Best Japanese Thriller Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Thriller Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: suspenseful, suspense, tense, cult classic, exciting and serious. Plot: murder, death, violence, gun, revenge, blood, danger, pistol, blood splatter and brutality. Genre: Thriller, Action and Drama. Country: Japan, USA and China.
Best Japanese Thriller Movies
TOP Movies: Confessions (2010), Unfair: the end (2015), Shooter (2007), Creepy (2016), Skyscraper (2018), Versus (2000), The Forest of Love (2019), Violent Night (2022), Avalon (2001), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), Geostorm (2017), The Hunt (2020), Get Out (2017), Godzilla (1998), The Wolfman (2010), Ma (2019), War of the Worlds (2005), The Big Bee (2015), The Punisher (2004).
List of Best Movies
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.
Style:
unusual plot structure, visually appealing, mind twisting, twisted, thought provoking ...
Audience:
teens, teen drama
Plot:
vengeance, revenge, teachers and students, japanese schoolgirl, twists and turns, dead daughter, character study, child murders a child, child murder, bullying, grief, teacher ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
japan, east asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Natsumi Yukihira (Ryoko Shinohara) receives secret documents of an organization that controls the country from the shadows. Because of this, Natsumi's ex-husband, Kazuo Sato (Teruyuki Kagawa) pays a terrible price. Natsumi goes back to the ...
Style:
suspenseful, suspense, tension, crime thriller, thrilling ...
Plot:
female protagonist, investigation, police procedural, corruption, conspiracy, homicide detective, police investigation, murder investigation, policewoman, police detective, crime investigation, forensics ...
Place:
tokyo
Is relevant?
374K
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
A marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why.
Style:
intense, action packed, exciting, action thriller, suspense ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night, adult
Plot:
sniper, conspiracy, fbi, one man army, on the run, assassination, corruption, revenge, manhunt, military, cover up, false accusation ...
Time:
year 2007, 21st century
Place:
montana, philadelphia, virginia, usa, baltimore ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
After having narrowly escaped an attempt on his life at the hands of a psychopath, detective inspector Takakura quits active service in the police force and takes up a position as a university lecturer in criminal psychology. But his desire to get ...
Style:
suspense, suspense thriller, serious, suspenseful, captivating ...
Plot:
murderer, unsolved crime, police detective, investigation, unsolved mystery, professor, husband wife relationship, family relations, serial killer, girl, mind control, murder ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
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144K
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.
Style:
tense, suspense, psychotronic, anamorphic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, family outing, kids
Plot:
skyscraper, heroism, penthouse, terrorism, protective parent, disaster, ex soldier, fire, panic, courage, terrorist, survival ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
hong kong, china, asia, minnesota
Is relevant?
14K
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
Set in the present where a group of ruthless gangsters, an unknown woman and an escaped convict have met, unwittingly, in The Forest of Resurrection, the 444th portal to the other side. Their troubles start when those once killed and buried in the ...
Style:
bloody, suspense, scary, exciting, stylized ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
yakuza, zombie, martial arts, female warrior, supernatural, on the run, samurai, chase, danger, hostage, gangster, heroic mission ...
Time:
90s, 2000s
Place:
japan, east asia, asia
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 151 min.
Story:
A con man and a would-be filmmaking crew force themselves into the lives of two grief-scarred young women. But nothing is as it seems.
Style:
psychedelic, disturbing, captivating, suspense, suspenseful ...
Plot:
trauma, nudity, serial killer, supernatural, mental illness, torture, forest, lesbian teen, death, murder mystery, manhunt, investigation ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
Mouri Kogoro is called to a special case in the ancient capital of Kyoto. There, Conan meets Heiji and they team up once again to solve the case, recover the stolen Healing Buddha statue, and even discover the identity of Heiji's first love.
Style:
anime, rough, light, serious, suspenseful ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
detective conan, amateur detective, schoolboy, boy, fighting crime, riddles and clues, private detective, investigation, law and order, secret, love and romance, who done it ...
Is relevant?
121K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
Style:
christmas horror, entertaining, captivating, tense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
santa claus, christmas, bloody violence, mercenary, killer santa claus, graphic violence, christmas eve, holiday, hostage situation, holiday horror, extreme violence, girl ...
Time:
medieval times, 2020s, 10th century
Place:
connecticut, washington d.c.
