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(Photo by Walt Disney Pictures, Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Certified Fresh Japanese Movies

Japan rose to almost immediate cinematic prominence with the one-two punch of Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 Tokyo Story and Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 Seven Samurai, part of a creatively fertile post-war period that saw similar artistic strides in Italy, France, and Sweden. Ozu’s deeply human drama and Kurosawa’s action-genre big bang are both Certified Fresh, meaning they’ve maintained a 75% after at least 40 critics reviews. That’s the only Ozu movie on our guide to Japanese Certified Fresh films (though plenty of his movies are currently 100%, they don’t meet the minimum reviews threshold), while Kurosawa appears five more times with Rashomon, Ikiru, Throne of Blood, Yojimbo, and Ran.

Others director featured in our guide to Certified Fresh films produced in Japan include Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), genre icon Takeshi Kitano (Zatoichi), Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno (Shin Godzilla), the impossibly prolific Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins), and Yojiro Takita, whose Departures took home the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award in 2008, a first for Japan.

Anime has been one of Japan’s greatest entertainment exports, with Hayao Miyazaki’s films (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) at the forefront. Other prominent animation directors include Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, The Tale of Princess Kaguya), Makoto Shinkai (Your Name, Weathering With You), Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue), and Mamoru Hosada (Mirai).

Read on for our guide to Certified Fresh Japanese movies! And let us know your favorite films from Japan (Certified Fresh or not!) in the comments. —Alex Vo

#64

Norwegian Wood (2010)
74%

#64
Adjusted Score: 75895%
Critics Consensus: Norwegian Wood is a poetic adaptation of the Haruki Murakami novel that uses rapturous visuals to draw viewers in its exploration of young love and lasting death.
Synopsis: Toru thinks back to the '60s when he grew close to Naoko after his friend Kizuki killed himself.... [More]
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Kenichi Matsuyama, Tetsuji Tamayama, Kengo Kôra
Directed By: Tran Anh Hung

#63
#63
Adjusted Score: 77895%
Critics Consensus: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai adds an atypically restrained entry to the Takashi Miike filmography that loses little impact in favoring human drama over action.
Synopsis: A samurai (Ebizô Ichikawa) asks permission to commit ritual suicide in the courtyard of a prominent feudal lord and hears... [More]
Starring: Ebizô Ichikawa, Eita Nagayama, Hikari Mitsushima, Naoto Takenaka
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#62
#62
Adjusted Score: 81929%
Critics Consensus: A whimsically engaging sex comedy.
Synopsis: Brimming with magical realism, sensuality, and humor, the final film by revered filmmaker Shohei Imamura is "an enlightening, even liberating,... [More]
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baishô, Mansaku Fuwa
Directed By: Shôhei Imamura

#61

Perfect Blue (1997)
83%

#61
Adjusted Score: 86149%
Critics Consensus: Perfect Blue is overstylized, but its core mystery is always compelling, as are the visual theatrics.
Synopsis: A mysterious figure stalks a pop star when she becomes an actor on a television show.... [More]
Starring: Bridget Hoffman, Stephen Apostolina, Bob Buchholz, Steve Bulen
Directed By: Satoshi Kon

#60

Outrage (2010)
82%

#60
Adjusted Score: 83004%
Critics Consensus: Outrage packs enough violent impact to satisfy - even if fans of writer-director Takeshi Kitano will find themselves familiar with many of its ingredients.
Synopsis: After his men go too far in their confrontation with a rival gang, a yakuza henchman (Beat Takeshi) gets caught... [More]
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shiina, Ryô Kase, Tomokazu Miura
Directed By: Takeshi Kitano

#59

Departures (2008)
80%

#59
Adjusted Score: 83824%
Critics Consensus: If slow and predictable, Departures is a quiet, life affirming story.
Synopsis: Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) learns that his orchestra is disbanding. Daigo and his wife... [More]
Starring: Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryôko Hirosue, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Directed By: Yojiro Takita

#58
#58
Adjusted Score: 85390%
Critics Consensus: Dragon Ball Super: Broly may seem like colorful chaos to newcomers, but for longtime fans, it represents this long-running franchise near its action-packed apogee.
Synopsis: Goku and Vegeta encounter Broly, a Saiyan warrior.... [More]
Starring: Vic Mignogna, Christopher Sabat, Jason Douglas, Sean Schemmel
Directed By: Tatsuya Nagamine

