Noah Baumbachs funny, literate story gives Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller plum roles and may be the best thing hes ever done The Foreigner. Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II. Scotiabank Theatre Halifax Cineplex Bayers Lake showtimes and movie listings. Cineplex. Best new Japanese Movies 2. Ever since the days of Ozu and Kurosawa, Japan has a film tradition that differs in many ways from both Europe and America. Which is why Japan as a film country is so damn interesting. Check out our recent favorites The Vores Film staff selects the top best Japanese movies of 2. DVD and Netflix. Are Hirokazu Koreeda, Naomi Kawase Hitoshi Matsumoto Japans biggest directors Logically, a list of the best Japanese films of the 2. Focusing on the more arty films and there are plenty of experimental, innovative films out there we have tried to frame Japanese cinema as best as we could, and as diversely as possible. Films not in the list, but still worth the mention Miss Zombie 2. Hiroyuki Tanaka, Helter Skelter 2. Mika Ninagawa and Im Flash 2. Toshiaki Toyoda. Japanese movies. Popular actors. Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa Kaho. Trending movies. Umimachi Diary, An Journey to the Shore. Anticipated 2. 01. Japanese movies to watch. Best Japanese movies on Netflix or DVD in 2. Japanese movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD Netflix, Amazon. Director Hirokazu Koreeda. Cast Masaharu Fukuyama. Machiko Ono. Yko Maki Director Koreeda is unparalleled in contemporary cinema when it comes to honestly portraying family life. In tone, he shifts from deeply tragic Nobody Knows, 2. I Wish, 2. 01. 1 but his significant style is always easy to recognize. Like Father, Like Son tells the gripping story of a businessman who finds out his son was swapped with another boy right after birth in the hospital. He is faced with a horrible dilemma adopt his true son or carrying on with the boy he raised as his own. Read more. Director Hirokazu Koreeda. Cast Hiroshi Abe. Yko Maki. Satomi Kobayashi Its amazing how Japanese helmer Koreeda keeps up this pace. After The Storm is yet another beautiful, patient little gem. The films tells the gripping tale of once famous writer trying to connect with his estranged and reluctant son during a stormy summers night. Read more. Director Daihachi Yoshida. Cast Rynosuke Kamiki,Ai Hashimoto. Suzuka Ohgo The Kirishima Thing is a very nice film to watch, and also at the same time a film only Japanese people seem to able to make. The film itself is not that different, but theres something about the atmosphere thats really strange here and makes this one of the best films set in high school Ive seen. It opens very mysterious with a lot of scenes getting repeated from a couple of different viewpoints, as the film keeps following other characters in the same time period. The great opening of this film creates a feel reminiscent of Gus van Sants masterpiece Elephant 2. If you saw Elephant, dont be scared. I didnt spoil anything, as The Kirishima Thing tells a whole different story. The film is an interesting depiction of hierarchies in high school, the roles adolescents are forced into and what happens when a leading figure stops accepting his. Read more. Director Sion Sono. Cast Jun Kunimura. Fumi Nikaidou. Shinichi Tsutsumi The best Japanese film of these past two years is directed by probably the most playful filmmaker in Japan, called Shion Sono Suicide Circle 2. Love Exposure 2. Cold Fish 2. After a couple of rather disappointing films Guilty of Romance 2. The Land of Hope 2. Sono came back with, in my opinion, his best film up to date I admit I havent seen all of his films, but Im getting there. Its just so much fun to watch this. As usual with the greatest of Sonos films theres so much happening, you cannot possibly keep track. You just have to go along for the ride and never try to look back or even take a pause to get some breath, theres just no time. Read more. Director Nobuhiro Yamashita. Cast Mirai Moriyama. Kengo Kra. Atsuko Maeda Probably the most conventional Japanese film in this list. So for people who are not that comfortable with both extremes of Japanese cinema, often defined as a cinema of on the one hand very crazy fucked up films and on the other hand very contemplative and slow films wherein nothing ever seems to happen, The Drudgery Train should be a good recommendation. Its a nice japanese drama with a cool main character and some good dialogue. Actually, theres not much to complain about this film. So if youre kind of bored with all the European or American faces you see all the time, you should try this one. Read more. Director Naomi Kawase. Cast Nijir Murakami. Jun Yoshinaga. Miyuki Matsuda Naomi Kawases Still the Water was met with mixed results at Cannes last year, which actually only made us more curious. Watch The Animation Show Online Free. Kawases herself stated that this film is her masterpiece. Kawases films balance at the edge of soulful contemplation and kitschy esotericism. Still the Water, a patiently told story about a blossoming love between to troubled teenagers at a remote Japanese island is both, but nonetheless a satisfying viewing experience altogether. Read more. Director Takashi Miike. Cast Takayuki Yamada. Shta Sometani. Fumi Nikaidou Famous Japanese director Takashi Miike Audition 1. Visitor Q 2. 