By Eric Myford
Western recognition for Japanese horror really started with The Ring, which was of course a remake of the movie Ringu from 1998. Since then, American filmmakers have tried to remake damn near every Japanese horror movie they could, to varying success. But there is a rich history of horror from Japan so today we're going to look at 15 great old school Japanese horror movies. Bonus, none of them have been remade yet in the US as of yet.
OLD SCHOOL JAPANESE HORROR MOVIES
A Page of Madness
Year – 1926
Director – Teinosuke Kinugasa
A man's wife is imprisoned in an insane asylum so he takes a job there as a janitor in an attempt to free her, only to experience the horrors that reside within. Not only is this a great movie, it's honestly one of the best silent horror films ever made. Its visual sense, atmosphere and overall mood are downright stunning.
Jigoku
Year – 1960
Director – Nobuo Nakagawa
This anthology tells of how people ended up at the gates of hell through murder, deceit and more, and then what their ultimate punishment will be in the underworld. This is a really interesting movie because the stories contained within are all very fascinating to watch, but then when the characters of said stories all collide together in Hell itself, the movie switches from black and white to stunning color and things get pretty insane from there on out. You've seen Hell, but never like this.
Onibaba
Year – 1964
Director – Kaneto Shindo
In feudal Japan, war rages on and two women survive by murdering lost samurai and selling their belongings, which is lucrative, until something demonic makes its presence known. This movie is downright hypnotic. The rich lore of the Japanese culture is fully displayed here and the story is tremendously well done. The visual style, content and sequence of events all come together perfectly to create a movie that stands alone and is simply one of the finest demon-centric horror movies ever made.
Kwaidan
Year – 1964
Director – Masaki Kobayashi
This anthology delves deep into the dark side of Japanese culture and tells tales of the supernatural stemming from folk stories of the past. It's movies like this that make me love foreign genre movies. It's a look into a culture I just don't get in any other way and Japan really knows their horror. The origins of these tales sometimes go back centuries yet still retain their relevance to issues today, which is exceedingly impressive, as is this movie.
Kuroneko
Year – 1968
Director – Kaneto Shindo
After two women are raped and killed by samurai, they return as vengeful spirits willing to do anything for their sweet revenge. This is honestly a must see if you're into more modern Japanese horror because this is one of the better representations of the vengeance oriented ghosts. Very high on atmosphere and genuinely creepy, a supernatural rape/revenge film that is just so well done in every regard.
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell
Year – 1968
Director – Hajime Sato
After a plane crash, the survivors try to find a way out of their desolate location only to be attacked by blob-like alien creatures that turn their victims into vampires. So this is around the time we start to get some more mondo style horror films out of Japan and this is honestly one of the best. It's such a bizarre plot but so well filmed and put together with some very interesting FX work. Unique to say the least, this one is worth tracking down.
Blind Beast
Year – 1969
Director – Yasuzo Masumura
A sculptor kidnaps a young model and imprisons her in his studio which begins a nightmarish encounter both horrific and erotic. This movie is a total stand out. Bizarre, perverted, violent and with an aesthetic that truly stands on its own. There is no other movie like this, when you see it, it is not comparable to anything else. This one of a kind thriller is a fine example of creativity in a dark setting, making for a truly memorable experience.
Hausu
Year – 1977
Director – Nobuhiko Obayashi
A group of schoolgirls head to a remote house owned by one of their aunts only to discover it is horrifically haunted. You know how a lot of Japanese horror is just flat out bizarre? I like to think this is the origin of the bizarre nature of Japanese horror. Hands down one of the most fascinatingly strange horror movies ever made. You never know what will happen next here and it's that unpredictability and weird visual style that make this one of the more outstanding Japanese horror movies of all time.
Evil Dead Trap
Year – 1988
Director – Toshiharu Ikeda
A newscaster and her crew head to an abandoned factory after reports of a snuff film being created there, only to be attacked by a strange monster. This movie is important because it represents another side to Japanese horror that isn't seen terribly often, but is still integral to their genre movies, and that's the gore film. While a huge portion of films are supernatural and atmospheric, this one just goes balls out crazy and violent and is hugely memorable.
Tetsuo – The Iron Man
Year – 1989
Director – Shin'ya Tsukamoto
A businessman is slowly transformed into a horrid hybrid of both flesh and metal, throwing him into a world of insane violence. And here we have yet another sect of Japanese horror that is seldom seen but ominously present, and that's the cyberpunk horror film. This masterpiece is absolute madness in both pacing and visual sense, combining a strange sci-fi aesthetic with elements of splatter and the bizarre. This hybrid, much like the main character himself, makes for one hell of a trendsetting film. Absolute landmark in Japanese filmmaking.
Ooru Naito Rongu (All Night Long)
Year – 1992
Director – Katsuya Matsumura
Three young men witness a murder and end up descending into the violence of the Tokyo night life. The whole All Night Long trilogy is exceedingly disturbing and it kicks off with this movie. A thriller that is as visceral as it is violent, and when they add perversion into the mix, this can actually be a tough watch for some people. Absolutely brutal movie, very memorable and worth seeking out. Watch all three in the series.
Splatter: Naked Blood
Year – 1996
Director – Hisayasu Sato
A scientist develops a drug that transforms pain into pleasure and the test subjects end up devolving into violence and self mutilation in search of orgasmic bliss. I'm sure you notice the trend here of differing subject matters being thrown together and somehow working. I feel this is where Japanese horror really stands out. Here we have the perversion of a movie like Blind Beast and it's meshing with the splatter of something like Evil Dead Trap. It all comes together to create something truly unique. Great movie.
Rubber's Lover
Year – 1996
Director – Shozin Fukui
Scientists test out their brain altering drug on various subjects which leads to bizarre and violent reactions. When you want really strange horror, and I mean really strange horror, look no further than this fine film. Take aesthetic elements of Tetsuo, ramp up the overall weirdness, inject new levels of splatter and top it off with more cyberpunk visuals and you have something undeniably creative and a movie that stands on its own.
Kokkuri
Year – 1997
Director – Takahisa Zeze
Three schoolgirls gather around the Ouija board to summon a spirit that will fulfill their desires, which of course leads to disastrous consequences. I love this movie and it really is a solid precursor to modern Japanese horror. It has all the elements we have come to know and love. The supernatural nature, teen protagonists, high atmosphere, slow burn. Such an enjoyable movie on many levels.
Parasite Eve
Year – 1997
Director – Masayuki Ochiai
A biologist uses his research to resurrect his dead wife but ends up making her the host of a terrifying new species. And let's cap this off with some biological horror. No doubt you're familiar with the video game series, but now watch the movie that is, from what I understand, closer to the source material. Regardless, it's a great movie, crazy awesome sequences. I could only imagine how insane it could have been with a big budget.
So this is honestly just a taste of the rich tapestry that is Japanese horror, but does provide a nice timeline for the various sub genres and styles we see today. These are just personal favorites and I invite each and every one of you to branch out and discover even more that Japan has to offer.
Have you listened to our HORROR Podcast? This week on Beyond The Void Horror Podcast. We got in the Halloween spirit with The Amittyville Horror Trilogy. Rebecca Rinehart joins to talk about The Amittyville Horror (1979), Amittyville 2 The Possession (1982) & Amittyville 3-D (1983). It was a fun episode! Check it out! Listen on iTunes Here or on Spotify here!