#57

Audition (1999)
83%

#57
Adjusted Score: 86682%
Critics Consensus: An audacious, unsettling Japanese horror film from director Takashi Miike, Audition entertains as both a grisly shocker and a psychological drama.
Synopsis: This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer... [More]
Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura, Miyuki Matsuda
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#56

Sweet Bean (2015)
85%

#56
Adjusted Score: 87131%
Critics Consensus: Sweet Bean's deliberate pace demands patience, but the satisfying simplicity of its story -- and Kirin Kiki's absorbing performance -- yield an array of riches well worth the wait.
Synopsis: A baker's (Masatoshi Nagase) business takes off when he hires an eccentric 76-year-old woman (Kirin Kiki) who specializes in making... [More]
Starring: Kirin Kiki, Masatoshi Nagase, Kyara Uchida, Miyoko Asada
Directed By: Naomi Kawase

#55

Paprika (2006)
86%

#55
Adjusted Score: 89266%
Critics Consensus: Following its own brand of logic, Paprika is an eye-opening mind trip that is difficult to follow but never fails to dazzle.
Synopsis: Dr. Atsuko Chiba works as a scientist by day and, under the code name "Paprika," is a dream detective at... [More]
Starring: Cindy Robinson, Yuri Lowenthal, Michael Forest, David Lodge
Directed By: Satoshi Kon

#54

Metropolis (2001)
87%

#54
Adjusted Score: 88750%
Critics Consensus: A remarkable technical achievement, Metropolis' eye-popping visuals more than compensate for its relatively routine story.
Synopsis: Visually stunning Japanese anime interpretation of Fritz Lang's classic film, also based on Osamu Tezuka's outstanding 1945 illustrations. A Japanese... [More]
Starring: Tarô Ishida, Kousei Tomita, Kei Kobayashi, Yuka Imoto
Directed By: Rintaro

#53

Shin Godzilla (2016)
86%

#53
Adjusted Score: 88777%
Critics Consensus: Godzilla Resurgence offers a refreshingly low-fi -- and altogether entertaining -- return to the monster's classic creature-feature roots.
Synopsis: A mysterious monster emerges from Tokyo Bay and wreaks havoc upon Japan.... [More]
Starring: Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Satomi Ishihara, Jun Kunimura, Hiroki Hasegawa
Directed By: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

#52
#52
Adjusted Score: 90878%
Critics Consensus: Gentle and nostalgic, From Up on Poppy Hill is one of Studio Ghibli's sweeter efforts -- and if it doesn't push the boundaries of the genre, it remains as engagingly lovely as Ghibli fans have come to expect.
Synopsis: Yokohama teens try to save their school's clubhouse from being demolished.... [More]
Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Jun'ichi Okada, Keiko Takeshita, Yuriko Ishida
Directed By: Goro Miyazaki

#51
#51
Adjusted Score: 91657%
Critics Consensus: Blade of the Immortal highlights Takashi Miike's flair for balletic violence, making up what it lacks in strict originality with rich characterizations and kinetic thrills.
Synopsis: Cursed with immortality, a highly skilled samurai in feudal Japan promises to help a young woman avenge the death of... [More]
Starring: Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#50

The Third Murder (2017)
87%

#50
Adjusted Score: 90840%
Critics Consensus: The Third Murder makes satisfying work of its weighty themes, even if it doesn't quite stand with writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda's best efforts.
Synopsis: Well-known attorney Shigemori takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi, who served jail time for another murder 30 years... [More]
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#49
#49
Adjusted Score: 90111%
Critics Consensus: Sensitively written, smartly directed, and powerfully performed, Like Father, Like Son uses familiar-seeming elements to tell a thought-provoking story.
Synopsis: Ryota learns that his biological son was switched at birth with the boy he has raised, and he must make... [More]
Starring: Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Masaharu Fukuyama, Lily Franky
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#48

Zatoichi (2003)
87%

#48
Adjusted Score: 90968%
Critics Consensus: Colorful, rich with action and wonderfully choreographed, Takeshi Kitano takes on the classic samurai character with his own brand of cinematic flair.
Synopsis: Blind traveler Zatoichi (Beat Takeshi) is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games.... [More]
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ohkusu, Yui Natsukawa
Directed By: Takeshi Kitano

