Netflix has added an impressive list of new films to their InstantWatch feature again this week. Quite a number of them are great titles from various Asian countries that I'm glad to see made accessible to US viewers. Some of them are modern classics that need no introduction to cineastes, but others are pleasant surprises.
TETSUO: THE IRON MAN One of my favorite movies of all time, Tetsuo is Japanese cyberpunk at its most definitive. The first feature film by the great Shinya Tsukamoto, Tetsuo is the highly allegorical—and illogical—story of a businessman whose body slowly morphs into machine against his will, after he accidentally runs over a metal fetishist. Perverse, daring and brimming with energy, Tetsuo is one of the coolest things Japanese cult cinema has to offer. Watch it now
TOKYO! An anthology series, Tokyo! stands out for being directed by three famous directors (Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-ho), but what's really striking about it is that it's three non-Japanese filmmakers making three short films about life in Tokyo that's not strictly flattering, even criticizing certain aspects of Japanese culture. Carax's piece is particularly surprising for making a reference to the Rape of Nanking. Watch it now
TRIAD ELECTION This sequel to Johnny To's international hit Election may not be as rigorously compelling and revelatory as the first movie, but it's a slick gangster picture in its own right, surrounding the Triad's tumultuous election period. Louis Koo reprises his role from the first Election, now hoping to become a legit businessman. But the Chinese government wants to broker peace with the Triad, and to do so, they're forcing Koo to run for chairman of the crime syndicate. Watch it now
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI Yoji Yamada's film isn't your typical samurai flick. Sobering, heartfelt and contemplative, it centers on a samurai who doesn't do much swordfighting. After losing his wife to illness, the samurai spends most of his time taking care of his elderly mother and his two young daughters, showing the daily responsibilities of a warrior who is foremost a family man. Watch it now
SAMARITAN GIRL Kim Ki-duk is Korea's most polarizing director. While not one of his more notable works—certainly far from his best—Samaritan Girl nonetheless features Kim's signature blend of strong sexuality, contemplative mood and disturbing consequences; this time from two teenage girls who start their own prostitution business to fund a European vacation. Watch it now
OPERA JAWA Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho isn't much well known outside of his own country (though his art house films are also often spurned by his fellow countrymen), but his films are certainly recognized and appreciated by the various film festival awards he's gathered over the decades. Opera Jawa, his more recent work, adapts a portion of the epic poem Ramayana using a mixture of Javanese song, wayang puppet theater, sacred court dance, gamelan music and Mozart. Watch it now
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Wong Kar-wai is widely regarded as Hong Kong's most artistic—and romantic—filmmaker, and many consider In the Mood for Love to be his best work. I humbly disagree, but that's neither here nor there, since it's still a fabulous film with a strong love story photographed in unbelievably beautiful shots. Even at streaming quality, it still pops with passion. Watch it now