00. Ichi The Killer 2. Being a filmmaker since 1. And hes still keeping himself busy, only in 2. Takashi Miike already directed no less than 5 films. But unfortunately, only Lesson of the Evil was actually worth something. For Loves sake 2. Ace Attorney 2. 01. Shield of Straw 2. Palme dOr at Cannes last year was nothing more than a dumb action movie with a very weak and ridiculous story. His latest, The Mole Song Undercover Agent Reiji 2. I havent seen yet, but sure will, as I think of Miike as one of the most interesting film directors out there. Although Im not the greatest fan of his work. Lesson of the Evil is one of his most fun films Ive seen, as it is one hell of a morally twisted movie. You start out thinking its very sweet and gentle, as it follows a good natured teacher in high school. But later on, you notice the character of the teacher is not as kind as you initially thought, and the movie itself gradually begins to get more like its title suggested in the first place. Read more. Director Takeshi Kitano. Cast Toshiyuki Nishida. Tomokazu Miura. Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano is, in my opinion, perhaps the greatest Japanese director of the last 2. His films like Sonatine 1. Fireworks 1. 99. Kikujiro 1. It is true, however, that Outrage 2. Outrage Beyond are nothing compared to his work in the 9. Still, these two yakuza films are great pieces of entertainment. With its tight editing, sophisticated cinematography and its unpretentious and simple plot, youre in for two quite nice films. And theres even a third Outrage film on the way Not that Im really looking forward to a second sequel, but still. Just like Outrage, Outrage Beyond is mainly about people killing each other off until theres almost no one left standing. All yakuzas seem a bit paranoid and because of this the films portrayal of yakuza life feels a bit sad. Its that melancholic feel to it that makes it better than your average kind of gangster movie and at the same time makes you remember youre watching a Takeshi Kitano film. Read more Best Japanese TV Series out in 2. Netflix on TVJapan country statistics. Japan. 20. 17. Popularity. Rank5 List of most popular countriesActors. Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa Kaho. Trending. Umimachi Diary, An Journey to the Shore. Amount of country films per year from 2. Japanese movies scheduled for release this year. List of highest grossers of the decade budget Most of the quality art house is still not reaching US audiences. At the US Box office it are still anime, manga and animated Japanese productions that do well. Title. Box office. Budget. The secret world of Arietti 2. M2. 3MDragon Ball Z Doragon bru Z Fukkatsu no F 2. M5. MThe Wind Rises 2. The Game of Thrones Finale Wasnt Perfect, But It Made the Season a Hell of a Lot Better. After six episodes that have been incredible, infuriating, revealing, confusing, and epic, last nights Game of Thrones finale had a great many things to answer for. They were the answers needed to help recalibrate the shows uneven seventh season so it ended up greater than the sum of its inconsistent partseven if that doesnt equal the shows best seasons. The Wolf and the Dragon had its own problems to be sureone in particular made me want to actually scream in irritationthe main one of which was its surprising lack of surprises. If youve been paying a decent amount of attention, you didnt have to hunt out hacker leaks to form a pretty good idea of what was going to go down in the season finale, but for me, that somehow didnt make it any less satisfying. If youre a book reader, you know how the show, having advanced beyond George R. R. Martins novels, has been partially satiating our hunger by sporadically giving us the scenes weve guessed and hoped were coming. The finale was packed with these scenes, like a Thanksgiving dinneryou know what the meal is going to consist of, but its still a feast. It began with a meetingThe Meeting, reallywhere most all the shows principal characters came together in the Dragonpit of Kings Landing for Jon Snows almost certainly unfeasible attempt to convince Cersei Lannister to help fight the White Walkers and their army of wights. There were three daises set up on the floor of the shattered arena where the Targaryens once imprisoned their dragons. The people sitting in them are as follows Cersei, Jaime, Qyburn, Euron Greyjoy, and the Mountain Jon Snow, Davos, and Brienne Daenerys, Tyrion, Jorah, Missandei, Varys, and Theon. And, after several tense moments and several even more tense conversations, there is one person in the center of the all The Hound, who carries a giant chest by himself. When he opens it, nothing happensno movement, so sound. And when he kicks the chest over, the wight inside bursts out growling, and runs right for Cersei. In terms of showing the woman who currently sits on the Iron Throne of the threat that lies beyond the Wall, it honestly couldnt have worked out any better if they planned it and it almost makes you wonder if they did. Sandor Clegane yanks the wights chain back at the last second, so Cersei gets the most horrifying look possible. When the wights attention