After watching Ring and The Grudge, some horror fans can be at a loss of where to go next. Here is an eclectic mix of J-Horror for you to try out next.
Audition, 1999, Dir. Takashi Miike A lonely widower holds an audition in order to find a girlfriend. Unfortunately for him, the woman he selects has some dark secrets that destroy their relationship and even his life.
Battle Royale, 2000, Dir. Kinji Fukasaku A class of delinquents is stranded on an island, forced to kill each other over the next three days. If there isn’t one person left at the end of those three days, everyone dies. Hell breaks loose, with friendships and rivalries being taken to whole new levels.
Dark Water, 2002, Dir. Hideo Nakata A recently divorced mother moves into a run-down apartment building with her daughter. The constant presence of a mysterious handbag, dripping water, and strange appearances of a dead girl threaten the mother’s sanity.
Hausu, 1977, Dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi Six girls travel to one of their aunt’s house for vacation. But after decades of living alone, is the aunt still the same woman she was?
Ichi the Killer, 2001, Dir. Takashi Miike Depraved hitman Kakihara is out for revenge when his gang’s boss is taken out by a mysterious assassin. What follows is a blend of dark humor and disturbingly graphic imagery.
I'm not sure if you would call Battle Royale a horror, but it did have its gruesome moments. I can't believe I was able to watch that on my own! – YsabelGo8 years ago
I thought I left a comment but maybe it didn't go through. If you're talking about great horrors and you include Hausu and Onibaba, I feel there is a need for Jigoku and Kwaiden. Otherwise, solid list of the Japanese horror notables. – Connor8 years ago
I've never experienced Japanese horror. It sounds interesting! – trapgrandma8 years ago
I'm afraid of scary things. They didn't actually used to bother me. I can pinpoint the EXACT movie that ended my scary movie watching. The Ring hahaha. Never been the same. I had to have my parents remove my TV from my room so I could sleep. So I'm sorry to say, that even though a lot of these sound super interesting, I'm going to stick to the ones clearly marked as "more suspense than horror." Haha. – Tatijana8 years ago
Great list! I'll be sure to check these out. – Emily Deibler8 years ago
Japanese are the best at horror! – crolins8 years ago
Japanese are the best at horror! – crolins8 years ago
You always gotta love a brilliant Japanese horror! – Kevin Mohammed8 years ago
Good article! I'll check it out. – lolreconlol8 years ago
Japanese has made many famous horrors like Ju-On. I don't think Battle Royale is the horror for real but it is an exceptional piece to define the human ugliness. – moonyuet8 years ago
Great list: I especially enjoyed Uzumaki! – Barselaar8 years ago