Horror movies in Asia are inspired mainly by national, cultural, or religious folklore, particularly beliefs in ghosts or spirits. In Asian horror, there is a widespread and engrained acceptance of supernatural forces in many Asian cultures. These supernatural forces suggest associations with animist, pantheist, and karmic religious traditions. Asian countries like China, Japan, Thailand, and Korea are the leading countries that have arguably received the most international attention in the horror genre.
This curated list consists of the 21 scariest Asian horror movies to watch.
21- Ringu [1998]
Stylized as the Ring in English and Japanese, the movie was released as Ringu in North America and is based on the 1991 novel by Japanese writer, Koji Suzuki. Ringu follows the story of a reporter who investigates the mystery behind a cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after watching it. After its release, Ringu influenced Western cinema and gained cult status in the West. When the movie was released in Japan, it coincided with the release of The Blair Witch Project [another horror movie released in the United States]. The movie helped to reawaken the horror genre by taking a more restrained approach to horror, leaving much of the terror to the audience’s imagination. Its influence also led to several sequels, remakes, and even a television series. Hideo Nakata directed the 1998 movie and starred Japanese actress Nanako Matsushima, widely regarded as one of the finest Japanese TV actresses. Ringu is available for streaming on Prime Video.
20- Ju-On: The Grudge [2002]
The 2002 Japanese horror film was written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. In Ju-On; The Grudge, there is a brutal murder; a curse is set upon its location. The curse manifests as horrifying pale-faced spirits that appear at the most mistimed moments. While the horror flick was quite a hit when it dropped, it was unfavorably compared to Ringu. Like Ringu, the movie scored several remakes and a prequel television series available on streaming platforms. The original film starred Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Takashi Matsuyama, and Yui Ichikawa. Ju-On; The Grudge is streaming on Prime Video.
19- Train to Busan [2016]
Squid Game actor Gong Yoo stars in th first installments of Train to Busan, a South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang. The film’s plot revolves around a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan as a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out in the country and threatens the safety of the passengers. Alongside Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Ma Dong-Seok, and Jung Yu-mi also appeared in the 1hour 58minutes movie. Train to Busan is available for streaming on Prime Video.
18- One Cut of the Dead [2017]
Tagged as a zombie comedy film, One Cut of the Dead follows the story of a team of actors and filmmakers who are tasked with shooting a zombie film for live television, and they must accomplish that in a single take. The movie is divided into three sections; the first section explores how the actors and filmmakers turn into zombies, the second section explores the personal lives of the real cast and crew, and the third section depicts the chaotic shooting of One Cut of the Dead from behind the scene. The horror movie has a sequel and a french remake in work. You can watch the movie on Prime Video.
17- 23:59 [2011]
23:59 follows the tale of a platoon of recruits in 1983 who are about to complete training on a jungle island. They hear a ghost story about a madwoman living on the island who has died at 23:59 [11:59PM] and that her spirit would haunt the camp. As the plot progresses, several strange occurrences happen among the camp members. Gilbert Chan directs 23:59 and you can watch it on Netflix and Prime Video now.
16- Ugestu [1953]
Before Ringu established itself as one of the most successful Asian horror movie in 1999, Ugestu was released and was regarded as a masterwork of Japanese cinema and a definitive piece during Japan’s Golden Age of Film. It is set in a war-torn civil Japan, where a peasant farmer and potter risk leaving his wife and young son behind to make money selling pottery and is seduced by a spirit that makes him forget all about his family. The movie helped popularize Japanese cinema in the West and influenced Japanese film. Ugestu gathers a phenomenal cast of Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo, and Kinuyo Tanaka, Kenji Mizoguchi directs it. You can watch it now on Prime Video.
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15- Macabre [2009]
https://youtu.be/TQQ-tKv900w
The 2009 horror film- Macabre is based on a 2007 short film and follows a group of unfortunate travelers who come across a beautiful and distressed woman named Maya, who has been robbed and stranded, only to discover later that she’s from a family of cannibals who belong to a secret society attempting to gain immortality. Macabre has been pegged as Indonesia’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie is bloody and fairly scary. It has an all Indonesian cast, namely Shareefa Daanish, Imelda Therinne, Arifin Putra, Ruli Lubis, Ario Bayu, and Sigi Wimala. You can watch it now on Prime Video.
14- Reincarnation [2005]
The 2005 Japanese horror film centers on a hopeful actress who lands a role in a film that takes her, the cast, and the crew to a hotel where the present collides with the past. The 95 minutes movie was directed by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu and it is streaming on Prime Video.
13- Alone [2007]
Alone is a 2007 Thai horror film that stars Thai-German pop singer Marsha Vadhanapanich. Her appearance in Alone marks her first film role in 15 years. The movie depicts the story of twin sisters Pim and Ploy, who are both conjoined at the stomach. However, they soon both fall for a boy. Jealousy sinks in things take a different turn. A surgery to separate from each other leads to one of them passing away. Many years after the event, the ghost of one of the deceased twins starts to haunt the other. Alone was a commercial success in Thailand and became the 21st highest-grossing film of 2007. It has been remade thrice in India with different Indian actresses portraying the character of Pim and Ploy from the origin movie.
12- Dumplings [2004]
https://youtu.be/Az2q1h6SsUw
Dumplings is written by Hong Kong novelist, screenwriter, and reporter, Lilian Lee, directed by Fruit Chan, and produced by Peter Chan and Eric Tsang. In the movie, a former actress seeks the help of a local chef who cooks dumplings believed to be effective for rejuvenation. However, the secret ingredient for the rejuvenating dumplings is revealed to be unborn fetuses. Dumplings is one of those horror movies that will leave you disgusted and feeling uneasy, but it’s impossible to look away because it’s also surprisingly entertaining. It is available for streaming on Prime Video.
