Some of the best horror movies ever made have come from Japanese filmmakers, so it's important that horror fans expand their horizons to include movies from across the world. There are plenty of Japanese horror films that have influenced American classics and vice versa.
The following list chronicles three of the scariest Japanese horror movies ever made and where you can watch them. All three of the movies listed below are intense and disturbing, so make sure you're prepared for the kind of content you'll likely find there and check warnings if you need to.
Cure (1997)
- Streaming on The Criterion Channel and available on VOD
Cure came up quite a bit last year during the Longlegs hype as many people were comparing the two movies, often with Cure hailed as the superior film of the two. I have to agree that Cure is the better movie, but that's no surprise coming from master filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
A psychological horror story, Cure follows a detective looking to a string of murders wherein the killer leaves an 'X' carved into their necks. Like Longlegs, Cure is known for its eerie and disqueting ambiance. It's one of those movies that just exudes evil while you're watching it.
Audition (1999)
- Streaming on AMC+, Tubi, Peacock, Screambox, and Shudder
Takashi Miike's 1999 film based on Ryu Murakami's novel is considered a classic of Japanese horror. This movie is often cited on "most disturbing" lists because it features scenes of torture that even Jigsaw might recoil from. But the gruesomeness doesn't detract from the story, instead enhancing the haunting tale and make Audition incredibly influential, with directors like Eli Roth crediting it as inspiration for his work.
The story revolves around a widowed man seeking a new wife. His friends create an elaborate fake audition process for him to find someone and he is captivated by a young woman named Asami Yamazaki. From there, the film takes a sinister turn.
Suicide Club (2001)
- Streaming on Cineverse, Midnight Pulp, and available on VOD
An indie horror film with a prominent cult following, Suicide Club explores a series of suicide plaguing Japan and while they appear unconnected on the surface, the police become dedicated to understanding why so many people are suddenly killing themselves. The story takes place under a week, kicking off with 50+ teen girls committing mass suicide and then being followed by a pair of nurses.
As unsettling as that is, it gets even more sinister when the investigating force discovers mounds of flesh at the scene of the death. They learn there might be a link between these violent deaths an a strange online website promoting a suicide cult. You might have already guessed by the title, but this is a very disturbing movie with scenes designed to unnerve viewers.