Is relevant?
14K
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan, Poland
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
In a future world, young people are increasingly becoming addicted to an illegal (and potentially deadly) battle simulation game called Avalon. When Ash, a star player, hears of rumors that a more advanced level of the game exists somewhere, she ...
Style:
bleak, atmospheric, stylized, surreal, cerebral ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
virtual reality, technology, obsession, fantasy world, distopia, transformation, lone hero, battles, dystopian future, contests and competitions, gang, addiction ...
Time:
future, middle ages, near future, year 2001, 2000s
Place:
poland, japan, europe, latin america
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Herbert West once again revives the dead. This time, he brings Dan's ex-girlfriend's heart back inside a 'perfect' body. Dr. Hill returns as the evil nemesis who lost his head.
Style:
lovecraft, horror comedy, black comedy, independent film, splatter ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
mad scientist, zombie, laboratory, police detective, hospital, gay subtext, reanimation, gory, reanimated corpse, mind control, obsession, dog ...
Time:
90s, 80s
Place:
massachusetts, peru, south america, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan, Canada
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory of who she is, nor does ...
Style:
futuristic, action adventure, captivating, exciting, suspense ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family friendly, adult
Plot:
cyberpunk, female protagonist, cyborgs, distopia, post apocalypse, female warrior, tough girl, adaptation, martial arts, woman fights a man, bounty hunter, danger ...
Time:
future, near future, year 2019, 2010s
Is relevant?
132K
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world's leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong: ...
Style:
apocalyptic, psychotronic, exciting, suspenseful, disgusting ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
end of the world, apocalypse, catastrophe, disaster, tsunami, humanity in peril, storm, ecological disaster, malfunction, climate change, hurricane, natural disaster ...
Time:
future, near future, 2010s, year 2017, year 2019 ...
Place:
afghanistan, hong kong, orlando florida, rio de janeiro, new york ...
Is relevant?
151K
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, China, Japan
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are—or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is ...
Style:
horror comedy, dark comedy, disturbing, slasher, bloody ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
manhunt, strong female lead, game of death, female protagonist, characters killed one by one, massacre, satire, danger, pursuit, murder, revenge, sniper ...
Time:
2010s, 2020s, 21st century
Place:
vermont, croatia, mississippi, arkansas
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?
212K
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 139 min.
Story:
When a freighter is viciously attacked in the Pacific Ocean, a team of experts -- including biologist Niko Tatopoulos and scientists Elsie Chapman and Mendel Craven -- concludes that an oversized reptile is the culprit. Before long, the giant lizard ...
Style:
suspenseful, exciting, serious, action packed, breathtaking ...
Audience:
teens, kids, boys' night
Plot:
dinosaur, monster, godzilla, giant monster, creature, experiment gone awry, giant, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship, lost world, military, disaster, human versus monster ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, jurassic, year 1998, future
Place:
new york, tahiti, manhattan new york city, new jersey, empire state building manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant?
117K
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Lawrence Talbot, an American man on a visit to Victorian London to make amends with his estranged father, gets bitten by a werewolf and, after a moonlight transformation, leaves him with a savage hunger for flesh.
Style:
gothic, dark, gothic horror, period piece, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
werewolf, deadly creature, macabre, supernatural, transformation, childhood trauma, medieval, beast, gory, blood, death, violent ...
Time:
victorian era, 19th century, 1890s, 2010s, edwardian era ...
Place:
europe, tower bridge london, london, england, scotland
Is relevant?
70K
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Sue Ann is a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her ...
Style:
disturbing, suspense, slasher, psychological thriller, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
revenge, underage drinking, basement, mental health, group of friends, twists and turns, teenage girl, psychopath, teenager, social network, female psychopath, teen drinking ...
Time:
80s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
usa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop of his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, futuristic, scary, serious ...
Audience:
girls' night, family friendly, teens, boys' night
Plot:
alien invasion, apocalypse, disaster, survival, end of the world, alien, invasion, space and aliens, evil alien, extraterrestrial, catastrophe, humanity in peril ...
Time:
year 2005, future, jurassic, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
new jersey, new york, usa, boston, los angeles ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
Set in 1995. A helicopter, operated remotely, is hovering in the sky over a nuclear power plant. The power company, prefectural government and media all receive a fax. The fax contains a threat that if the nuclear power plant is not taken offline ...
