Best Japanese Mystery Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Mystery Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: captivating, suspense, suspenseful, tense, psychological and clever. Plot: murder, investigation, runaway, storytelling, betrayal, twists and turns, flashback, father son relationship, police and chase. Genre: Mystery, Drama and Thriller. Country: Japan, USA and UK.
Best Japanese Mystery Movies
TOP Movies: Rage (2016), Big Hero 6 (2014), Coco (2017), High and Low (1963), The Visit (2015), The Dark Maidens (2017), Fast X (2023), Monster (2023), Killing for the Prosecution (2018), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Locked Room Special (2014), 64: Part I (2016), Get Out (2017), Yurigokoro (2017), The Snowman (2017), The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992), Audition (1999), Brave (2012), First Love (2021), Sleeping Forest (2014).
List of Best Movies
4K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
A man brutally murders a married couple and leaves the word “ikari” (“rage”) written with their blood. The killer undergoes plastic surgery and flees. At three different locations in Japan, a male stranger appears. People suspect that the ...
Style:
suspense, disturbing, rough, bleak, suspenseful ...
Plot:
gay, forced sex, rape, suspicion, father daughter relationship, gay relationship, murder suspect, murder, mistaken identity, single mother, island, trust ...
Place:
japan, tokyo, okinawa japan
Is relevant?
548K
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Style:
entertaining, feel good, exciting, touching, inspirational ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, kids, family friendly, toddlers ...
Plot:
superhero, robot, friendship, heroes, revenge, good versus evil, young heroes, androids and robots, friends, boy genius, villain, inventor ...
Time:
future, year 2014, 2010s, 2030s, 21st century
Place:
san francisco, tokyo, north america, california
Is relevant?
695K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Music, Mystery
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead ...
Style:
touching, feel good, sincere, sweet, atmospheric ...
Audience:
kids, teens, family outing, family friendly, chick flick ...
Plot:
day of the dead, music, afterlife, musician, death, childhood, memory, boy, life after death, betrayal, life & death, dog ...
Time:
2010s, year 2017
Place:
mexico, tibet, north america
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.
Style:
suspense, black and white, intense, atmospheric, tense ...
Plot:
police, ransom, samurai, child kidnapping, class differences, tragedy, secrets, visceral, character study, mistaken identity, police investigation, rescue ...
Time:
20th century, year 1963, 60s, post world war two
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
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172K
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
The terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances ...
Style:
twist ending, suspense, surprise ending, atmospheric, dark ...
Audience:
teens, kids, horror for children
Plot:
danger, elderly, murder, kids in trouble, siblings relations, found footage, grandmother granddaughter relationship, plot twist, basement, farm, parents and children, child protagonist ...
Time:
year 2015, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
philadelphia, usa, pennsylvania
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
One day, Itsumi Shiraishi dies at Seibo Maria Girls High School. She falls off from the rooftop of a school building. Itsumi is the daughter of the administrator at the school and she was envied by all the other students there. Did Itsumi kill ...
Style:
disturbing, serious, captivating, stylized
Plot:
catholic schoolgirl, friendship, teenage girl, secret, older man younger woman relationship, writers, feminine beauty, asian school, skinny dipping, japanese girl, forbidden love, older man young girl relationship ...
Place:
japan, bulgaria
Is relevant?
144K
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, China, Japan, Spain, UK, Iceland
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they've ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the ...
Style:
tense, suspenseful, captivating, entertaining, exciting ...
Plot:
car, elevator, carsploitation, sniper, revenge, fast car, punched in the face, shootout, home invasion, good versus evil, driving lesson, terrorist ...
Time:
2020s, 2010s
Place:
portugal, naples italy, italy, brazil, london ...
Is relevant?
40K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. But as the story unfolds through the ...
Style:
yaoi, semi serious, thrilling, captivating, bleak ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
elementary school, lgbt child, bullying, coming of age, teacher student relationship, harassment, gay interest, school bully, social problems, relationships, family relations, family problems ...
Place:
japan, asia
Is relevant?
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Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
Young public prosecutor Keiichiro Okino is assigned to the department of the Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office that deals with violent cases, where he will work with Takeshi Mogami, whom he admires. When a money lender is killed and it is suspected ...
Style:
tense, suspense, captivating, serious, realistic ...
Plot:
prosecutor, murder, courtroom, murder suspect, murderer, accused of murder, investigation, murder mystery, mentor protege relationship, criminal justice, framed for murder, felony ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
'Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime ...
Style:
neo noir, feel good, detective, surreal, parody ...
Audience:
kids, girls' night, family friendly, pre-teens, teens ...
