I Don't Think You're Brave Enough To Watch These 21 Horror Films
International horror movies never fail to take my breath away. Asian filmmakers have really raised the bar and pushed the limits of storytelling...and scaring the crap out of people.
Here are 21 Asian horror movies you should stream tonight with the lights off:
1.The Wailing
This 2016 South Korean horror is as terrifying as it is beautiful. If you need somewhere to begin for your Asian horror movie marathon, this is the perfect film to kick off your frights.
The movie follows a police officer investigating a series of murders and deaths, but soon finds his own family entangled in forces he cannot control.
If you want ghosts, exorcisms, zombies, body horror, and curses all wrapped into one flick, The Wailing is calling you.
2.Umma
This American horror film, directed by Iris K. Shim, is a delightfully weird, supernatural horror flick that will make you squirm at points.
"A daughter fears becoming her mother" is so simple yet so brilliant as a pitch.
Starring Sandra Oh. AKA: All hits. No misses.
3.Audition
Bless the souls who watched this Japanese horror movie thinking it was anything but that. Takashi Miike's film has some of the most violent horror I've seen, and it is all done very practically.
A widower decides to date again, but his new relationship takes a step in a horrifying direction.
Be careful who you date, people.
4.Pulse (2001)
Also known as Kairo, this Japanese horror movie was lightyears ahead of its time in 2001. If there is a list of techno-horror out there, Pulse should be near the top for its originality and creative filmmaking alone.
The movie follows two people who begin to realize ghosts are somehow invading the world through the internet.
It has numerous iconic scenes, but one ghostly interaction in a hallway will take your breath away. It really predicted the loneliness that would stem from the internet boom.
5.Shutter (2004)
This Thai horror flick will make you think twice when looking at your own photographs. The same can be said about fleeing the scene of an accident.
After a hit-and-run, a young girl and her photographer boyfriend begin to see ghostly images.
It has plenty of twists throughout, but one twist is my personal favorite in any horror movie and stands head and shoulders above the rest.
6.Dark Water (2002)
Dark Water is a tremendously horrifying Japanese movie. It's supernatural horror every storyteller should aspire to because the drama weaved between the dread will keep you hooked.
A mysterious leak from the floor above haunts a divorced mother and her daughter.
Based on the short story by Koji Suzuki, the film brings the terror to life, and every moment will have you clenched and worried about the next frame.
7.Incantation
This Taiwanese film might be one of the best "jump scare-heavy" horror movies in recent memory. If supernatural folklore is your thing, this one has chills aplenty.
A woman realizes an incantation she is using to bless her daughter is actually a curse.
One scare was so intense that I had to write a post about it.
8.Train to Busan
It may be a stretch, but this Korean zombie flick might be the greatest international zombie film. The 2016 film was so beloved it earned $98.5 million at the box office worldwide.
A zombie apocalypse breaks out at a train station.
It's such a creative, inspirational take on what zombie outbreak movies could be — all while having so much soul that the film will leave you in tears.
9.Ringu
Why is my still image of a well moving?
Come on. Would it be a list of Asian horror without the Japanese classic Ringu?
A reporter investigates a supposedly cursed videotape that kills whoever watches it seven days later.
This is director Hideo Nakata's masterpiece. He has a special eye for horror and knowing what will scare audiences at the right moments. Hiroyuki Sanada delivers one of the best "scream faces" ever. And, of course, we are gifted the creepiest girl crawling out of a well.
10.A Tale of Two Sisters
This is a South Korean psychological horror that is a masterstroke of filmmaking by director Kim Jee-woon. Every shot feels intentional, and the suspense makes you want to fast-forward before anything bad happens.
A released patient from a mental institution returns home with her sister to terrifying events.
The movie is inspired by a folktale titled "Janghwa Hongryeon jeon." It has a very famous jump scare in it that so many other horror films have tried to replicate.
11.Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum
Shaky cam, activate! Found footage is almost its own genre, and this 2018 South Korean horror film is one of the better ones of the 2010s.
A horror web series crew travels into an abandoned asylum but encounters something terrifying.
Don't go into a dark room alone.
12.The Bridge Curse
I was floored by this Taiwanese horror film. There are curses, ghosts, and a twist I still think about to this day.
Students film themselves performing the ritual attached to the urban legend of their university's bridge.
The movie was so popular that it earned a sequel and a video game adaptation.
13.May the Devil Take You
This Indonesian film was the first horror movie I watched in 2024 (I watch horror weekly), and I was not ready for stomach-turning scares.
A girl looks for answers as she visits her late father's old house.
There is plenty of gore that will have you turning away, and it never pulls any punches.
14.The Medium
This unique Thai-South Korean mockumentary takes some daring directions for the exorcism horror genre.
A shaman allows a documentary crew to film the consensual possession of her by the spirit of a Ba Yan.
Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun, who directed Shutter, went all-in with this story, which can be best described as a horror rollercoaster.
15.Hospital
This suspenseful Taiwanese film checks all the boxes of horror tropes.
Visitors seek to communicate with the spirits of dead relatives in an abandoned hospital.
Man, people hate on this film for whatever reason, but I thought it was a solid Friday night horror. Dare I say, there were moments that gave me the heebie-jeebies.
16.The Call (2020)
A South Korean horror that is actually a reimagined version of the British-Puerto Rican movie, The Caller. Go figure. This one leans more psychological thriller and has some great moments.
Two women from different times connect through a phone call, and one of them is not who they say they are.
Despite not liking it as much as the original, the performance by Jeon Jong-seo (who played the girl on the other line named Young-sook) is one of my favorites in horror.
17.The 3rd Eye
This Indonesian horror movie gives off big Insidious vibes. There should never be an end to ghost stories...not for horror fans.
A young woman begins to see mysterious things around her home.
It's not a big-budget film, but it has some decent scares.
18.The Whole Truth (2021)
"Look through and find out."
What a tagline! This Thai horror movie has plenty of thrills and supernatural elements to keep you engaged.
Two siblings discover a mysterious hole in the wall of their grandparents' house.
It's such a simple premise, and you'll find yourself sinking back into your chair every time the camera zooms in on that hole.
19.The Rope Curse
This Taiwanese movie walks the line of found footage and folklore. It has many elements you'd find in a "Horror Trope Survival Guide," which isn't always terrible.
A couple becomes tangled in a curse after witnessing a mysterious ritual.
The movie was so popular that it earned a trilogy.
20.Noroi: The Curse
This Japanese horror is a cult classic that even the most hardcore horror fans might overlook.
While filming a documentary about an ancient demon, someone goes missing.
The premise is nothing original, but the way it was shot and the scares throughout are unforgettable for some. It's unsettling, jarring, and everything you'd want from found footage.
21.And finally, Cure
It's Japanese psychological horror that is often overlooked. It's also a crime drama, and, man, is it my cup of tea.
A detective can't find the connections between a string of identical murders.
The framing of every shot belongs in a museum and Kiyoshi Kurosawa (also the director of Pulse) belongs in some kind of filmmaker hall of fame.
Is there an Asian horror movie you love? Comment below!
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