7 Best Japanese Movies You Must Watch

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Dreams (1990) - Prime Video Rent 

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, this anthology film consists of eight surreal and visually stunning vignettes inspired by the director's own dreams, exploring themes of nature, humanity, and the passage of time. 

Battle Royale (2000) - Prime Video 

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, this Japanese dystopian thriller follows a group of high school students forced to participate in a government-sanctioned game of survival, where they must kill each other until only one remains 

Drive My Car (2021) - Prime Video 

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, this Japanese drama follows a stage actor who hires a young female chauffeur to drive him to rehearsals, leading to unexpected emotional revelations and connections. 

Gojira (1954) - N/A 

Directed by Ishirō Honda, this Japanese science fiction film introduces the iconic monster Godzilla, whose rampage through Tokyo serves as a metaphor for the devastating effects of nuclear weapons and the trauma of war 

Nobody Knows (2004) - N/A 

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, this Japanese drama follows four siblings who are forced to fend for themselves after their mother abandons them, facing hardships and struggles as they try to survive unnoticed by society 

One Cut of the Dead (2017) - Prime Video 

Directed by Shinichirou Ueda, this Japanese horror-comedy follows a film crew shooting a low-budget zombie movie who find themselves facing real zombies, leading to chaotic and hilarious behind-the-scenes antics 

Shoplifters (2018) - Prime Video 

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, this Japanese drama follows a makeshift family of petty thieves who take in a young girl they find abandoned on the streets, raising questions about the meaning of family, morality, and love