
Yojimbo - 9/10
54. Warau Iemon (2004)
128 min | Drama, Horror
Having put down his sword and given up the will to fight, the masterless samurai Iemon lives in solitude while being haunted by his violent enigmatic past. Persuaded by a travelling priest ... See full summary »
Director: Yukio Ninagawa | Stars: Toshiaki Karasawa, Koyuki, Teruyuki Kagawa, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Votes: 100
55. Kwaidan (1964)
Not Rated | 183 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirô Ishiyama
Votes: 20,009
56. Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983)
133 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Princess Shizu was born under a terrible curse. Only the eight legendary samurai, hailing from across Japan, can protect her from an ancient supernatural clan to fulfill their destinies as foretold by prophecy.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shin'ichi Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi
Votes: 1,311
57. Death of a Tea Master (1989)
107 min | Biography, Drama, History
Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's death.
Director: Kei Kumai | Stars: Eiji Okuda, Toshirô Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Gô Katô
Votes: 380
58. Rikyu (1989)
135 min | Biography, Drama, History
Legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu is faced with his warmongering lord's unrealistic pretensions.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Yoshiko Mita, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kyôko Kishida
Votes: 833
59. Gô-hime (1992)
142 min | Drama, History
Chronicles the trials and tribulations of Oribe, the successor to tea-master Rikyu, Usu, his gardener, and Princess Goh, who attempt to balance artistic expression and duty amid political intrigue in feudal Japan.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Rie Miyazawa, Tatsuya Nakadai, Toshiya Nagasawa, Kôshirô Matsumoto
Votes: 272
Rikyu 2
60. Failan (2001)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama, Romance
A marriage of convenience between a petty gangster and an illegal immigrant he has never met has unforeseen consequences for them both.
Director: Hae-sung Song | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Cecilia Cheung, Son Byung-ho, Kong Hyeong-jin
Votes: 6,226
61. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
R | 103 min | Drama, Romance
A boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Kim Ki-duk, Oh Yeong-su, Jong-ho Kim, Kim Young-min
Votes: 86,855 | Gross: $2.38M
62. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Votes: 42,281
63. 3-Iron (2004)
R | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A transient young man breaks into empty homes to partake of the vacationing residents' lives for a few days.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Lee Seung-yun, Jae Hee, Hyuk-ho Kwon, Joo Jin-mo
Votes: 58,302 | Gross: $0.24M
64. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,720 | Gross: $128.08M
it ok, but mostly overrated
65. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,208
66. The Loyal 47 Ronin (1958)
Not Rated | 166 min | Drama
Japan's timeless tale of honor and revenge, the Loyal 47 Ronin is the true story of group of samurai who became ronin (masterless samurai) after their Lord was forced to commit seppuku (... See full summary »
Director: Kunio Watanabe | Stars: Kazuo Hasegawa, Shintarô Katsu, Kôji Tsuruta, Raizô Ichikawa
Votes: 341
67. Joint Security Area (2000)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
After a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Kim Tae-woo
Votes: 34,235
68. Fist of Legend (1994)
R | 103 min | Action, Drama
In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese.
Director: Gordon Chan | Stars: Jet Li, Shinobu Nakayama, Siu-Ho Chin, Billy Chow
Votes: 24,938
real classic
69. Chushingura (1962)
207 min | Action, Drama, History
After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Chûsha Ichikawa, Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 2,239
historic and wonderful filming
70. The Last Ronin (2010)
R | 133 min | Drama
An army of loyal samurai plot to revenge their unjustly executed lord.
Director: Shigemichi Sugita | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Kôichi Satô, Nanami Sakuraba, Kôji Yamamoto
Votes: 410
71. The Young Master (1980)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A talented martial arts student goes after his expelled brother, who get into bad company.
Director: Jackie Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, Pai Wei, Biao Yuen, Lily Li
Votes: 8,208
72. Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Drama
A martial arts book, which Hsu Yin-Fung carries, is being highly sought by various clans and gangs, but he is in pursuit of someone himself.