is focused on him, Sandor cuts the wight in two at the waist, allowing Cersei to see both halves trying to crawl towards someone to attack them. When the Hound cuts off a hand, Jon Snow picks it up to demonstrate the wights weakness to firethen stabs the torso with a dragonglass dagger, demonstrating its other weakness. All in all, Jon makes his caseso effectively, in fact, that Euron asks Jon if the dead can swim. When he answers no, Euron says and Im paraphrasing, I. Am. Outta here. He announces that he and his fleet are heading back to the Iron Islands, and leaving everyone on the mainland to die. Cersei also recognizes the horrific threat the living face, but she agrees to Daenerys request for a truce, and that shell send her forces north to fight with Winterfell and Daenerys Unsullied and Dothraki to fight the enemy of all of them. If Jon Snow, King of the North, agrees to stay up north and at no point take his soldiers anywhere near the eventual war between herself and Daenerys. Jon explains he cant do that because hes already bent the knee to Daenerys. And Cersei storms out of the Dragonpit. Jon tells the truth, and dooms humanity. It was as infuriating a moment as anything Ive ever seen on Game of Thrones. Oh, I know Jon has his honor, and his desire to always do the right thing has gotten him into trouble before, trouble that includes being murdered by his own men. But this moment this is beyond the pale. Knowing the truth would end the nascent truce, negating everything theyd worked so hard for, rendering the death of Danys dragon meaningless, and indirectly consigning god knows how many inhabitants of Westeros to death, Jon tells the truth anyway. Davos is pissed. Tyrion is pissed. Daenerys is extra pissed. Jon gives a pretty little speech about how lying is bad and people need to keep their word and blah blah, which might have had an ounce of weight to it if heal so hadnt been talking for seasons about how the war against the White Walkers was the only thing that matters, nothing elseincluding Jons goddamn honor. Everyone on Team Daenerys and Team Stark knows it, but Jon doesnt. Its a decision so stupid, even for a Stark, it feels like it almost erases everyones development over the course of the entire series, like it reset everyone back to the beginning of season one. But the worst thing about it isnt how dumb it is, but because its so selfisha truth told for his own self righteousness and self image, and nothing else, because it certainly doesnt benefit anyone else. In fact, it leads directly to Tyrion making his own terrible decision To go see Cersei, the sister whos tried to have him killed at least twice that he knows of, by himself and convince her to return to negotiations. Last week, in my recap of Beyond of Wall, I used the headline Game of Thrones Is at Its Best and Worst Right Now. I was referring to the shows powerful ability to give us amazing, epic fantasy scenes unlike anyone has ever before tried of television. What I wasnt referring to was the shows original strengthgiving us characters of depth, but also scenes between these characters, usually just talking to one another, that made them and Westeros rich and real and so captivating that even people who think stories about dragons and made up places are dumb have gotten completely invested in the series. Tyrions reunion with Cersei is one of those scenes, and, somewhat surprisingly, powered by the characters honesty wth each other. Cerseis still mad that Tyrion killed their father, but more upset that he left the Lannister family so vulnerable that their enemies felt bold enough to kill Myrcella and wrest control of Kings Landing from her, eventually leading to Tommens suicide. Tyrion explains the reason he follows Daenerys is because she actually wants to make the world a better place, while Cersei only cares about her ever shrinking list of who she considers family. Tyrion baits Cersei and tells her to have the Mountain, looming behind him, to kill him when Cersei doesnt, he pours himself a large glass of wine. Cersei reveals shes pregnant. The two will never love each other, but they end up making their own sort of truce together. Or so it seems. The Wolf and the Dragon is filled with these sorts of wonderful, character driven scenes, more than the entire rest of the season put together. Its as if season seven was sprinting through the plot for the first six episodes, in order to make sure it had plenty of time for these scenes after virtually all the main characters got together in one place. Id argue Tyrion and Cerseis reunion is the highlight of the episode, but heres a few more of them, some large, some small, all gratifying Brienne discovers the Hound is still alive, and the two of them share a small smile over what an ass kicker Arya has become. Tyrion gets a few moments with Bronn reminding him of his eternal offer to him Ill pay double and his former squire Podrick. The Hound reunites with his undead big brother the MountainYoure uglier than I am nowand postpones Clegane bowl to another day, although he declares the day is indeed coming. Euron waits until the meeting starts and immediately interrupts to call out Theon, announcing hell kill Yara if Theon doesnt surrender, annoying literally everyone else in the Dragonpit.