Foreign horror is sometimes my favorite. Often I feel like they are so much more scary and absurd than American horror films. I especially have a liking towards Japanese Horror. If you know anything about me, you'd know I already love everything to do with Japanese culture and my love for Japan actually started with watching one of the Ju-on's with I was about 8. (An odd thing to make me fall in love with Japan, but I guess it's what you'd expect from a horror lover like me!)
So I decided it would be fun and interesting to list some of my favorite Foreign horror films. They are listed in no particular order, so I guess lets get into it!
If any of you have seen The Grudge that came out in 2004 starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ju-on: The Grudge is actually the original version! It follows the same basic storyline. It revolves around a house that seems to be possessed by an evil curse from the past murders of a family and whoever enters the home or property will die in a terrible way. The second one just continues the original story of the first film and is definitely worth checking out if you watch the first.
It's one of the more popular Japanese horror movies franchises that I've found. Whenever I seem to mention anything about Japanese horror this one ALWAYS comes up. It's a very good story that is definitely a lot scarier than the American version!
A Tale of Two Sisters is a South Korean horror film that was released in 2003. The two main characters are sisters Su-Mi and Su-Yeon who recently just got released from a mental institution. They return home to their father and step-mother.
The girls begin to have violent and terrifying nightmares and experience eerie things happening around them and it seems that their family and home are haunted by past tragedies.
This is one I actually haven't heard much about. I've always really liked this film but I wouldn't consider it one of the mainstream ones. But I feel like this may be one of the best films on this list. It's more of a psychological horror movie so if you're into that kind of thing I definitely think you should check it out! The more Americanized version of this would be The Uninvited with Emily Browning!
The Eye is a Hong-Kong-Singaporean horror film that was released in 2002. It follows a 20-year old girl called Mun who has been blind since she was a child. She undergoes surgery to receive a new pair of eyes from a donor. She is happy to finally have her sight back but then she starts seeing odd figures and seem to foretell deaths.
The Eye is definitely a favorite of mine (obviously). This movie is always so creepy to me. Unfortunately the second movie doesn't really follow the first at all, but the first one is definitely worth a watch.
Ringu is a 1998 Japanese horror movie. It follows a videotape that is apparently cursed and seven days after you view the tape it's said you will receive a phone call and will die. The only way to save yourself after watching the tape is to get someone else to watch it and then apparently the curse will be broken and go after the other person who viewed it.
A woman named, Reiko Asakawa's niece and three of her friends seemed to have watched the tape and were killed. She and her ex-husband try to investigate the tape and find out the curse behind it in time to break the curse completely.
I'm sure this story sounds extremely familiar as it's the original version of The Ring! The American remakes were very good and definitely scary, but you can't beat the original in my opinion.
Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by the same person who directed the Ring 1 & 2.
Yoshimi Matsubara moves to a small, run-down apartment with her daughter while she is in the middle of a nasty divorce. The ceiling of her apartment has a leak which becomes worse every day. She then starts experiencing odd things happening around the building and sometimes she will see a glimpse of a mysterious, long-haired girl. Yoshimi starts to uncover the horrible truth of what happened to the young girl in her apartment building.
This was remade into an American film in 2005. It was a good remake the the original is definitely a LOT creepier!
So I decided it would be fun and interesting to list some of my favorite Foreign horror films. They are listed in no particular order, so I guess lets get into it!
Ju-on
If any of you have seen The Grudge that came out in 2004 starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ju-on: The Grudge is actually the original version! It follows the same basic storyline. It revolves around a house that seems to be possessed by an evil curse from the past murders of a family and whoever enters the home or property will die in a terrible way. The second one just continues the original story of the first film and is definitely worth checking out if you watch the first.
It's one of the more popular Japanese horror movies franchises that I've found. Whenever I seem to mention anything about Japanese horror this one ALWAYS comes up. It's a very good story that is definitely a lot scarier than the American version!
