We all love thrillers because the adrenaline and shock elements always make for a less boring time. Thrillers are available in every culture and in every language, but for people who want to explore its vast terrain, knowing where to start always helps. , Here is a list of eight captivating, distinct and disturbing Asian thrillers .
1. “Kahaani”
Dir: Sujoy Ghosh
A pregnant woman embarks on a journey to find her missing husband, but everyone she meets denies knowing about her husband’s existence. Pretty interesting plot for a thriller, right? This Indian feature with a star-studded cast of Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chakraborty, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and more makes for a guessing game until the very end.
2. “Oldboy”
Dir: Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-Wook’s 2003 feature is a comedy at first sight but morphed into the darkest plot one can imagine. The story follows Dae-Su, a drunk man who is abducted and kept in a cell for 15 years. When he is released one day without any supposed reason, he tries to track down his abductor, resulting in the unveiling of a story that is at the very least, not family-friendly. Watch at your own risk!
3. “Andhadhun”
Dir: Sriram Raghavan
A blind pianist falls into a whirlwind of troubles when he is suspected of experiencing a murder- “Andhadhun” is an Indian thriller that takes you through the eyes (!) of the protagonist, Akash. As he tries to navigate through all the potential dangers, you imagine, whom do we blame? This fast-paced thriller serves you with a rip-roaring story that you will probably never forget.
4. “Aynabaji”
Dir: Amitabh Reza Chowdhury
A man who has an innate talent to flawlessly impersonate anyone is tasked by various members of the elite class to serve jail time in their place. This talent eventually puts him at risk of getting exposed and facing severe consequences as he tries to maneuver through it all to compensate for his failed acting career. “Aynabaji” is a masterfully realized story with gripping moments until the end credits roll. Highly recommended.
5. “Drishyam” (A Duology)
Dir: Jeethu Joseph
A mother and her daughter accidentally kill the son of a high-ranked police officer when he comes uninvited to their house with the intent to rape the daughter. They are later faced with criminal charges, and it is up to the genius of the father to evade the unforgiving laws as well as dispose of the body secretly. “Drishyam” is a South-Indian thriller that serves as an adrenaline-inducing cat-and-mouse chase where even the smallest of mistakes can cost large. Both parts are currently available with a third reportedly already being in production. Do not sleep on this duology!
6. “I Saw The Devil”
Dir: Kim Jee-Woon
There are very few thrillers that can get as messy and disturbing as Kim Jee-Woon’s 2010 feature “I Saw The Devil”. It tells the story of a secret agent hunting down a serial killer after his wife’s decapitated head is found in a river. If you think that the story goes down in a simplistic thriller trope, you are bound to be dumbfounded. The movie takes you through some of the most gory and gut-wrenching scenes of modern cinema, and you slowly start to understand who the movie signals to as “Devil” in its title.
7. “Memories of Murder”
Dir: Bong Joon-Ho
Director Bong Joon-Ho has been in the film industry for over two decades now and before his much-acclaimed “Parasite”, there was “Memories of Murder”. This 2003 cult classic takes us to a South Korean province in 1986 with a group of policemen trying to track down a serial killer. In the superstitious hierarchy-based society where police are both feared and hated, how will their actions influence the narrative? See it for yourself to find out.
8. “Parasite”
Dir: Bong Joon-Ho
Bong Joon-ho’s Magnum Opus, “Parasite”, is a story of many angles woven together to present a film of intensity, scare, and awe. We are introduced to two families with polar-opposite conditions as their lives are intertwined to make for a dynamic, and also disturbing experience. Believe us when we say this, “Parasite” is a gorgeously terrifying thriller meant to both spellbind and scare you. Director Bong Joon-ho won his first Academy Award for this flawless feature, and it hails at the top of our list.
Suagata Debnath can be reached at [email protected]