#47
#47
Adjusted Score: 92889%
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely illustrated by master animator Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle will delight children with its fantastical story and touch the hearts and minds of older viewers as well.
Synopsis: Sophie (Emily Mortimer) has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends... [More]
Starring: Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#46

Battle Royale (2000)
90%

#46
Adjusted Score: 91253%
Critics Consensus: Battle Royale is a controversial and violent parable of adolescence, heightening teenage melodrama with life-or-death stakes.
Synopsis: 42 9th graders are sent to a deserted island. They are given a map, food, and various weapons. An explosive... [More]
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Taro Yamamoto, Masanobu Andô
Directed By: Kinji Fukasaku

#45

Wife of a Spy (2020)
89%

#45
Adjusted Score: 91419%
Critics Consensus: A finely calibrated WWII-era thriller, Wife of a Spy delicately balances the weight of national loyalty against our moral obligations to our fellow human beings.
Synopsis: The year is 1940 in Kobe, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. Local merchant and amateur... [More]
Starring: Yû Aoi, Issey Takahashi, Masahiro Higashide, Ryota Bando
Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

#44
#44
Adjusted Score: 90600%
Critics Consensus: The Boy and the Beast combines familiar parts to create a gripping, beautifully animated adventure with inventive storytelling to match its visual appeal.
Synopsis: Kyuta slips into an alternate universe where he is raised by a bear-man, Kumatetsu. Kyuta is eventually thrust into an... [More]
Starring: Kumiko Asô, Rirî Furankî, Suzu Hirose, Haru Kuroki
Directed By: Mamoru Hosoda

#43

The Wind Rises (2013)
88%

#43
Adjusted Score: 96119%
Critics Consensus: The Wind Rises is a fittingly bittersweet swan song for director Hayao Miyazaki.
Synopsis: A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M... [More]
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki, Gary Rydstrom

#42
#42
Adjusted Score: 93365%
Critics Consensus: Mary and the Witch's Flower honors its creator's Studio Ghibli roots with a gentle, beautifully animated story whose simplicity is rounded out by its entrancing visuals.
Synopsis: Young Mary follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest and discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower,... [More]
Starring: Ruby Barnhill, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent
Directed By: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

#41
#41
Adjusted Score: 91220%
Critics Consensus: My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising sends fans of the saga on an exhilarating adventure that ends the series on a beautifully animated high note.
Synopsis: Deku and the rest of the heroes of Class 1-A must save a group of islanders from a powerful villain.... [More]
Starring: Justin Briner, Clifford Chapin, Johnny Yong Bosch, Maxey Whitehead
Directed By: Kenji Nagasaki

#40
#40
Adjusted Score: 93879%
Critics Consensus: Belladonna of Sadness has more than enough brilliant visual artistry to keep audiences enraptured even as the film's narrative reach slightly exceeds its grasp.
Synopsis: A peasant woman is banished from her village and makes a deal with the devil to gain magical powers.... [More]
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Aiko Nagayama, Masaya Takahashi, Masakane Yonekura
Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto

#39

Akira (1988)
91%

#39
Adjusted Score: 95423%
Critics Consensus: Akira is strikingly bloody and violent, but its phenomenal animation and sheer kinetic energy helped set the standard for modern anime.
Synopsis: In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019,... [More]
Starring: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tessho Genda
Directed By: Katsuhiro Ohtomo

#38

Mirai (2018)
91%

#38
Adjusted Score: 94975%
Critics Consensus: The simplicity and colorful warmth of Mirai's animation is underscored by a story with surprising - and deeply affecting - depth and emotional resonance.
Synopsis: A young boy named Kun feels forgotten by his family when his little sister Mirai arrives. Running away from home,... [More]
Starring: Haru Kuroki, Moka Kamishiraishi, Gen Hoshino, Kôji Yakusho
Directed By: Mamoru Hosoda

#37

True Mothers (2020)
91%

#37
Adjusted Score: 92809%
Critics Consensus: True Mothers uses an intractable conflict to explore the bonds of parenthood with director/co-writer Naomi Kawase's usual sensitivity and grace.
Synopsis: An adopted son's mother receives an unexpected visit from the boy's biological mother.... [More]
Starring: Arata Iura, Hiromi Nagasaku, Aju Makita, Reo Sato
Directed By: Naomi Kawase

