YESASIA: YumCha! - Best Asian Movies of 2022 - Feature Article

YumCha! » Feature Articles

Browse

Bookmark & Share

Twitter

StumbleUpon

Digg

Copy

Subscribe Now!

Best Asian Movies of 2022

Written by YumCha! Editorial Team Tell a Friend

Here are our editors' picks for the best Asian films released on DVD or Blu-ray in 2022!

SANWEI'S PICKS

Broker
After directing the French-language drama The Truth, Kore-eda Hirokazu takes his humanistic eye and naturalistic storytelling to South Korea for a poignant film that bears his unmistakable signature. Song Kang Ho and Kang Dong Won play the titular black-market adoption brokers, and IU is a young woman who has chosen to give up her baby. To find the right parents/buyers, three adults and a baby end up on the road together, along with a chatty boy who sneaks onto their van mid-way. Gently balancing heart, humor and dread, the road film has the classic elements and themes of a Kore-eda work. Like Shoplifters, Broker follows a morally-questionable found family held together by two children and the hope of a better life. This hope is pure, captivating and compelling, even while everyone is waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop, as signaled by the presence of Bae Doo Na and Lee Joo Young's well-meaning police officers on the tail.

Decision to Leave
A man mysteriously falls off a cliff to his death. His beautiful, much-younger wife piques the suspicions of the obsessive police detective in charge. In the course of stakeouts and interrogations, the detective and the suspect become increasingly drawn to each other. Is she innocent, or is he falling under her spell? Winning Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, Park Chan Wook applies a noir lens to this moody Korean romantic mystery that maximizes the appeal and talents of Park Hae Il and Tang Wei to paint an elusive yet intoxicating relationship. Visually, Decision to Leave leaves its greatest impression with creative use of deliberately jarring editing to shift perspectives and scenarios, succeeding in disorienting not only the detective but also the audience. In this stirring and twisty suspense, the greatest enigma is the heart.

Drive My Car
There are many reasons to laud Drive My Car, but what I appreciate the most is how good of a Murakami adaptation it is. Hamaguchi Ryusuke turns a few dozen pages of short story into an elegiac three-hour opus that shifts gears as seamlessly as its driver. The film stays true to the tone and themes of the original story through its understated yet significant character development, and its meditation on grief and the connect and disconnect between people. At the same time, elements are added and changed to make the narrative and emotions richer, from opting for a Saab in bright red instead of yellow, to turning protagonist Kafuku (Nishijima Hidetoshi) into a theater director rather than only an actor. The characters of driver Watari Misaki (Miura Toko) and actor Takatsuki Koji (Okada Masaki) are fleshed out in ways that elaborate how different people cope with loss. Most interestingly, the play Uncle Vanya, mentioned briefly in the short story, becomes a crucial mirror as its multilingual staging reflects, confuses and propels the inner turmoil of the characters. Drive My Car may cruise slowly but it burns with great intensity.

Goddamned Asura
Goddamned Asura begins suddenly with shaky POV phone footage recording a youth opening fire in a night market, and the phone owner falling to the ground after getting hit. After that impactful opening, the Taiwan crime drama pulls back to reveal moments leading up to the random shooting and its aftermath. The multilayered storyline weaves many intersecting threads and characters: the teen shooter who remains silent afterwards, his friend who struggles to understand what happened, the game streamer who was killed, the victim's fiancée, a reporter at the scene, and a girl connected to both the shooter and the victim. From this tangled web emerges a searing picture of urban alienation, disillusion and displacement that fester into violence. Director Lou Yi An excels at aesthetically gritty and disaffected tales of modern life and estrangement, and this may be his most topical work yet, as we see the effects of poverty, marginalization, work and family pressure, and online interactions feeding into the cycle of violence. Perhaps most brutal is the film presents an alternative timeline that paves another way to the same results.

In the Wake
Based on a novel by Nakayama Shichiri, In the Wake is driven by a serial killer mystery involving the murders of welfare caseworkers in the Sendai region. Abe Hiroshi plays a police detective whose investigation uncovers the plaintive experiences of a found family formed by Satoh Takeru, Kiyohara Kaya and Baisho Mitsuko – and a larger story about the aftereffects of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Directed with measured pacing and restraint by Zeze Takahisa, this human suspense drama delves into not just the psychological and emotional trauma but also the economic trauma that persists a decade later for those who lost everything. As indicated in the Japanese title of "To Those Who Were Not Protected," the film addresses the indignities of those abandoned by a system that fails to help its neediest, and a society that turns a blind eye to suffering.

