Japanese movies about serial killers

List of the best Japanese films about serial killers, selected by visitors to our site: Cold Fish, Cure, Split, Perfect Blue, Killers, Memoirs of a Murderer, Museum, Dance With Me, Downrange, Eureka.

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Country
Markimdb: 7.1
Genreaction, thriller, comedy, melodrama, drama, crime
CountryJapan
Duration02:26

Shamoto runs a small tropical fish shop. When his daughter Mitsuko is caught shoplifting at a grocery store a man named Murata steps in to settle things between the girl and the store manager. Murata also runs a tropical fish shop and he and Shamoto soon become friendly. However Murata hides many dark secrets behind his friendly face.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrehorror, thriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan

A wave of gruesome murders is sweeping Tokyo. The only connection is a bloody X carved into the neck of each of the victims. In each case, the murderer is found near the victim and remembers nothing of the crime. Detective Takabe and psychologist Sakuma are called in to figure out the connection, but their investigation goes nowhere...

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, drama, detective
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration02:27

Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Markimdb: 8
Genrehorror, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:21

A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrehorror, action, thriller, crime
CountryIndonesia, Japan

Mr. Nomura is an eerily handsome, sharply dressed, sociopathic serial killer who preys on the women of Tokyo. In Jakarta, a world-weary journalist named Bayu finds himself unexpectedly falling into vigilantism after brutally killing two sadistic robbers. When each posts videos of their violent sprees online, the pair find one another on the Internet and begin a toxic and competitive duel. While Bayu clings to the hope that he can resume a normal life, Nomura continues to spill blood without remorse. Killing, advises Nomura, is something everyone ought to consider.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryJapan

The movie begins in the year 1995 where there were 5 peculiar murder cases. The murderer would always get someone close to the victim to witness how he would strangle the victim from behind with a rope but he would let the witnesses go and speak to the media on how the murders happened. Ito plays the role of Makimura, the police detective who was in charge of investigating the serial murders but failed to catch the cunning murderer and his respected superior ended up being killed as well. 22 years later in 2017 when the case is nearing its statute of limitations, a man named Sonezaki claims to be the culprit for the 1995 murders and even publishes a book titled "Watashi ga satsujinhan desu" to talk about the cases. Despite the disgust towards Sonezaki's actions, the intensive attention showered on him via the media and SNS makes him become the talk of town.

Markimdb: 6.1
Genrehorror, thriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration00:40

A series of grotesque murder cases takes place on rainy days. Detective Hisashi Sawamura (Shun Oguri) works to catch the murderer like he has done with past cases, but he soon realizes the murderer's next target is his wife and son. A man in a frog mask is a suspect.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, musical
CountryJapan

Suzuki Shizuka is an office lady at a conglomerate who is treated by a hypnotist and left under the spell. Thereafter she cannot but sing and dance whenever she hears any melody whatsoever. She heads back to the hypnotist for relief, but he is nowhere to be found.

Markimdb: 5.4
Genreaction, thriller
CountryJapan, USA
Duration01:34

Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genredrama
CountryJapan, France

The traumatized survivors of a murderous bus hijacking take a road trip together. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genrethriller, comedy
CountryJapan, France
Duration01:30

The police are tracking a man who shoots at people. But the young sister of a detective finds that he's not the mad vigilante portrayed in newspapers.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genrefantasy, drama, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration02:06

Light Yagami finds the "Death Note," a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to create a Utopia by killing the world's criminals, and soon the world's greatest detective, "L," is hired to find the mysterious murderer. An all out battle between the two greatest minds on earth begins and the winner will control the world.

Markimdb: 8.5
Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:56

Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Kayo.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genrehorror, fantastic, comedy, detective
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration01:39

Collegian Tree Gelbman wakes up in horror to learn that she's stuck in a parallel universe. Her boyfriend Carter is now with someone else, and her friends and fellow students seem to be completely different versions of themselves. When Tree discovers that Carter's roommate has been altering time, she finds herself once again the target of a masked killer. When the psychopath starts to go after her inner circle, Tree soon realizes that she must die over and over again to save everyone.

Markimdb: 4.6
Genrefantastic, action, thriller, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:14

It's three years after the events of the original Battle Royale, and Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist determined to bring down the government. His terrorist group, Wild Seven, stages an attack that levels several buildings in Tokyo on Christmas Day, killing 8000 people. In order for the government to study the benefits of "teamwork", the new students work in pairs, with their collars electronically linked so that if one of them is killed, the other dies as well. They must kill Nanahara in three days - or die.