#36
#36
Adjusted Score: 96130%
Critics Consensus: When Marnie Was There is still blessed with enough visual and narrative beauty to recommend, even if it isn't quite as magical as Studio Ghibli's greatest works.
Synopsis: A tomboy (Hailee Steinfeld) explores a long-abandoned villa and meets a mysterious blonde girl only she can see.... [More]
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Kathy Bates, Mila Brener, Ellen Burstyn
Directed By: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

#35

Ponyo (2008)
91%

#35
Adjusted Score: 97772%
Critics Consensus: While not Miyazaki's best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that's a sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.
Synopsis: During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess encounters a human boy named Sosuke, who gives... [More]
Starring: Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#34
#34
Adjusted Score: 96328%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated and narratively engaging, Weathering with You further establishes writer-director Makoto Shinkai as a singularly talented filmmaker.
Synopsis: The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly... [More]
Starring: Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu
Directed By: Makoto Shinkai

#33
#33
Adjusted Score: 94381%
Critics Consensus: The story of an aging movie actress' complicated personal saga unfolds in this sophisticated anime film that deftly blurs memory and make-believe into a meditation on the nature of cinema itself.
Synopsis: In this animated movie, filmmaker Genya Tachibana begins work on a documentary about famed Japanese actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. Now well... [More]
Starring: Miyoko Shôji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shôzô Iizuka
Directed By: Satoshi Kon

#32

Godzilla (1954)
93%

#32
Adjusted Score: 102146%
Critics Consensus: More than straight monster-movie fare, Gojira offers potent, sobering postwar commentary.
Synopsis: A fire-breathing behemoth terrorizes Japan after an atomic bomb awakens it from its centuries-old sleep.... [More]
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi, Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata
Directed By: Ishirô Honda

#31

Nobody Knows (2004)
92%

#31
Adjusted Score: 94482%
Critics Consensus: Tragic and haunting, a beautifully heart-wrenching portrait of child abandonment.
Synopsis: Preteen Akira Fukushima (Yûya Yagira) and his young siblings have been abandoned by their mother, Keiko (You). Keiko, who has... [More]
Starring: Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#30
#30
Adjusted Score: 101067%
Critics Consensus: With its epic story and breathtaking visuals, Princess Mononoke is a landmark in the world of animation.
Synopsis: A prince becomes involved in the struggle between a forest princess and the encroachment of mechanization.... [More]
Starring: Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton, Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#29
#29
Adjusted Score: 97926%
Critics Consensus: My Neighbor Totoro is a heartwarming, sentimental masterpiece that captures the simple grace of childhood.
Synopsis: This acclaimed animated tale by director Hayao Miyazaki follows schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, as they settle into... [More]
Starring: Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Tim Daly, Lea Salonga
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#28

I Wish (2011)
93%

#28
Adjusted Score: 95349%
Critics Consensus: Elliptical and deliberately paced yet steadily absorbing, I Wish presents a beguiling portrait of childhood that grounds its sweetly nostalgic glow with well-rounded characters and attention to detail.
Synopsis: Forced to live apart due to their parents' separation, a sixth-grader (Koki Maeda) and his younger brother (Ohshiro Maeda) hatch... [More]
Starring: Koki Maeda, Ohshiro Maeda, Ryôga Hayashi, Kyara Uchida
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#27

Tokyo Sonata (2008)
94%

#27
Adjusted Score: 97019%
Critics Consensus: J-Horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa turns successfully to dramedy and gives a unique (and specifically national) perspective to the universal subjects of family and identity.
Synopsis: Ryûhei Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) is keeping a secret from his wife, Megumi (Kyôko Koizumi), and his two teenage sons. Even... [More]
Starring: Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyôko Koizumi, Kai Inowaki, Haruka Igawa
Directed By: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

#26

Yojimbo (1961)
96%

#26
Adjusted Score: 101100%
Critics Consensus: As effortlessly engaging as it is widely influential, Yojimbo represents Kurosawa at the peak of his powers -- and lays the groundwork for the modern American western.
Synopsis: A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master (Toshirô Mifune), enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival... [More]
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Eijiro Tono, Takashi Shimura
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#25

Throne of Blood (1957)
96%

#25
Adjusted Score: 102437%
Critics Consensus: A career high point for Akira Kurosawa -- and one of the best film adaptations of a Shakespeare play.
Synopsis: Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are waylaid by a spirit who... [More]
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#24

