There are a number of ways people all around the world keep themselves entertained, but watching a movie or two on a quiet evening is seen as bliss to plenty of us.
Of course there are other ways to keep us on our toes, be it partaking in various sports, going to the gym, playing on our computer consoles, exploring the mobile phone games available at the best online casino in Canada, cooking, or settling down and watching our favorite Premier League team play against their arch-rivals, but watching a movie is pretty damn hard to beat. I mean, who doesn’t like watching movies?!
There have been some classic Asian movies over the years, and we thought we’d go through some of the very best so we can reminisce and potentially help provide you with a movie or two to watch in the future. So, without further ado, here are some of the best Asian movies ever made.
Sonatine
When you ask most Asian people what their favorite movie of all-time is, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few of them come up with this one. Directed by Takeshi Kitano in 1993, this movie has it all. From criminal activity to comedy, to all-action fight scenes, Sonatine is all about several Yakuza from Tokyo who are sent to Okinawa to help put an end to an ongoing, brutal gang war there. Despite their best efforts, the war escalates, and they’re forced to do a runner to the beach, where the chaos ensues. If you haven’t seen Sonatine, then you really need to.
Ichi The Killer
Directed by Takashi Miike and released in 2001, Ichi The Killer is another excellent movie well worth watching. Of course, we all enjoy a drama, but you can’t beat the suspense of a film like this one where it has action, crime and drama all packed into one as a mob boss is murdered and has his money stolen. What follows is simply brutal, as a sadistic yakuza gang member goes searching for the truth and comes face to face with a psychotic assassin.
3-Iron
A huge movie that certainly pulled in the crowds when it was released in 2004, 3-Iron is a haunting romantic creation that follows the journey of a young drifter who spends his time squatting in empty holiday homes. Eventually, he finds his way into a huge mansion where he meets a beautiful young lady who is on the run from her horrible and abusive husband. Directed by Kim Ki-Duk, this is certainly a classic movie to come out of Asia. It also has wonderful music throughout it too.
A Time To Live And A Time To Die
Directed by Hou-Hsiao-Hsien, A Time To Live and A Time To Die is a film that is drawn heavily from the director himself’s life and his own experiences growing up. The story follows the huge amount of families who moved from mainland China to Taiwan in the 1940s and the struggles that followed as they were unable to return home. It’s a movie that beautifully – and rather depressingly – captures the widening generation gap in a family cut off from its cultural roots.
Seven Samurai
A cult classic which was released in 1954 and directed by Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai is about a sixteenth-century farming village that needs protection from bandits, so they enlist the help of the Seven Samurai. Inspired by the Hollywood remake The Magnificent Seven, this action and adventure masterpiece was an obvious pick for this list. If you haven’t seen Seven Samurai, then please, please do so.