Globalize your film collection

The list of Hollywood films influenced by Asian cinema is ever lengthening. Films like Dragonball Evolution, Kill Bill and The Uninvited were adapted and inspired by Japanese anime, Hong Kong action, Chinese martial arts, and South Korean horror. Hollywood’s fervor is a testament to the quality of Asian-produced film over the past decades. Here are some recent films from the region you ought to watch:

1. If you like period war films like Troy, watch mainland Chinese films Red Cliff (2008) and Red Cliff 2 (2009).

Directed by John Woo (Mission: Impossible II), the film beat out Titanic for the highest grossing box office film in China. Red Cliff is based on an episode from classic Chinese military novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Set in 208 A.D. – when China was divided into three states – the film depicts the epic and decisive battle for Red Cliff and the socio-political forces behind the fight. Red Cliff is the most expensively produced Asian film to date.

2. If you like monster films like Cloverfield, you will definitely enjoy South Korean film The Host (2006).

Riding on the Korean pop wave, South Korean commercial film burst into the international market beginning in the late 1990s. Directed by Bong Joon-Ho, The Host was the all-time highest-grossing film in South Korea. This intense thriller tells the story of a dysfunctional family attempting to rescue their daughter from a monster’s lair after it captures her along Seoul’s Han river.

3. If you like erotic thrillers like Basic Instinct, you will enjoy Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution (2007).

Set during World War II when China was resistant to Japanese imperialism, the film tells the story of a group of revolutionary Chinese students who band together to assassinate a high-level government official aiding the Japanese. Largely a Taiwanese production, the film is controversial for its explicit sex scenes involving the female temptress sent by the revolutionaries to bait the Japanese collaborator.

4. If you like Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, watch Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs (2002).

In the late '80s, Hong Kong mafia, martial arts, and slapstick comedy film commanded an impressive following across Asia. But starting in the late '90s, piracy issues and foreign exports dominated the industry. Infernal Affairs, a story about two moles – one in the police and one in the mafia – and their intertwining fate, became a hit during these times and subsequently a beacon of hope for the Hong Kong film industry. The Departed is an American adaptation of this Hong Kong cop thriller by Alan Mak.

5. If you are into indie fare, watch Singapore Dreaming (2006) from Singapore, Cape No. 7 (2008) from Taiwan, and All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001) from Japan.

Singapore Dreaming tells the story of an average family aspiring to achieve the Singapore dream of material abundance. All About Lily Chou-Chou depicts the dark side of youth culture in Japan, while Cape No. 7 portrays a group of rag-tag musicians. Many foreigners write off these films due to their abundant localized references in the plot and dialogue. Nevertheless, these films were extremely popular in the respective countries and the stories should resonate with audiences around the world.