Markimdb: 3.8
Genrehorror, short, crime
CountryJapan

A group of guys capture a young girl with the intent of hurting her. They torture her in many ways, from beating her to putting a sharp piece of needle-like metal through her eye which pierces across her retina.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

Arrangement instructor Makiko Norita (Yukie Nakama) displays a dignified smile, but she also makes bitting remarks. Nevertheless, with her magic arrangement skills, arrangement instructor Makiko Norita makes people happy. Based on the book "Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Maho" by Marie Kondo (published December 27, 2010 by Sunmark Publishing,Inc.). Marie Kondo is a cleaning consultant and developed popular "KonMari Method" for organizing and storing household items.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Love is blooming at Sakuragaoka High School. Natsuki Enomoto has finally mustered the courage to confess to her childhood friend, Yuu Setoguchi. However, in the final moments of her confession, an embarrassed Natsuki passes it off as a "practice confession." Oblivious to her true feelings and struggling with his own, Yuu promises to support Natsuki in her quest for love. While Natsuki deals with her failed confession, fellow classmate Koyuki Ayase struggles with his own feelings for Natsuki. Despite his timidness, he is determined to win over her heart. This movie follows Natsuki as she dreams of one day ending her practices and genuinely confessing to Yuu. Meanwhile, close friends also find themselves entangled in their own webs of unrequited love and unspoken affections.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, China, Sweden, Japan
Duration02:36

    Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous looking snowman.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrecomedy, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    First year high school student Sakamoto isn't just cool, he's the coolest! Almost immediately after starting school, he began attracting everyone's attention. The girls love him, and most of the boys resent him. There's even a boy in the class who works as a model, but who is constantly upstaged by Sakamoto! No matter what tricks the other boys try to play on him, Sakamoto always manages to foil them with ease and grace. Though Sakamoto may seem cool and aloof, he helps others when asked, such as in the case of the boy in his class who was being constantly bullied. No matter what difficulties Sakamoto encounters, he moves through his high school life with confidence and class.

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genrefantastic, fantasy, comedy, drama, adventure, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
    Duration01:28

    In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that's a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genreaction, fantasy
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:30

    Morioh, 1999—a normally quiet and peaceful town has recently become a hotbed of strange activity. Joutarou Kuujou, now a marine biologist, heads to the mysterious town to meet Jousuke Higashikata. While the two may seem like strangers at first, Jousuke is actually the illegitimate child of Joutarou's grandfather, Joseph Joestar. When they meet, Joutarou realizes that he may have more in common with Jousuke than just a blood relation. Along with the mild-mannered Kouichi Hirose and the boisterous Okuyasu Nijimura, the group dedicates themselves to investigating recent disappearances and other suspicious occurrences within Morioh. Aided by the power of Stands, the four men will encounter danger at every street corner, as it is up to them to unravel the town's secrets, before another occurs.

    Markimdb: 5
    Genrefantastic, action, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:15

    100 years ago, titans suddenly appeared on Earth. Soon, human civilization veered on collapse due to the titans. Humans then built a giant wall to defend themselves. Within the giant walls, humans lived in peace, but, 100 years later, the giant wall is broken.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    Sakurai Misaki has not dated in a long time. She has focused on her work as a pâtissier to eventually run her own business. One day, she gets fired from work. She then meets her first love from high school Shibasaki Chiaki. Misaki works part-time at Chiaki's restaurant and also stays there. While she lives with Chiaki at his restaurant, she realizes that Chiaki's two younger brothers Touma and Kanata also live there.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genredrama
    CountrySingapore, Japan, France

    Masato is a young ramen chef in Japan. After the sudden death of his emotionally distant father, returns to his birthplace, Singapore.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrefantastic, comedy, drama
    CountryJapan

    A world wide electrical outage occurs. Everything that requires electricity comes to a stop. Tokyo is nearly ruined. Yoshiyuki Suzuki decides to escape from Tokyo with his family.

    Markimdb: 5.5
    Genrefantastic, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:52

    A somber paranormal thriller that offers an original, exciting variation of the tale of two men with supernatural abilities, locked in a duel to the death. A battle between a man who can control people with a stare, and the only man he cannot control. When their fate cross, the survival battle begins. The two men with inevitable fate, who will survive?

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:44

    Japan, 2020, a few days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Although she should be studying for her final exams, Kokone, a schoolgirl who lives in a small town with her widowed father, a mysterious and talented mechanic, falls asleep often, anywhere, anytime, entering, over and over, a dream-world where a squad of fantastic motorized contraptions fights against magic, a world close to reality where she will find out the keys of her true past.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrefantastic, comedy, drama
    CountryJapan

    In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. The simmering tension between them is about to boil over into all-out war.

    Markimdb: 5.2
    Genrehorror, thriller
    CountryJapan, Netherlands
    Duration01:23

    To his mute sister's dismay, a young boy puts a dying rabbit out of its misery with a brick -- and soon the siblings end up in a world of nightmares.

