Ranked: the 12 best Asian films of 2023, from Concrete Utopia to Hidden Blade and Godzilla Minus One
- From dark tales and ghost stories to a cyberpunk sci-fi thriller and a film about a toilet cleaner, we pick the 12 best Asian films of 2023
- On the list: the 37th Godzilla movie, a Korean disaster film centred on a block of flats, a Tony Leung Chiu-wai spy thriller, a basketball anime and more
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of the year’s most exciting and noteworthy feature films from around Asia.
From effects-laden blockbusters and dramas to impressive debuts from emerging talent, here are this writer’s picks for the 12 best new films from across the region.
12. In My Mother’s Skin
Set in a remote corner of the Philippines during World War II, Kenneth Dagatan’s dark fairy tale follows the efforts of a young girl to care for her ailing mother.
As the men are distracted by a seemingly hopeless treasure hunt, and the Japanese occupation encircles their once opulent home, the young heroine becomes increasingly bewitched by a mysterious woman living out in the forest.
Unspooling like a Southeast Asian response to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Dagatan’s film is a visually ravishing supernatural treat brimming with ancient magic.
11. 24 Hours With Gaspar
It is a rare treat when a science fiction movie emerges from Southeast Asia’s independent film scene, and even rarer when it proves as good as Yosep Anggi Noen’s cyberpunk detective thriller.