Director: Chi-Hwa Chen | Stars: Jackie Chan, Nora Miao, Cheng-Lan Chin, Yung-Kuo Li
Votes: 2,841
fun with Jackie - 6/10
73. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,288 | Gross: $0.02M
slow but good 7/10
74. In the Mood for Love (2000)
PG | 98 min | Drama, Romance
Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Siu Ping-Lam, Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
Votes: 167,028 | Gross: $2.73M
75. Izo (2004)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
An executed samurai takes an existential journey throughout time, space and eternity in search of bloody vengeance.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kazuya Nakayama, Kaori Momoi, Ryûhei Matsuda, Ryôsuke Miki
Votes: 4,761
bloody message, ok for fans
76. Kill! (1968)
Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
Two ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Tadao Nakamaru
Votes: 3,179
77. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Drama
When poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano
Votes: 3,994
78. Incident at Blood Pass (1970)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Drama
Sent on a secret mission, a ronin must discover who his friends are and who must die.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûjirô Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintarô Katsu
Votes: 901
Mifune as Yojimbo, but its not a second part of Yojimbo, ok for fans - 6/10
79. Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell (1974)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the sixth and final film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, the final conflict between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan is carried out.
Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Junko Hitomi, Gorô Mutsumi
Votes: 4,301
80. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons (1973)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Five warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each holds a part of information needed to complete the assassination of a mad clan leader.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Michiyo Yasuda, Akihiro Tomikawa, Shingo Yamashiro
Votes: 4,629
81. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Thriller
Ogami is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin. Gunbei Yagyu, an enemy samurai, happens upon Ogami's son, and sees his chance for revenge.
Director: Buichi Saitô | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Yoichi Hayashi, Michi Azuma, Akihiro Tomikawa
Votes: 4,959
82. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)
R | 89 min | Action, Drama
Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by the yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Gô Katô, Yûko Hama, Isao Yamagata
Votes: 5,608
83. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Trailed by a clan of female ninja, Ogami is paid to assassinate a clan traitor accompanied by three killers known as the Gods of Death.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ôki, Akiji Kobayashi
Votes: 6,860
84. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
Not Rated | 84 min | Action, Adventure
The story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Gô Katô, Tomoko Mayama
Votes: 8,886
85. After the Rain (1999)
91 min | Drama
During a downpour, a generous ronin and his supporting wife are stranded at a country inn. The ronin comes to the attention of a lord who wants to hire him as an instructor for his men, who treat the ronin with disrespect.
Director: Takashi Koizumi | Stars: Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shirô Mifune, Fumi Dan
Votes: 4,464
86. Yagyû bugeichô (1957)
106 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets which, if revealed, would cause revolution and disaster for the clan. The information is ... See full summary »
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yoshiko Kuga, Kyôko Kagawa, Mariko Okada
Votes: 155
Ninjitsu 1 - ok for fans, not to compare to the Samurai Triologie 6/10
87. Yagyû bugeichô: Sôryû hiken (1958)
105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing clan secrets which, if revealed, would cause revolution and disaster for the clan. The information is ... See full summary »
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Toshirô Mifune, Nobuko Otowa, Yoshiko Kuga
Votes: 108
Ninjitsu 2 - also ok like Part 1, 6/10
88. Sword of the Beast (1965)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Drama
After killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Mikijirô Hira, Gô Katô, Shima Iwashita, Toshie Kimura
Votes: 3,091
good story and action, well filmed, i liked it -8/10
89. The Sword of Doom (1966)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Naitô
Votes: 12,081
sword of doom - really dark soul of film, great filmed - 8/10
90. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,122
91. Ugetsu (1953)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito
Votes: 25,838 | Gross: $0.01M
92. Tokyo Story (1953)
Not Rated | 136 min | Drama
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Setsuko Hara
Votes: 68,680
93. The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Shintarô Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryûzô Shimada, Hajime Mitamura
Votes: 5,906
94. Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
TV-MA | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Kenshin Himura goes up against pure evil Makoto Shishio who is attempting to overthrow the Meiji government. The fate of the country hangs in the balance as Kenshin Himura takes up the sword that he vowed to never draw again.
Director: Keishi Otomo | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Yôsuke Eguchi
Votes: 18,356
Tell Your Friends