This French body horror film follows woman with a metal plate in her head from a childhood car accident who embarks on a bizarre journey, bringing her into contact with a firefighter who’s reunited with his missing son after 10 years.
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Turns out you can condense a lot of drama into films that are under 40 minutes. See which film will rise to the top this year. Past winners include The Neighbors Window (2019) and The Long Goodbye (2022).
Read MoreFilmmakers in this category tell fantastic and true stories that will change your worldview in documentaries that are under 40 minutes.
Read MoreDon’t miss the best short animated films of the year. This category always packs a punch with short films that can be anything from adorable and sweet to dark and harrowing. Past winners include Peter & the Wolf (2007), Bao (2018), and Hair Love (2019).
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The story is about a young boy named Lubicchi and a trashman named Poupelle who meet on a…
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Sleek and smart, director Takeshi Kitano’s film examines the extreme violence of Japanese mobs and contrasts it with the reserved nature of Japanese culture in a knock out film that redefines the yakuza genre.
While a group of gangsters wait for trouble to pass in a remote beach house, the violent habits of career criminals seep through in games and amusements — until their time is up and they can’t hide from the yakuza lifestyle any longer.
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Masahiro Shinoda was a pioneer in Japanese new wave noirs, and he applies his mastery of mood and character to the yazuka genre in Pale Flower. When a gangster is released from prison, he tries to find his footing in the gambling underworld of his gang when he encounters a wealthy and beautiful thrill seeker who draws him into her web. Together and apart they enter a self-destructive spiral.
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In the yakuza genre of Japanese Cinema, Tokyo Drifter is a staple. Director Seijun Suzuki adds a 1960s pop art aesthetic to a classic tale of a badass gang enforcer trying to go straight… but his old rival has other plans for him.
One of the best Japanese films ever made, Tokyo Drifter is thrilling, stylish, and exciting. It’s got the look of a classic Bond movie, but a darker feel thanks to a seedy and dark narrative that makes it a classic yakuza film.
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Kurosawa’s Stray Dog plays like a Hollywood detective noir set in gritty post-war Tokyo.
Japanese cinema legend Toshiro Mifune gives a raw and magnetic performance as a young detective who loses his gun and tries to save face by tracking it down before reporting it stolen. His search leads him to the slums and criminal underbelly of the city, where a veteran detective helps him find it before it’s used in a violent crime.
With experimental shots and lingering scenes, this early Kurosawa hints at the master director that was to come.
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One of director Masaki Kobayashi’s greatest films, Samurai Rebellion is set in the Edo period of Japan, where…
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