watch 43 Asian movies

Plot: The film tells the story of an investigative reporter, Ji-won, who has recently published a controversial article about sex scandals, and has since began receiving a series of menacing phone calls.

Cast: Ji-won Ha, Suh-woo Eun, Woo-je Choi, Yu-mi Kim

Origin: South Korea

Comment: This is one scary film.

Dark, uncomfortable, stylish, with the most frightening child imaginable (forget Damien – this is a w-h-o-l-e new thing here). Several moments where the viewer is likely to jump out of their seat and splash their drink all over the place.

Not a movie for red wine drinkers!

Plot: The story of two killers, “O” and Tok, who have different ideals. Both are determined to become the number one professional killer. At the end, which one will survive?

Cast: Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Kelly Lin

Origin: Hong Kong

Comment: This one’s superb. Full of dazzling John Woo style sequences, strong and believable characters, violence with a high body count, non-stop action. It’s pretty much got everything to keep the viewer watching. I loved it!

Plot: A man is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years and his wife is brutally murdered. On his release, he is given a wallet full of money and a mobile phone. After a search, the man finally comes face to face with his kidnapper, and the kidnapper gives him five days to unravel the mystery before he, or his girlfriend, will die.

Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong

Origin: South Korea

Comment: Beautifully filmed and a very dark plot. Absolutely astonishing, but not for the faint-hearted as it breaks a number of conventions about what can and cannot appear in film. Winner of the Grand Prix du Jury at Cannes in 2004.

Plot: Ming and Yan lead parallel lives: Ming is a Triad mole in the police department; Yan is a police stooge in mob boss Sam’s triad gang. Both men have a desire to put their false lives behind them and to take up their rightful places in a society that eludes them.

Cast: Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

Origin: Hong Kong

Comment: Excellent thriller which is the first of a highly-acclaimed trilogy which broke all-time box office records in Hong Kong. Similar in feel to Michael Mann’s “Heat”, I feel this one probably has the edge. The wonderfully scary Eric Tsang is up to his usual high standard. Great stuff.

Plot: Exiled in disgrace when a mission turns to tragedy, special forces agent Yem is plunged into a game of deadly conflict with terrorist overlord Mishima, in a murky republic of the former Soviet Union.

Cast: Chu Man Chuk, Shu Qi, Andrew Lin, Ken Wong.

Origin: Hong Kong

Comment: This is pretty good. Lots of fast action scenes, with plenty of modern martial arts and guns. The cinematography is impressive too. I enjoyed it.

Plot: When hardened terrorist Todd Chou receives a serious head injury during a desperate bid to gain control of a biological super-weapon, he awakens in the care of an elite counter-terrorist unit, but with no recollection of his past life.

Cast: Daniel Wu, Joan Chen, Hwok Leung-gan, Emil Chow, Josie Ho

Origin: Hong Kong

Comment: This is a very enjoyable action thriller. It’s a good example of the kind of big bucks movies, set in the present or near future, that studios in Hong Kong are so experienced at making these days. I was thoroughly caught up in the action sequences and the complex interplay between the characters. I’d watch it again.

I meant to add an entry about this earlier, since I started at the beginning of the year.

I’ve watched 5 already this year!