13 Assassins (2010)
95%

#24
Adjusted Score: 99835%
Critics Consensus: Takashi Miike's electric remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 period action film is a wild spectacle executed with killer, dizzying panache.
Synopsis: In this remake of a 1963 film based on historical events, Shinzaemon Shimada leads a team of assassins in 19th-century... [More]
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#23
#23
Adjusted Score: 99770%
Critics Consensus: Visually lush, refreshingly free of family-friendly clatter, and anchored with soulful depth, The Secret World of Arrietty lives up to Studio Ghibli's reputation.
Synopsis: Arrietty, a tiny teenager, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban home, unbeknown to the homeowner and... [More]
Starring: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, David Henrie, Will Arnett
Directed By: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Gary Rydstrom

#22

Ran (1985)
96%

#22
Adjusted Score: 104776%
Critics Consensus: Akira Kurosawa's sprawling, epic take on King Lear should be required viewing for fans of westerns, war movies, or period films in general.
Synopsis: At the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to... [More]
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#21

After the Storm (2016)
96%

#21
Adjusted Score: 101940%
Critics Consensus: After the Storm crosses cultural lines to offer timeless observations about parental responsibilities, personal bonds, and the capacity for forgiveness.
Synopsis: A dissolute private detective (Hiroshi Abe) attempts to reconnect with his distrustful family following the death of his father.... [More]
Starring: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Kirin Kiki, Taiyô Yoshizawa
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#20
#20
Adjusted Score: 99098%
Critics Consensus: A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the medium.
Synopsis: In this Japanese animation, cyborg federal agent Maj. Motoko Kusanagi (Mimi Woods) trails "The Puppet Master" (Abe Lasser), who illegally... [More]
Starring: Richard Epcar, Mimi Woods, William Frederick Knight, Tom Wyner
Directed By: Mamoru Oshii

#19

First Love (2019)
98%

#19
Adjusted Score: 103771%
Critics Consensus: First Love's blend of violence, comedy, and romance might seem disparate -- but for director Takashi Miike, it's just another wildly entertaining entry in a filmography full of them.
Synopsis: One night in Tokyo, a self-confident young boxer and a prostitute get caught up in a drug-smuggling plot involving organized... [More]
Starring: Masataka Kubota, Nao Ômori, Shôta Sometani, Jun Murakami
Directed By: Takashi Miike

#18

Spirited Away (2001)
96%

#18
Adjusted Score: 104148%
Critics Consensus: Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.
Synopsis: 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong... [More]
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#17
#17
Adjusted Score: 101433%
Critics Consensus: Kiki's Delivery Service is a heartwarming, gorgeously-rendered tale of a young witch discovering her place in the world.
Synopsis: In this anime feature, 13-year-old Kiki moves to a seaside town with her talking cat, Jiji, to spend a year... [More]
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Debbie Reynolds, Janeane Garofalo
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

#16
#16
Adjusted Score: 99992%
Critics Consensus: Demon Slayer's visually stunning animation and masterful action set pieces serve a heartfelt plot that is sure to satisfy fans.
Synopsis: Falling forever into an endless dream... Tanjiro and the group have completed their rehabilitation training at the Butterfly Mansion, and... [More]
Starring: Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook
Directed By: Haruo Sotozaki

#15
#15
Adjusted Score: 99992%
Critics Consensus: Demon Slayer's visually stunning animation and masterful action set pieces serve a heartfelt plot that is sure to satisfy fans.
Synopsis: Falling forever into an endless dream... Tanjiro and the group have completed their rehabilitation training at the Butterfly Mansion, and... [More]
Starring: Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook
Directed By: Haruo Sotozaki

#14

Ikiru (1952)
98%

#14
Adjusted Score: 107297%
Critics Consensus: Ikiru is a well-acted and deeply moving humanist tale about a man facing his own mortality, one of legendary director Akira Kurosawa's most intimate films.
Synopsis: Mr. Watanabe suddenly finds that he has terminal cancer. He vows to make his final days meaningful. His attempts to... [More]
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Miki Odagiri, Kyôko Seki
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#13

Rashomon (1950)
98%

#13
Adjusted Score: 106560%
Critics Consensus: One of legendary director Akira Kurosawa's most acclaimed films, Rashomon features an innovative narrative structure, brilliant acting, and a thoughtful exploration of reality versus perception.
Synopsis: Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the... [More]
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura, Masayuki Mori
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#12