Style:
tension, suspense, intense, captivating, tense ...
Plot:
terrorism, helicopter, hostage, rescue, nuclear power, threat, race against time, terror, terrorist, terrorist attack, risk, saving a life ...
Time:
90s
Place:
japan, china
Is relevant?
179K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
When undercover FBI agent Frank Castle's wife and son are slaughtered, he becomes 'the Punisher' -- a ruthless vigilante willing to go to any length to avenge his family.
Style:
serious, suspenseful, stylized, exciting, action packed ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly
Plot:
revenge, vengeance, vigilante, lone hero, violence, vigilantism, superhero, one man army, tough guy, mafia, crime fighter, hitman ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, year 2003
Place:
florida, puerto rico, miami, virginia
Is relevant?
68K
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
The church enlists a team of vampire-hunters to hunt down and destroy a group of vampires searching for an ancient relic that will allow them to exist in sunlight.
Style:
scary, bloody, cult classic, gothic, splatter ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night
Plot:
vampire, supernatural, vampire hunter, vengeance, death, gory, vampire slayer, bloodsucker, female vampire, vampire bite, transformation, violence ...
Time:
90s, 80s
Place:
new mexico, mexico
Is relevant?
106K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in North American history.
Style:
costume drama, period piece, dramatic, stylized, tense ...
Plot:
friends, investigation, murder, political conspiracy, friend, friendship, corpse, lawyer, doctor, death, murder mystery, world war one veteran ...
Time:
1930s, 2020s, 1910s, year 1918, year 1933 ...
Place:
usa, germany, italy, new york, france ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, China, Japan, Mexico
Duration: 136 min.
Story:
When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
Style:
saga, entertaining, stylized, action adventure, exciting ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
car, car race, racing, spy, chase, revenge, car chase, female villain, fast car, fight scenes, kidnapping, street racing ...
Time:
year 2017, 2010s
Place:
new york, havana cuba, manhattan new york city, berlin germany, russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: Japan
Story:
The ST team at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department consists of eccentric members. Some members do not cooperate with others and others do not reveal themselves in front of others. With Samon as the leader of the ST team and young Inspector ...
Style:
suspenseful, captivating, thrilling, tense, detective
Plot:
coworker, police, police officer, police station, police inspector, police detective, uncover truth, crime solving, investigation, forensics, workplace, detective inspector ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The individuals that comprise the Tokyo MER team rush to on-site disasters and accidents, performing life-saving treatment thanks to the OR equipped within their vehicle. Their one mission is simple: leave no one dead. But conflicts arise when an ...
Style:
medical drama, thrilling, captivating, suspenseful, intense ...
Plot:
disaster, emergency room, teamwork, job, doctor, saving a life, medical, workplace situations, medicine, workplace, social services, doctors and patients ...
Place:
tokyo, japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: Japan, Hong Kong
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
Death-row inmate Sudo (Pierre Taki) sends a letter to magazine reporter Fujii (Takayuki Yamada). In his letter, he states that a man named Kimura (Lily Franky), also known as "teacher," committed numerous murders for insurance money. While ...
Style:
tense, dark, disturbing, suspense, captivating ...
Plot:
murder, investigative journalism, journalist, investigative reporter, investigation, killing, true crime, serial killer, killing spree, prison visit, murderer, hitman ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, China, Japan
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her two fathers are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must ...
Style:
thrilling, apocalyptic, suspenseful, psychological, suspense ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
home invasion, moral dilemma, father daughter relationship, tsunami, vacation gone wrong, grasshopper, warning, race against time, little girl, premonition, gay slur, self sacrifice ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
oregon, philadelphia, hawaii, nashville tennessee, boston ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After ...
Style:
suspense, serious, tense, suspenseful, intense ...
Plot:
home invasion, protective parent, strong female lead, mother, security system, black people, hostage, women, black, kidnapping, danger, woman ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Germany, USA, Japan
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Style:
cult classic, art house, philosophical, stylized, atmospheric ...
Plot:
loneliness, loner, african american, mafia, hitman, samurai, hip hop, honor, friendship, martial arts, assassin, professional killer ...
Time:
90s, year 1999, future, 20th century
Place:
new york, usa, new jersey, brooklyn new york city, japan ...
Is relevant?
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