A Tale of Two Sisters
A Tale of Two Sisters is a South Korean horror film that was released in 2003. The two main characters are sisters Su-Mi and Su-Yeon who recently just got released from a mental institution. They return home to their father and step-mother.
The girls begin to have violent and terrifying nightmares and experience eerie things happening around them and it seems that their family and home are haunted by past tragedies.
This is one I actually haven't heard much about. I've always really liked this film but I wouldn't consider it one of the mainstream ones. But I feel like this may be one of the best films on this list. It's more of a psychological horror movie so if you're into that kind of thing I definitely think you should check it out! The more Americanized version of this would be The Uninvited with Emily Browning!
The Eye
The Eye is a Hong-Kong-Singaporean horror film that was released in 2002. It follows a 20-year old girl called Mun who has been blind since she was a child. She undergoes surgery to receive a new pair of eyes from a donor. She is happy to finally have her sight back but then she starts seeing odd figures and seem to foretell deaths.
The Eye is definitely a favorite of mine (obviously). This movie is always so creepy to me. Unfortunately the second movie doesn't really follow the first at all, but the first one is definitely worth a watch.
Ringu
Ringu is a 1998 Japanese horror movie. It follows a videotape that is apparently cursed and seven days after you view the tape it's said you will receive a phone call and will die. The only way to save yourself after watching the tape is to get someone else to watch it and then apparently the curse will be broken and go after the other person who viewed it.
A woman named, Reiko Asakawa's niece and three of her friends seemed to have watched the tape and were killed. She and her ex-husband try to investigate the tape and find out the curse behind it in time to break the curse completely.
I'm sure this story sounds extremely familiar as it's the original version of The Ring! The American remakes were very good and definitely scary, but you can't beat the original in my opinion.
Dark Water
Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese horror film directed by the same person who directed the Ring 1 & 2.
Yoshimi Matsubara moves to a small, run-down apartment with her daughter while she is in the middle of a nasty divorce. The ceiling of her apartment has a leak which becomes worse every day. She then starts experiencing odd things happening around the building and sometimes she will see a glimpse of a mysterious, long-haired girl. Yoshimi starts to uncover the horrible truth of what happened to the young girl in her apartment building.
This was remade into an American film in 2005. It was a good remake the the original is definitely a LOT creepier!
Do you enjoy watching Foreign horror movies?
A Tale of Two Sisters is such a great film! I'm really into foreign horror films, although not as much as I used to be--I need to get back into the rhythm. The main film I can think of right now that I always recommend is the French film Martyrs.
ReplyDeleteMartyrs is a good one!
Deletethanks for this list, perfect for this time of the year. will definitely have a look into some of the movies you recommended!
ReplyDeleteHope you like them Lisi!
DeleteI definitely have to see these movies! Just not before a work day. The place I work at is a house built in 1864 and so creepy to be alone in!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that would definitely be creepy!
DeleteThose are some great horros I prefer the old horror movies they way scarier
ReplyDeleteCandice | Beauty Candy Loves
xoxo
I agree with you. Older horror movies always seem a bit creepier for some reason. Much more genuine.
DeleteForeign horror films are always so much better than the american remakes. So much scarier! xo
ReplyDeletewww.dinosbeautydiary.co.uk
They definitely are!
DeleteI am a HUGE horror fan and I love The Ring, Ju-On and The Eye. However, The Tale of Two Sisters was just 'meh' to me. Somehow I find it to be boring.
ReplyDeleteReflection of Sanity
I understand why you'd find it boring. It's not really a movie I could watch over and over again.
DeleteI love Ringu! Such a great film, it still scares me!
ReplyDeletex Heidi
http://heidis1haven.blogspot.com/
I'm a huge horror fan! I've seen every one of them except a tale of two sisters. Going to give it a try now!
ReplyDeleteI love all of these films! not strictly horror but my all time faves are Oldboy and Love exposure. Rec is also great if you like zombie films. x
ReplyDeleteI've not watched many foreign horrors apart from Ils and Rec, it sounds like I've been missing out!
ReplyDelete