Plot:
private detective, rabbit, false accusation, falsely accused, satire, femme fatale, sexy woman, childhood, chase, looney tunes, singer, frame up ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, 80s, year 1947, year 1988 ...
Place:
los angeles, usa, california, america, seattle
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Kojiro Himuro is a champion figure skater taking part in an upcoming world competition. Yet, he is suffering from a complicated CTEPH (chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension). Kantaro Kurosu is the director of the Cross Medical Center. He ...
Style:
tense, medical drama, disturbing, captivating, suspenseful
Audience:
adult
Plot:
surgeon, medical, doctor, surgery, medicine, female doctor, strong female lead, hospital, female protagonist, physician, anti establishment, rescue attempt ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Erika Toda joins a law firm headed by Serizawa-san, on the first case she meets Enomoto Kei of Tokyo total security who unlocks Serizawa who has accidentally been trapped in a vault. Form thereon the trio solve 10 cases related to the locked room. ...
Style:
thrilling, psychological, captivating, detective, suspenseful ...
Plot:
locked room, puzzle, crime solving, room, secret, undercover, investigation, uncover truth, deduction, whodunit, law firm, private investigator ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
1989 is the 64 Shouwa year in the Japanese calendar, thus the unsolved girl kidnapping-murder case is called "64(rokuyon)" that got up in this year in Criminal Investigation Department in the Prefectural Police Department. And 14 years ...
Style:
suspense, captivating, suspenseful, disturbing, tense ...
Plot:
police investigation, unsolved crime, kidnapped girl, police, kidnapping, police department, japanese police, murder mystery, crime solving, murder investigation, investigation, forensics ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
804K
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend ...
Style:
twist ending, psychological, psychological thriller, suspense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
racism, hypnosis, brainwashing, interracial romance, kidnapping, paranoia, survival, female villain, african american, revenge, african american protagonist, neurosurgeon ...
Time:
future, 2010s, year 2017, 21st century
Place:
brooklyn new york city, southern usa, indiana, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
Ryosuke has a bright future. He just opened a successful restaurant and hopes to tie the knot soon with his alluring girlfriend. But then his father declares he has pancreatic cancer and his betrothed vanishes without a trace. In his father’s ...
Style:
suspenseful, disturbing, suspense, captivating, detective ...
Plot:
learning the truth, terminal illness, cancer, diary, murder, reading someone else's diary, family secret, murder mystery, chaos, reminiscence, disappearance, pregnancy ...
Place:
tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
When the suspect of an arson case refuses to cooperate with the investigation, the detectives search his house and find a locked-up little girl. She doesn't talk and there are no clues to her identity, so assistant psychology professor Narumi ...
Style:
captivating, thrilling, psychological, suspenseful, tense ...
Plot:
memory loss, crime investigation, psychology, crime solving, secret, investigation, repressed memory, who done it, memory lapse, murder investigation, uncover truth, character study ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Sweden, Norway, China
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous looking snowman.
Style:
serious, surprise ending, detective, suspense, neo noir ...
Plot:
serial killer, murder, snowman, snow, clue, investigation, police investigation, police detective, winter, blood, missing woman, kidnapping ...
Time:
year 1989, year 2017, 2000s, year 1945, 2010s ...
Place:
oslo norway
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
Betty Lou is a librarian in a very small town. Her husband is a police detective who takes her for granted. Betty Lou is the ultimate mouse. After a gangland figure is mysteriously murdered in town, Betty Lou finds the murder weapon, but can't ...
Style:
humorous, realistic, semi serious, dark comedy, suspense ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
murder, librarian, police investigation, small town, amateur detective, misunderstanding, police, deep south, disorder, witnessing a crime, law enforcement, dishonesty ...
Time:
90s, year 1992, 80s
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
A love story woven by a loveless mistrust girl, Kaede Tamaki who works for a small video production company, and a mysterious young man Seishiro who is attracted by her . Satomi Oshima and Kentaro Hagiwara, who also teamed up for the currently ...
Style:
detective, captivating, exciting, entertaining, romantic drama ...
Plot:
japanese schoolgirl, father daughter relationship, japanese woman, dating, couple relations, male female relationship, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, love affair, couples, father and daughter, absent father, father ...
Place:
tokyo
Is relevant?
98K
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Seven years after the death of his wife, company executive Aoyama is invited to sit in on auditions for an actress. Leafing through the resumés in advance, his eye is caught by Yamazaki Asami, a striking young woman with ballet training.
Style:
psychological thriller, scary, tense, twist ending, disturbing ...