Your Name (2016)
98%

#12
Adjusted Score: 103021%
Critics Consensus: As beautifully animated as it is emotionally satisfying, Your Name adds another outstanding chapter to writer-director Makoto Shinkai's filmography.
Synopsis: A teenage boy and girl embark on a quest to meet each other for the first time after they magically... [More]
Starring: Michael Sinterniklaas, Stephanie Sheh, Laura Post, Glynis Ellis
Directed By: Makoto Shinkai

#11
#11
Adjusted Score: 100700%
Critics Consensus: Samurai epic as a touching drama.
Synopsis: In 1860s Japan, samurai Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) lives in a rural village with his mother and daughters, where he is... [More]
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Directed By: Yôji Yamada

#10
#10
Adjusted Score: 102186%
Critics Consensus: Beautiful, thoughtful, and engrossing, Jiro Dreams of Sushi should prove satisfying even for filmgoers who don't care for the cuisine.
Synopsis: Revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up... [More]
Starring: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Yukio Watanabe
Directed By: David Gelb

#9

Shoplifters (2018)
99%

#9
Adjusted Score: 111277%
Critics Consensus: Understated yet ultimately deeply affecting, Shoplifters adds another powerful chapter to director Hirokazu Koreeda's richly humanistic filmography.
Synopsis: On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders is united by fierce loyalty and a penchant for petty... [More]
Starring: Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Mayu Matsuoka, Kirin Kiki
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 103619%
Critics Consensus: An achingly sad anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies is one of Studio Ghibli's most profoundly beautiful, haunting works.
Synopsis: A teenager (J. Robert Spencer) is charged with the care of his younger sister (Rhoda Chrosite) after an Allied firebombing... [More]
Starring: J. Robert Spencer, Rhoda Chrosite, Amy Jones, Kathleen McInerney
Directed By: Isao Takahata

#7

Tokyo Story (1953)
100%

#7
Adjusted Score: 106581%
Critics Consensus: Tokyo Story is a Yasujiro Ozu masterpiece whose rewarding complexity has lost none of its power more than half a century on.
Synopsis: The elderly Shukishi (Chishu Ryu) and his wife, Tomi (Chieko Higashiyama), take the long journey from their small seaside village... [More]
Starring: Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura
Directed By: Yasujirô Ozu

#6

Tampopo (1985)
100%

#6
Adjusted Score: 105057%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to director Juzo Itami's offbeat humor and sharp satirical edge, Tampopo is a funny, sexy, affectionate celebration of food and its broad influence on Japanese culture.
Synopsis: Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.... [More]
Starring: Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Ken Watanabe, Kôji Yakusho
Directed By: Juzo Itami

#5

Only Yesterday (1991)
100%

#5
Adjusted Score: 104942%
Critics Consensus: Only Yesterday's long-delayed U.S. debut fills a frustrating gap for American Ghibli fans while offering further proof of the studio's incredibly consistent commitment to quality.
Synopsis: A put-upon 27-year-old Japanese office worker travels to the countryside and reminisces about her childhood in Tokyo and what life... [More]
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Dev Patel, Ashley Eckstein, Alison Fernandez
Directed By: Isao Takahata

#4

Still Walking (2008)
100%

#4
Adjusted Score: 101903%
Critics Consensus: Hirokazu Kore-eda's film may seem modest at first, but this family drama casts a delicate, entrancing spell.
Synopsis: Twelve years after their beloved eldest son, Junpei, drowned while saving a stranger's life, Kyohei (Yoshio Harada) and Toshiko (Kirin... [More]
Starring: Hiroshi Abe, You, Yoshio Harada, Ryôga Hayashi
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

#3

Drive My Car (2021)
97%

#3
Adjusted Score: 107604%
Critics Consensus: Drive My Car's imposing runtime holds a rich, patiently engrossing drama that reckons with self-acceptance and regret.
Synopsis: Two years after his wife's unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer... [More]
Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Yoo-rim Park
Directed By: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

#2

Seven Samurai (1954)
100%

#2
Adjusted Score: 111905%
Critics Consensus: Arguably Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.
Synopsis: A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits,... [More]
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

#1
#1
Adjusted Score: 103911%
Critics Consensus: Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal.
Synopsis: A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors... [More]
Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss
Directed By: Isao Takahata

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