Closely Watched Films

Tag: film recommendations

  • 5 Japanese Horror Film Recommendations

    5 Japanese Horror Film Recommendations

    Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

    Japanese horror is one of my favourite subgenres of film and I haven’t yet met a J-horror I actively dislike. From quiet, eerie films based on folkloric beings to intense cyberpunk body horror, there really is something for everyone. In this post, I highlight five Japanese horror films that I recommend to both beginners and fans of the subgenre. If you’ve already seen these, let me know what you think in the comments.

    Table of contents

    Dark Water

    Dark Water (2002) is a supernatural film that follows Yoshimi’s attempts to start over following divorce. She rents a rundown apartment where strange events keep occurring, including a leak of unknown origin. Yoshimi catches glimpses of Mitsuko, a young girl who disappeared a year prior. Mitsuko’s ghost eventually leads Yoshimi to discover what happened to her.

    The ending of Dark Water is one of the saddest I’ve seen which makes it such an effective horror. Rather than relying on jump scares, we have a ghost who feels angry about what happened to her and an ending that emphasises emotional torture rather than anything physical. The strong theme of motherhood and the sacrifices you have to make as a parent are also prevalent.

    What makes Dark Water stand out is the use of colour. The greens, yellows and blues provide an amphibian hue to the scenes in the apartment block. This gives the illusion that everything is damp and underwater, making it feel suffocating. It’s therefore one of the most immersive Japanese horror films on this list.

    The image is a still from Dark Water, a Japanese horror film. In the still, Yoshimi walks in the rain with her daughter. They both hold umbrellas above their heads.
    A suffocating atmosphere. Image Source: Mubi

    Audition

    Takashi Miike is a veteran of Japanese horror and Audition (1999) is one of my favourite films in his extensive filmography. It’s adapted from the novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami. I will say that you should avoid this one if you find it difficult to handle animal abuse in films.

    Shigeharu’s wife dies in hospital of an unknown illness and he later stages auditions for a fake television show. He does this to meet women who want to be actresses but his plan backfires on him when he meets Asami.

    Despite being unable to get in touch with any of the contacts Asami has put on her CV, Shigeharu continues to see her. This will have disastrous consequences.

    Asami wants someone to love only her. This is a problem for Shigeharu because he still loves his belated wife, his son and dog. This means they become problems standing in the way of her desires. As a result of the perceived affront, Asami punishes Shigeharu in some gory, uncomfortable scenes in true Miike style.

    Takashi Miike is generally not a director for the faint-hearted but if you do enjoy Audition, he has a vast filmography. I admit that it’s largely hit or miss, but I’ve had fun over the years watching various entries from it, including The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) and Ichi the Killer (2001).

    The image shows a still from the film Audition. The still shows Asami holding a syringe and looking menacingly at something off-screen.
    Shigeharu might be feeling regretful. Image Source: Variety

    Tomie

    Tomie (1998) is an adaptation of a Junji Ito manga of the same name. It follows photography student Tsukiko as she works with a therapist to remember her repressed trauma. In one of her sessions, she unconsciously says the name, ‘Tomie’ which means nothing to her on waking.

    Later in the film, a detective visits the therapist with information about Tomie. According to him, she is an immortal succubus who is responsible for the suicides of several of her classmates.

    Tomie, who can survive and regrow from just one body part, torments Tsukiko until there is a final stand-off at the end of the film. This isn’t one of the Japanese horror greats but it does have a dreamy atmosphere and excellent score. It’s therefore worth at least one watch, especially if you’re a J-horror completist.

    The image shows Tomie and Tsukiko facing one another against the backdrop of a lake. Tomie is grinning slyly while Tsukiko looks concerned.
    Tomie vs Tsukiko. Image Source: Letterboxd

    Tetsuo: The Iron Man

    When I watched this film, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. A salaryman is hit by a car after putting a piece of iron into his own self-inflicted wound which leads to a bizarre chain reaction. The man and the film in general largely explore the interactions between the soft flesh of the human body and the hard metal of iron.

    Both the salaryman and the driver of the car become inexplicably bound to one another by the incident. The latter promises the former ‘a new world of metal’ and that does seem to be an accurate representation of what Shinya Tsukamoto creates with this film.

    Tetsuo (1989) doesn’t have a typical plot with beginning, middle and end. Rather, it’s an amalgamation of chaotic events featuring the erotic, the confusing and the truly unbelievable. This isn’t one for the faint-hearted and you certainly shouldn’t watch it with your parents but it is an interesting example of cyberpunk body horror.

    The image shows a still from the Japanese horror film, Tetsuo: The Iron Man. The still shows a man looking distressed as his body is being taken over by metal.
    So metal. Image Source: IMDB

    Battle Royale

    I think Battle Royale (2000) might have been the first Japanese horror film I ever watched after reading the novel by Koushun Takami at my friend’s recommendation.

    The film follows a class that has been randomly selected to participate in Japan’s yearly Battle Royale game. In this game, each class member must fight to be the last one standing. Cruelly, they must kill one another but some begin with overpowered weapons like guns and axes while others begin with useless items which alters the dynamic as the film progresses.

    Loyalties are tested as previous friendships break down and fragile alliances are formed for survival. What happens in the end is surprising but which has inspired other dystopic media such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

    The image shows a still from Japanese horror film, Battle Royale. The still shows a man standing in a circle of students.
    Last one standing. Image Source: Screen Rant

    These are five films in one of my favourite horror subgenres but there are so many more to explore. Let me know if you would like a part two to this list or if there are any Japanese horror films you’d recommend ahead of the ones I’ve chosen here.

    If you’d like to read more horror-focused posts, check out my Junji Ito double bill and my review on Shudder original film, Dolly (2025).

