10 Best Asian Crime Movies Of The 2010s You May Have Missed 

Asian cinema has been a prominent part of the medium as a whole since its beginning, accommodating heterogeneous film-making traditions and producing stalwarts like Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray, who have and continue to inspire contemporary filmmakers around the globe.

The neo-noir/crime genre is one of the areas where the re-imagination and inventiveness of Asian filmmakers are the most visible and this is a look into the best movies of that genre that may have failed to make headlines.

10 New World – 2013

This South Korean flick resembles the plot of Scorcese’s The Departed, but with twice the violence and more intricate twists. The plot follows a cop who infiltrates the top tier of the Korean corporate mafia and gets caught between an internal power struggle.

The movie received praise for its direction, cinematography, and editing that adds to the intense tone of the story and never colors its characters in pure black or white shades. The post-credits flashback fight scene is gut-wrenching as well.

9 The Yellow Sea – 2010

Directed by promising filmmaker Na Hong Jin, who gave us the edge-of-the-seat thriller The Chaser and the brooding horror The Wailing, this South Korean thriller contains some of the best knife fight and car-chase scenes ever caught on camera.

This crime movie stands out from the rest by venturing into less explored areas, like the life of illegal Korean immigrants living on the Chinese border. The movie is divided into four chapters and though it starts slow, it intensifies and grows more convoluted and gory from the second chapter.

8 Ulidavaru Kandante – 2014

This underrated Indian gem stands out with its Rashomon-like structure, exemplary lighting and camera work, and a killer soundtrack. The writer-director, Rakshit Shetty, also plays the lead in this movie that pays homage to Hollywood neo-noirs like Scarface.

The flick is divided into chapters akin to Tarantino’s Kill Bill series and successfully brings together five seemingly different stories into a single, harrowing climax.

7 The Man From Nowhere – 2010

Another entry from South Korea, this movie follows an ex-secret agent as he tries to rescue a kidnapped girl who he befriended from the hands of a crime syndicate that deals with illegal organ transporting. Though melodramatic in parts, the movie hooks the audience with its highly stylized action sequences, each choreographed in a different way from the rest.

The movie also features subtle performances, quick cuts, and an ill-lit, gloomy color tone that adds to the dark yet intense nature of the plot.

6 First Love – 2019

Coming from a director who has earned notoriety among cinephiles for portraying grotesque violence, mutilated bodies, and explicit sadomasochist scenes on screen, this Japanese comedy-drama directed by Takashi Miike features a young boxer and a sex worker caught between two warring crime syndicates, corrupt police officials, and mafia defectors, as they strive to survive a night.

By blending moving romance, black comedy, and gore, this brilliantly crafted flick with an addictive soundtrack is a must-watch for all those who want to try something new.

5 The Night Comes For Us – 2018

This Indonesian crime thriller is two hours of intense knife fights, an exhibition of different ways of decapitation, and assassins showing off their action skills.

Yet the movie manages to stay extraordinarily entertaining as it portrays a ruthless Triad assassin’s attempt to protect a young girl from the crime syndicate. Featuring themes of brotherhood and betrayal, this gut-wrenching movie is a must-watch for all fans of gore.

4 The Villainess – 2017

Coming from young South Korean director Jung Byung-Gil, this thriller is kinetic filmmaking at its best. The story portrays a young mother, trained to be an assassin from her childhood, as she moves from one murderous rampage to another to win freedom and to lead a peaceful life.

The movie increases the intensity of its action sequences by merging seemingly unconnected cuts using invisible and whip-pan transitions to make them appear as a single take and this inventiveness in form is enhanced by unforeseeable plot twists and dark drama.

3 Jigarthanda – 2014

This crime drama blends comedy with gritty violence and energetic storytelling to give the audience a glimpse of the local patron-gangster culture in present-day rural South India.

It plays with the idea of a movie within a movie and features exemplary performances from the lead actors. The flick also contains scenes where the audience will be left unsure of whether to squirm or to laugh uncontrollably.

2 Aaranya Kaandam – 2010

If Jigarthanda was a portrayal of crime in rural South India, Aaranya Kandam showcases gangster life in the contemporary urban landscapes of South India.

The film presents all essentials of neo-noir filmmaking and features an unsettling performance from the Bollywood star, Jackie Shroff. The movie, which dwells on the lives of an aging gangster, his mistress, and his lieutenant, is also noted for its hard-lit cinematography, editing, and a climactic fight scene that appears to have been inspired by Spaghetti Westerns.

1 The Blood Of Wolves – 2018

This stylishly shot crime thriller from Japan follows a rough cop with unorthodox ways and a rookie cop as they venture to destabilize the Yakuza syndicate of Hiroshima using unconventional investigation methods.

The movie in itself can be considered as a tribute/homage to legendary Japanese filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku, his kinetic filmmaking techniques, and his Battles without Honor and Humanity film series. The movie has been noted by many critics to have revitalized the once dead Yakuza genre in Japan.

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