Plot:
torture, femme fatale, sadism, extreme, violent, psychopath, murder, psychotic woman, sex, widower, twists and turns, revenge ...
Time:
90s, year 1999, 20th century
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
475K
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA, Japan, UK
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Mérida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Mérida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently ...
Style:
fairy tale, feel good, computer animated, 3d animation, humorous ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, family friendly, teens, toddlers ...
Plot:
princess, witch, coming of age, mother daughter relationship, bravery, happy ending, female protagonist, rebellious daughter, archery, feminism, archer, father daughter relationship ...
Time:
middle ages, 10th century, year 2012, 2010s, medieval times
Place:
scotland, scottish highlands, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
A university student has the usual dreams and aspirations. It turns out to be a pipe dream and so she murders her own flesh and blood. The usual media heads seek an answer in order to sell copy. A psychologist is writing a book about the character ...
Style:
suspenseful, psychological thriller, crime drama, psychological, thrilling ...
Plot:
murder, female protagonist, investigation, college student, problem, murderer, crime solving, secret, psychology, uncover truth, undercover, mental illness ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A man is found dead in a office of Takayanagi Ballet Company. The suspect is a female dancer at the ballet company. The Takayanagi Ballet Company insists that the incident is a self defense case, but after an investigation there's doubts in ...
Style:
suspenseful, tense, detective, suspense, captivating ...
Plot:
investigation, murder, ballet, ballet school, mysterious villain, homicide detective, suspicion, murder investigation, murder mystery, sleuth, crime investigation, dancer ...
Place:
tokyo
Is relevant?
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149K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA, UK, Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Tells the comedic tale of Eddie Mannix, a fixer who worked for the Hollywood studios in the 1950s. The story finds him at work when a star mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming.
Style:
black comedy, humorous, period piece, witty, stylized ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
hollywood, movie star, satire, ransom, filmmaking, gay subtext, showbiz, kidnapping, actor, dark humor, film industry, chinese restaurant ...
Time:
50s, year 2016, 1950s, year 2015, 20th century ...
Place:
los angeles, greece, usa, california, malibu california
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Story:
Galileo Forbidden Magic, a completely new SP drama in the Galileo series, will be broadcast on 17 September at 21:00 on Fuji TV.
Style:
detective, psychological, captivating, thrilling, suspenseful ...
Plot:
investigation, murder, homicide detective, uncover truth, crime solving, police investigation, murder investigation, secret, murder mystery, forensics, crime investigation, police detective ...
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Hajime finds it difficult to graduate to the next grade at school. His friend Miyuki tells Hajime to study at a private school which is famous for its strictness. At that school, Hajime uncovers a death caused by non-natural reasons. He's ...
Style:
detective, suspense, enigmatic, suspenseful, serious ...
Plot:
investigation, murder, who done it, prodigy, whodunit, school, danger, secret identity, riddles and clues, high school, law and order, rivalry ...
Is relevant?
182K
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, China, Japan
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
A group of families on a tropical holiday discover that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly – reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Style:
mysterious, psychedelic, tense, suspense, psychological ...
Plot:
aging, vacation, time, island, rapid aging, island prison, ocean, family vacation, mortality, corpse, race against time, disease ...
Time:
2020s
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: USA, Italy, Canada, Japan, UK
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Alice, an unpretentious and individual 19-year-old, is betrothed to a dunce of an English nobleman. At her engagement party, she escapes the crowd to consider whether to go through with the marriage and falls down a hole in the garden after spotting ...
Style:
fairy tale, atmospheric, visually appealing, surreal, gothic ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, girls' night, teens, date night ...
Plot:
fantasy world, magic, escape from reality, imaginary kingdom, magical, transformation, alice in wonderland, teenage girl, imaginary, cat, animal, dream ...
Time:
19th century, year 2010, 1870s, 2010s, 2000s ...
Place:
england, cornwall, london, china
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
An ancient Martian spaceship is unearthed in London, and proves to have powerful psychic effects on the people around.
Style:
suspense, classic horror, talky, suspenseful, grindhouse ...
Plot:
alien invasion, supernatural, monster, spacecraft, folk horror, ufo, mars, martian, macabre, imagination, androids and robots, space and aliens ...
Time:
year 1967, prehistory, 60s, 50s, 1950s
Place:
london, england, europe, united kingdom
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
When a titan music mogul, widely known as having the "best ears in the business", is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma.
Style:
pretentious
Plot:
ransom, moral dilemma, instagram, picture, telephone call, black family, twerking, husband wife relationship, brooklyn bridge, adaptation, father son relationship, female artist ...
Place:
new york
Is relevant?
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