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genredrama, cartoon, biography, history, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:06

    A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrefantasy, comedy, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:22

    A comet falling will bring about a great calamity, and in order to choose a child fated by the falling comet, the family of the "Reiken" clan with a long storied history is once again resuming its entrance examination process to find disciples. The protagonist Lu Wang, who possesses a special soul that is only available once in a thousand years, decides to take the exam, and he starts down the path toward becoming an exceptional sage.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    The anime's setting is a fictional Japanese city named Sugomori City. One day, Noriko Sonosaki tells her classmate Katsuhira Agata, "You have been selected to be a Kiznaiver." The Kizuna System, which allows Katsuhira to share his wounds, connects him to the classmates whose lives and personalities completely differ from his. The Kizuna System is an incomplete system for the implementation of world peace that connects people through wounds. All those who are connected to this system are called Kiznaivers. When one Kiznaiver is wounded, the system divides and transmits the wound among the other Kiznaivers. Sugomori City is built on reclaimed land, but as the years go by, the city's population is decreasing. The story is set in this town where Katsuhira and the others live.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genreaction, melodrama
    CountryJapan

    Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon (Satoshi Ohno, of idol group Arashi) is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s (Satomi Ishihara of Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan) demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation. A longtime JAPAN CUTS favorite known for his offbeat dramas, Yoshihiro Nakamura (Fish Story, Golden Slumber) takes on the jidaigeki epic with his signature sense of play featuring a jazzy soundtrack and fantastical ninja tricks. -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genreaction, fantasy, adventure, family, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Japan
    Duration02:23

    Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:36

    Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrecomedy, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:11

    Ryuzo and his 7 former henchmen are all retired yakuza, but they now live as regular old men. One day, Ryuzo becomes the victim of a phishing fraud. He calls his 7 men together to reform their society.

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:08

    Dr. Ichito Kuriharai (Sho Sakurai) works at a clinic in Nagano Prefecture. He rarely has any free time due to the clinic's shortage of doctors and the constant influx of patients. Ichito even sometimes diagnoses patients out of his area of speciality and sometimes goes days without sleeping. He hopes to work at a major hospital where he can get more free time to spend with his wife Haruna (Aoi Miyazaki) and also specialize in his field of study. However, Ichito is also reluctant to add to shortage of doctors at the clinic and break his relationships with the patients. One day, Dr. Ichito Kuriharai clears out the belongings of a terminal cancer patient who passed away. During this time, he discovers a letter made out to him thanking him for the care he provided to her, even though he could not cure her sickness. Dr. Ichito Kuriharai then has a revelation about the medical chart he keeps in his hand - filled with personal observations and concerns ...

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genrehorror, fantasy
    CountryJapan

    A Japanese actress begins having strange visions and experiences after landing a role in a horror film about a real-life murder spree that took place over forty years ago.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genrehorror, cartoon, history, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:16

    Abandoned in the barren wasteland of Kyoto, a savage, enraged orphan does whatever it takes to survive in the wild. When he crosses paths with civilization, he must learn to tame the beast within.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genredrama, biography
    CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, United Arab Emirates, Japan

    A movie about reporter W. Eugene Smith and his research on mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan, resulting in severe neurological symptoms.

    Genredrama
    CountryJapan

    Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanja at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

    Markimdb: 5.5
    Genrefantastic, drama
    CountryJapan

    A homeless man meets a medical school student who pays him to volunteer for a surgical procedure known as trepanation, drilling a hole in his skull, which ends up giving him the ability to communicate with the dark side of people’s subconscious minds.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genredrama, cartoon, history, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration00:30

    The historical novel series depicts Heizou Hasegawa, who metes justice on wrongdoers and supervises the crackdown on arsonists and robbers in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868).

    Markimdb: 4.9
    Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, detective
    CountryJapan, USA

    A group visits Saipan to search for locations for their company's newest resort. As they find what they think is the perfect spot, they discover a hidden bunker on the property which they decide to explore. However, they soon find out that curiosity can kill. As each member faces their most private secrets and the secrets of the bunker itself, the results lead to a most shocking conclusion.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:13

    Set in the 1960s, high school student Toru Watanabe loses his only friend Kizuki after he commits suicide. Toru, now looking for a new life, enters a university in Tokyo. By chance, Toru meets Kizuki's ex-girlfriend Naoko in the university. They grow close because they both share the same loss. As Toru and Naoko grow even closer, Naoko's sense of loss also grows. After Naoko's 20th birthday, she leaves for a sanitarium in Kyoto. Watanabe, devastated by the situation, meets pure-hearted Midori during the spring semester. Midori looks like a small animal that just came into the world ...

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genreaction, comedy
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:06

    In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrefantastic, fantasy, comedy, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:31

    Western Restaurant Nekoya is a popular eatery located on a street corner in a Tokyo shopping district. Serving both traditional Japanese fare as well as Western dishes, this eating establishment is popular among Tokyo's residents. But this seemingly ordinary restaurant is also popular with another type of clientele...While the restaurant is thought to be closed on Saturdays, the truth is that on this special day each week, its doors are instead opened to the inhabitants of other worlds. From dragons and elves to fairies and mages, this restaurant has no shortage of strange customers. Nevertheless, the enigmatic chef known only as "Master" will be waiting to serve up their favorite dishes with a kind smile and keep them coming back for many more Saturdays to come.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:48

    After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrefantasy, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:53

    A young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship. Will Naruse be able to convey the anthem of her heart?




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