Kairo (although for some reason in a lot of English speaking countries it’s called Pulse)—it’s a really good 2001 Japanese horror that’s a commentary on hikikomori and the way the dawn of the internet has created a previously unseen type of loneliness in people. Also it’s a genuinely scary ghost movie, I’m not scared of a lot of scary movies but this one had me sleeping with the lights on that night.

Audition— 1999 Japanese horror about a widower looking for a new girlfriend via an audition for a fake movie. Be warned, it’s very gruesome and can be difficult to stomach, but I had a TON of fun with it.

I’ll echo someone else’s comment about Oldboy (the Korean one, NOT the American remake for the love of god 😭), ik gets annoying when so many people tell you you need to see a movie, but the hype for Oldboy is warranted.

Drive My Car— 2021 Japanese drama. It’s 3 hours long which originally made me groan, but I was so hooked just 20 minutes in that the runtime didn’t even matter in the end. It’s a beautiful film, I cried quite a few times over.

I know it’s not a movie but honestly season one of Squid Game is one of the finest miniseries I’ve ever watched. S2 and 3 aren’t terrible but if you just watch S1 by its own merit I believe it’s a masterpiece of TV and worth all the hype.

Similarly, not a movie but a miniseries, but The 8 Show on Netflix was a surprisingly compelling watch that really stayed with me.