Global Expansion: New Age East Asian Cinema Essentials!

International film viewing and discourse is hotter than ever. Not only are more and more U.S.-based projects outsourcing their productions to other countries due to financial incentives, but the global cinemasphere has seen immense growth due to the modern accessibility of films from all around the world. Both streaming platforms and curating companies, such as the Criterion Collection, have enabled viewers from anywhere in the world to watch movies made anywhere in the world.

In this series, we will take a look at different areas of the world and highlight films and directors from their respective countries and destinations. In this edition, we’ll take a trip over to East Asia and identify some of our personal favorite and essential directors, along with some miscellaneous, singular recommendations from New Age East Asia Cinema.

1. Bong Joon Ho (South Korea)

One would be remiss to start any list about contemporary Asian cinema without the inclusion of Bong Joon Ho. Currently one of the most renowned directors in the world, Bong has graced audiences with films that are full of social commentary, dark humor, and fantastical journeys and worlds. Of course, his most well known work would be the multi-Oscar winning Parasite, which nabbed the big one back in 2019. More off the list of his elite filmography are Mickey 17, Snowpiercer, Okja, The Host, and my personal favorite, Memories of Murder. If you’re looking for new worlds, twisted humor, or deep analysis of Korean society, this is your guy!

WHERE TO WATCH:

Parasite - HBO Max, Netflix

Mickey 17 - HBO Max

Snowpiercer - PLEX

Okja - Netflix

The Host - Disney+/Hulu, Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV

Memories of Murder - Tubi

2. Satoshi Kon (Japan)

Speaking of creating new worlds, Satoshi Kon is the master of blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, seen in plenty of his beautifully animated films. But don’t mistake the term "animation" for something childish -- Kon’s work is dark, haunting, mysterious, and fantastical. His most famous work, Perfect Blue, is a testament to his surrealistic feel and dark tones, a movie that centers around a pop star struggling with her identity and dodging a fatal stalker. My personal favorite Kon creation is Paprika, the film cited by Christopher Nolan as heavily inspiring Inception. Furthermore, his films Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers have both received immense critical praise, all four films being heralded as classics prior to his untimely death at 46 years old.

WHERE TO WATCH:

Perfect Blue - VOD/Digital

Paprika - Tubi

Millennium Actress - Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV, Crunchyroll

Tokyo Godfathers - Tubi

3. Wong Kar Wai (China)

Wong Kar Wai is a visual master, a game-changer when it comes to cinematography and the language of filmmaking. His colorfully saturated and atmospheric style pushes his stories forward, often presenting his films in minimalistic and non-linear ways. Many highly-acclaimed directors have cited him as personal influences, such as Barry Jenkins and Sofia Coppola, clearly exemplified in their respective films Moonlight and Lost in Translation. In regards to Wong’s filmography, highlights include the imitable In The Mood For Love as well as masterpieces Fallen Angels and Chungking Express.

WHERE TO WATCH:

In The Mood For Love - HBO Max

Fallen Angels - HBO Max

Chungking Express - HBO Max

4. Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)

"Auteur" is a word that might fit Hayao Miyazaki more than any filmmaker alive today. His unmistakable artistry, dream-like worlds, and emotionally anchored films are one-of-a-kind, all hand-drawn animations that may as well be frame-by-frame paintings. Miyazaki’s work, spanning four decades, is an essential body worth noting in any matter of filmmaking, complete with four Oscar nominations and 2 wins over that span. Highlights of his incredible catalog include, and are nowhere near limited to, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and, most recently, The Boy and the Heron.

WHERE TO WATCH:

Spirited Away - HBO Max

Princess Mononoke - HBO Max

Kiki's Delivery Service - HBO Max

Howl's Moving Castle - HBO Max

The Boy and the Heron - HBO Max

5. Park Chan-Wook (South Korea)

Quite possibly the polar opposite of Miyazaki in regard to content, Park Chan-Wook takes you to worlds you’re glad not to be a part of. Featuring striking imagery, humor darker than dark, and twisted plot lines, Park’s films often encompass the genres of crime, thrillers, and mystery, blending them with black humor and uncomfortability. His most notable work is Oldboy, a film that follows a man searching for the reason he was kept hostage for a decade following his release. Evocative in its own way as well, is Park’s The Handmaiden, a film that takes audiences back to pickpockets and princesses in a Victorian age setting. If you’ve had enough of Miyazaki’s lovely imagery and wonderment, this is more than a great place to start for some brutal stories but equally as masterful filmmaking.

WHERE TO WATCH:

Oldboy - VOD/Digital

The Handmaiden - VOD/Digital

Honorable Mentions

When it comes to global cinema, specifically East Asia, the list of directors and films can go on for a long time. Here are some more new age Asian films that missed the cut above, but are more than worthy of your time:

Godzilla Minus One (Japan, dir. Takashi Yamazaki) - Netflix

Train to Busan (South Korea, dir. Yeon Sang-ho) - Netflix, Pluto TV

Your Name. (Japan, dir. Makoto Shinkai) - Crunchyroll

Drive My Car (Japan, dir. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi) - HBO Max

Yi Yi (Japan/Taiwan, dir. Edward Yang) - VOD/Digital

Burning (South Korea/Japan, dir. Lee Chang-dong) - Pluto TV, Tubi, PLEX

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, dir. Ang Lee) - VOD/Digital

Shoplifters (Japan, dir. Hirokazu Koreeda) - VOD/Digital