  • 5 French New Wave Films for Beginners

    5 French New Wave Films for Beginners

    Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

    As someone who writes about film, I try to watch examples from as many countries, movements and directors as possible to diversify my viewing. From new releases to the origins of film, I love dabbling in various eras to see what resonates with me and what has influenced the medium. When I was studying film, the French New Wave was one of the most popular units because of films like the ones featured below.

    This is a list of five French New Wave films you can watch as a beginner to begin to understand the movement. Of course, you don’t have to start here but I found these films accessible and I still enjoy revisiting them today.

    Table of contents

    1. Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)

    The image shows a close up of the character Cleo from Cleo de 5 a 7 (a French New Wave film). She is staring into the camera lens and appears to be holding some flowers.
    One of my French New Wave favourites. Image Source: The Indiependent

    Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962) directed by Agnès Varda was the first film from the French New Wave I watched. It was when I was studying Film and I remember thinking it was the best film I’d ever seen at the time. During the film, we follow Cléo who is awaiting important hospital test results. We see her becoming increasingly tense as she conducts her daily rituals but eventually she escapes to the park for some time on her own.

    At the park she meets a man who is leaving for the Algerian Revolution that same evening. Together, they share their anxieties and get to know one another. The Algerian Revolution and the emotions surrounding it is a common theme for many films emanating from the French New Wave. This film especially correlates the precarity of time relating to health and war. It’s ideal for a beginner because it’s ripe with symbolism that can be endlessly analysed by the budding film enthusiast.

    Many of the representations of women you can see in French New Wave cinema are through the male gaze. Particularly in films from ‘right bank’ directors, women are not afforded quite as much autonomy as their male counterparts. Agnès Varda, on the other hand, portrays women and their endless complexities wonderfully. This is why I have to say she is probably my favourite of the French New Wave directors.

    2. À bout de souffle (1960)

    The image shows a still from French New Wave film, Breathless. It shows Patricia and Michel standing in the road on a street lined with cars. They are looking at one another intimately. Patricia holds a bouquet of flowers and Michel is smoking a cigarette.
    I’d be breathless too if I smoked that many cigarettes. Image Source: Movie Musings

    À bout de souffle (1960) or Breathless is probably on every Film Studies curriculum and ‘best ever’ list. It is the film many people think of first when the topic of French New Wave comes up. Although it’s not my favourite on this list, I think it’s an ideal place for beginners to start to situate themselves in the movement.

    In the film, we get an intimate look into the relationship between an American woman, Patricia, and French criminal, Michel. Michel is on the run from the law after he impulsively committed a serious crime. However, this doesn’t stop him from taking his time to catch up on Philosophy and love.

    The ending to this film is iconic and one I come back to again and again. Jean-Luc Godard was one of the editors of the Cahiers du cinema and he believed directors are the ‘authors’ of film (where the term auteur originates from). As such, his films became, and have remained, highly influential across the globe.

    3. Jules et Jim (1962)

    The image shows a still from the French New Wave film Jules and Jim. It shows Catherine, Jules and Jim running across a bridge. They are all smiling and laughing.
    The original Challengers? Image Source: MoMA

    Jules et Jim (1962) is another entry from the French Film Wave catalogue that I watched early in my film journey. As such, I know it’s a tried and true option for beginners. Jules et Jim walked so films like Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024) could run, although in my opinion, the former will always be the better option for weird love triangles.

    The film follows two friends, Jules and Jim in their respective relationships with Catherine. Not quite a throuple, there are nonetheless complicated feelings that exist within the trio which ultimately ends in a tragedy.

    Complicated relationships are also often featured in French New Wave films and I feel it would be difficult to get much more complicated than the relationships that exist between the three characters in Jules et Jim. If complex character studies are your preference, I would strongly suggest starting here.

    4. Les parapluies de Cherbourg (1964)

    The image shows a still from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Geneviève is in the centre wearing a pink cardigan and pink hair bow. She is looking away from the camera and is surrounded by colourful umbrellas.
    Inspiration for films like La La Land (2016). Image Source: 150 Word Reviews

    Recently, I watched both In the Mood for Love (2000) and Past Lives (2023) and I can only imagine Wong Kar-wai and Celine Song were inspired by Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964).

    The film follows Geneviève and Guy as they fall in love and talk about marriage. Before they can tie the knot, Guy is drafted to fight in the Algerian Revolution and while he’s away, Geneviève receives an offer that leads to their separation.

    The saturated colours seep across scenes as a feast for the eyes. Simultaneously, we have intense themes of war, love and loss being explored through song. At the beginning, one of Guy’s colleagues says they prefer movies over the opera but with this film, you’re essentially receiving the best of both.

    5. La jetée (1962)

    The image shows a still from La jetée. A man is laying on a hammock wearing a mask over his eyes. Wires are attached to the mask and the man appears to be asleep or unconscious.
    Short, sharp, sci-fi. Image Source: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

    Unlike the four other films on this list, La jetée (1962) is a short film at only twenty-nine minutes. It also strays from the typical slice-of-life tendencies of other French New Wave films.

    The film follows a man in a post-apocalyptic Paris that is reeling following World War II. Scientists are trying to find someone who can bear the mental toll of time travel and it seems this man is the candidate they’re looking for.

    During his time in the past, he meets a woman. Later, when he realises he is to be executed, he asks the future scientists to return him to this past in hopes he can find her again. It is a complex short that questions temporality, permanence and science.

    It’s not necessarily the easiest of this bunch to understand but I would still consider it a film for beginners.

    Those are five French New Wave films for beginners. If you’d like to request anymore articles or reviews from this movement, please let me know in the comments.