Increasing Echo
A disengaged middle-aged couple go through the motions of daily life in joyless manner. Mr. Yan drinks at work and stays out late to delay going home. Mrs. Yan seeks inner peace through meditation practices with gurus. The tenuous balance of their marriage is thrown asunder when Mrs. Yan receives news about her husband's former mistress who is now in a nursing home. Taiwan director Chienn Hsiang's first film since 2014's Exit, Increasing Echo is an acute, slow-burning essay on marital and mental crisis. Anchored by great performances from veterans Chen Shiang Chyi and Chen Yi Wen, the drama grows from ennui to anxiety to alarm as the mental and emotional health of the couple deteriorates along with their marriage. A bell sound transitions scenes throughout the film, climaxing with an incessant ringing that echoes in the ears in a critical scene.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0
Based on Akutami Gege's manga, the fantasy thriller Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is set before the events of Jujutsu Kaisen and focuses on troubled teen sorcerer Okkotsu Yuta, a supporting character in the main series. Cursed with great powers, the timid youth is protected by the spirit of his childhood sweetheart Rika, who unleashes bloody rage when Okkotsu is threatened. To free Rika and himself, he joins the Tokyo Jujutsu High School and trains to control his powers. In comparison to the main series that stars a more glib and assured hero, this prequel digs deeper into darkness with a tormented protagonist confronting a terrifying bond forged from trauma, loss and pure love. While the backstory is built on tragedy, the film still gets in plenty of anime fun and excitement via episodic training montages with Okkotsu's classmates, battles with various curses, and an all-out finale that calls up just about every sorcerer in the Jujutsu Kaisen universe.

Just Remembering
Writer-director Matsui Daigo's romantic drama Just Remembering starts in the evening of July 26, 2021. Taxi driver Yo (Itoh Sairi) is plying the streets of Tokyo during the pandemic, and stage lighting technician Teruo (Ikematsu Sosuke) is working on a show even though it's his birthday. After dropping off a passenger, Yo catches sight of Teruo, her ex-boyfriend. From there, the Japanese film jumps back in time one year to July 26, 2020, and then more years, gradually unfolding vignettes of their relationship. Winner of the Audience Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival, this bittersweet love story told backwards achingly resonates with the realistic turns of life, as it reveals how the lovers parted ways, weathered lost dreams, shared their dreams and fell in love, in that order. With separation being predestined, this journey of Just Remembering feels all the more precious and fleeting. The most memorable scene of the film is from the night the protagonists meet, unaware yet of what the future brings: a long static shot captures the two spontaneously dancing in an alley of closed shops while street music plays in the background.

Limbo

Limbo
Limbo may not be a film you can stomach watching twice, but it should be watched at least once by fans of Hong Kong and genre cinema. Soi Cheang's unrelentingly dark and sordid crime thriller chases a serial killer through the hellish, trash-filled underbelly of Hong Kong. Presented in black-and-white, the award-winning film employs stunningly beautiful cinematography to visualize a repulsively ugly world. Gordon Lam plays an anguished veteran cop who is violently out of control, while Mason Lee is his new superior and partner fresh out of academy. Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress winner Cya Liu is riveting in a harrowing role as a vulnerable yet tenacious informant who endures terrible abuse to try to right her own wrongs. Wading through piles of trash and the dregs of society to find the killer and the victims, the detectives ignite an escalating nightmare of gut-wrenching violence and devastating consequences. The punishing action scenes are appropriately messy to match the brutal, trash-filled cityscape.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
Picking two films from the same director may seem like too much, but Hamaguchi Ryusuke's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy is arguably even better than Drive My Car. Winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 71st Berlin Film Festival, this naturalistic, script-driven omnibus tells three minimalist short stories of lingering encounters and revealing conversations. A headstrong young woman hears about her friend's magical meeting with a guy, and then goes to confront her ex. A married college student tries to entrap her professor by reading an erotic passage from his novel to him. In the final and strongest chapter, two old high school friends reunite by chance and reminisce about the past, only to realize they've mistaken each other for someone else. There's no fantasy in the movie sense in these simple stories, but rather moments when the protagonists fantasize another scenario that brings meaning and closure to the encounter. There's usually a point in Hamaguchi Ryusuke films, no matter how good, when I start to wonder how much longer it's going to be, but Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy almost feels too short at 121 minutes, leaving something wistful in the air for each story.

