Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Asian films that everyone should see at least once
20
items Films from across East Asian cinema that I think everyone should experience at least once. Some are beautiful, some unsettling, some heartbreaking, and some completely unforgettable.
This one is painful but incredibly moving. It explores bullying, loneliness, pressure, and finding someone who makes you feel less alone without making any of it feel easy.
Better Days (2019) by Derek Tsang Kwok-Cheung
One of those films I’d watch for the atmosphere alone. The quiet longing, beautiful cinematography, and everything left unsaid make it feel almost like a memory.
In the Mood for Love (2000) by Wong Kar-Wai
Completely chaotic in the best possible way. Beneath all the absurdity, it's surprisingly tender, especially when it comes to family, regret, and choosing to care about each other.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
One of those childhood movies that somehow feels completely different when you watch it again as an adult. Strange, beautiful, comforting, and quietly profound.
Spirited Away (2001) by Hayao Miyazaki
Gorgeous, twisted, and constantly making you question what you're actually watching. Every reveal changes the story you thought you knew.
The Handmaiden (2016) by Park Chan-wook
Pure visual poetry. The colors, costumes, choreography, and tragic romance make this feel like watching a painting come to life.
House of Flying Daggers (2004) by
Zhang Yimou
A devastating story about friendship, love, identity, and loyalty set against decades of upheaval. It’s the kind of film that gets heavier the more you think about it.
Farewell My Concubine (1993) by
Chen Kaige
Beautiful but absolutely heartbreaking. This is one of those films that reminds you animation can tell stories with an emotional weight that stays with you.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988) by Isao Takahata
One of those movies where I’d tell you to go in knowing as little as possible. It starts deceptively simple and keeps changing underneath you until you're left thinking about it long after the credits.
Parasite (2019) by Bong Joon Ho
Dark and deeply uncomfortable, but impossible to dismiss. This one explores guilt, violence, loneliness, and redemption in a way that really makes you sit with what you've watched.
Pieta (2012) by Kim Ki-duk
If you like crime thrillers where nobody is quite who they seem, put this on your list. The cat-and-mouse tension between an undercover cop and a police mole is ridiculously good.
Infernal Affairs (2002) by Alan Mak Siu-Fai & Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Definitely not a light watch, but one of the Korean thrillers that really stayed with me. It takes the revenge story somewhere incredibly dark and keeps asking how far vengeance can actually go.
I Saw the Devil (2010) by Kim Jee-woon
Ridiculously funny, wonderfully chaotic, and somehow still genuinely cool. This is the kind of movie I can rewatch whenever I just want to have fun.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) by Stephen Chow
Go into this one knowing as little as possible. The mystery, brutal action, and psychological twists make it one of those films you won't easily forget.
Oldboy (2003) by Park Chan-wook
This is what I think of when people talk about movies that are both breathtaking and genuinely emotional. The action is beautiful, but the characters and their restrained emotions are what stayed with me.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Ang Lee
I went in expecting a zombie movie and got something much more emotional than I expected. The action is intense, but the relationships are what make this one hit.
Train to Busan (2016) by Yeon Sang-ho
Beautiful in a way that almost feels suffocating. The controlled visuals and quiet tension make the story's power dynamics feel even more unsettling.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) by Zhang Yimou
One I’d recommend when you want something centered around family, identity, and the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. It feels especially meaningful because of how differently each generation understands the other.
The Joy Luck Club (1993) by Wayne Wang
If you're here for extravagant costumes, enormous sets, and beautifully staged palace drama, this is so worth seeing. Everything looks impossibly lavish while the story underneath becomes increasingly tense.
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) by Zhang Yimou
One of the most beautiful animated films I've ever come across. Its hand-drawn style feels delicate and dreamy, while the story underneath it is much more bittersweet than you might expect.
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013) by Isao Takahata