Japan
Lu Over the Wall combines a basic coming-of-age story with folkloric legend to concoct a tale of self-discovery that is incredibly messy, but also very beautiful.
95 And 6 To Go follows the Takesues in a one-of-a-kind document; exploring the family’s innately meaningful transgenerational memories.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower feels truly timeless, an animated classic in waiting that will delight audiences both young and old. Hiromasa Yonebayashi has captured the very essence of Studio Ghibli for this first Studio Ponoc effort.
In this retrospective guide, we examine the work of recently deceased filmmaker Isao Takahata, one of the pioneers of Studio Ghibli.
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest film The Third Murder is a complex, rewarding legal thriller that is a notable departure from his usual humanist approach to character studies.
Koreeda Hirokazu’s intimate family drama After the Storm captures a side of Tokyo rarely seen in cinema, as well as beautifully depicting a turbulent familial relationship with glimmering hope.
Oh Lucy! is an inventive and poignant story that’s remarkably relatable, touching on loneliness and the sometimes outrageous lengths one will go to to escape the world and discover one’s own happiness.
In This Corner of the World is a beautifully captured and quietly tragic animation, which succeeds due to how it captures the sadness underneath the mundanity of life in a war-torn country.
Masaaki Yuasa is known for his dynamic anime, which take inspiration from surreal 1960s-70s animation and Golden Age Disney films.
With his hundredth film, director Takashi Miike shows no signs of slowing down, with another fantastic, blood-soaked cinematic treat.
Never thought much about Japanese pop idols? Then this disturbing yet insightful documentary, Tokyo Idols, from Kyoto Miyake definitely will.
Happy Hour excels in every way a narrative film can, leaving no stone unturned in its examination of different aspects of social life.
Like all Godzilla films, Shin Godzilla criticises how governments respond to disasters – but in this film, it’s not nuclear, but natural disaster.
Ghost in the Shell is full of visual splendor, yet ultimately lacks the originality or prowess of the original Japanese anime film.
Blending grounded animation with fantasy, Only Yesterday is a stunning work from Studio Ghibli, expressing down-to-earth life in the country.