VIOLET'S PICKS

Belle
Auteur Hosoda Mamoru and Studio Chizu illustrate the growing pains of a teenager in parallel worlds through the coming-of-age anime Belle. Inspired by Beauty and the Beast, the fantasy sci-fi anime revolves around reserved high schooler Suzu, who lost her mother at a young age. She joins the metaverse "U" and becomes a superstar avatar – the freckled princess "Belle" – gaining confidence and popularity with her beautiful singing. While going through setbacks in the real world, Suzu comes across the infamous Dragon in the virtual world, a destructive creature that other users struggle to unveil and defeat. Suzu strives to trace Dragon's true identity, hoping to lend a helping hand. The heroine with a heart of gold demonstrates selflessness in an incident that echoes her last memory of her mother. Plot-wise, Belle is perhaps not Hosoda Mamoru's best, but the awe-inspiring visuals and music are undoubtedly pleasing to the eyes and ears.

Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On
"Comply with the Labor Standards Act! We are not sewing machines!" Winning the Bronze Audience Award for Best Animated Feature at the Fantasia International Film Festival, Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On honors 22-year-old hero Chun Tae Il who fought for labor rights under the Korean dictatorship in 1970. Featuring voice acting by Jang Dong Yoon, Yeom Hye Ran, Jin Seon Kyu and Kwon Hae Hyo, the animated biopic depicts Chun from sewing at the Peace Market to support his siblings at age 14, to becoming a tailor and taking responsibilities to protect garment workers at 22. Poor working environment, long working hours and low wages lead to workers suffering from severe health conditions and eventually getting fired. Chun, alongside other tailors at the market, are determined to spread the word and make a change, regardless of confrontations with their boss and the police. Finally, the martyr chooses self-immolation to raise awareness, leaving behind a lasting legacy. Crowdfunded for production, the soul-stirring Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On touches hearts with the workers' brave fight for rights and justice against those in power.

Far Far Away
Explore the heart while appreciating the beautiful scenery of Hong Kong's suburban areas in Far Far Away! The low-budget sleeper hit melodrama stars the always-a-bridesmaid Kaki Sham in his first-ever film leading role as an introverted IT geek on his way to finding true love. He experiences romantic encounters with five women – Jennifer Yu, Hanna Chan, Rachel Leung, Cecilia So and Crystal Cheung – who all live Far Far Away from the city, and have different characteristics that make his heart flutter. As he drives each woman home, he hangs onto their words and insights on love that inspire him to acknowledge what he actually wants and needs. Accompanied with a soundtrack featuring local indie artists, the refreshing and lighthearted Far Far Away spotlights hometown sentiments visually and musically for a Hong Kong-style love story.

The First Girl I Loved
Sisterhood and romance are inextricably intertwined for two polar-opposite besties at an all-girls high school in the queer Hong Kong drama The First Girl I Loved. The story begins in the present day with the androgynous Nam (Hedwig Tam) receiving a call from her beloved high school soulmate Sylvia (Renci Yeung), who invites her to be a bridesmaid. Focusing mainly on Nam's perspective, the film captures the bold yet bitter tale of young love at a Catholic school in 2001. The two were once fearlessly determined to go against the world despite pressure from family and school. Reality hits hard as they grow up and face confusion about sexual orientation, friendship, love and the future. Despite some weaknesses in the plot and character development, The First Girl I Loved is worth watching for its daring theme and evocative illustration of the somber and agonizing reality of young lesbian couples coming of age during early the 2000s – and how they could be unfavorably affected to this day.

Nothing Serious
Jeon Jong Seo and Son Seok Goo are friends with benefits wanting Nothing Serious in this Korean romantic comedy that won Best Screenplay at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards. The two polished actors weave a sensual but casual dating story springing from a dating app. Jeon Jong Seo plays the out-of-work Ja Young who is entering her 30s and yearning only for sexual flings after getting dumped by her boyfriend. She serendipitously connects with Woo Ri (Son Seok Goo), a writer who is looking for inspiration for his sex column, and they enjoy their first hookup on New Year's day. As they intimately snuggle up on dates, the two lonely souls gradually develop a deep affection for each other, until Ja Young learns about the sex column. Nothing Serious realistically reflects the dating trends of this generation and how attitudes towards love and sex have changed under the influence of dating apps.

The Roundup
Captain Korea is back! Five years after The Outlaws, Ma Dong Seok returns in the sequel, The Roundup, to grapple with a savage killer played by Son Seok Goo! Ma reprises his role as police detective Ma Seok Do who shuts down truculent criminals with his unconquerable fists. While extraditing a suspect from Vietnam, he and his team notice a number of unsolved murder and kidnapping crimes targeting Koreans, and gets tangled up with the notorious Kang Hae Sang. Son Seok Goo takes up his first villain character in a movie, portraying the superlatively nefarious Kang who kills mercilessly to the extent that even other gangsters are scared out of their wits. Hailed as Korea's most popular film of 2022, the crime actioner has everything that makes it worthy of that title – star power, intriguing plot and flow, and thrilling action scenes that blow your stress away.