Japanese movies thrillers

List of the best Japanese thriller movies selected by visitors to our site: High and Low, King's Game - The Animation, Confessions, Taboo, Fireworks, Split, A Simple Plan, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Valkyrie, Character.

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

Markimdb: 8.4
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration02:23

An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.

Markimdb: 4.9
Genrehorror, thriller, fantasy, cartoon, detective, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:42

Kanazawa Nobuaki has transferred to a high school far from where he used to live. Due to an incident at his old school, Nobuaki is afraid of getting close to his new classmates and keeps himself at a distance, but he starts opening up because of a sports day inter-class relay. Then a single text message from someone calling themselves the "King" is sent to everyone in class. Nobuaki's classmates think it's a simple prank and don't take it seriously - but Nobuaki knows that a death game is about to begin, and struggles to oppose it...

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrethriller, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:46

A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrethriller, drama, history
CountryJapan, France, United Kingdom

Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, crime
CountryJapan

A police officer leaves the force in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into a depression, he makes questionable decisions.

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: 7.5
Genrethriller, drama, crime
CountryUnited Kingdom, Germany, France, USA, Japan
Duration02:01

Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over $4 million in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. Their simple plan to retain the money while avoiding detection opens a Pandora's box when the fear of getting caught triggers panicked behavior and leads to virulent consequences

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrethriller, drama
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration01:50

A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrethriller, drama, military, history
CountryUSA, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, United Kingdom
Duration02:01

    Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler. When events unfold so that he becomes a central player, he finds himself tasked with both leading the coup and personally killing the Führer.

    Genrethriller, crime, detective
    CountryJapan

    A kind man aspires to become a manga writer, but villains and evil deeds do not come easily to him, for he has little experience or natural inclination for them. Things take a surprise turn when he comes across a family who were described as idealized that are no more. He uses the real-life situation for his work.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:54

    In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.

    Markimdb: 5.4
    Genrefantastic, thriller, drama
    CountryGermany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, France, Japan

    Ecological thriller about the delicate interconnectedness between mankind and Earth.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, drama, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:40

    Groundbreaking director Mamoru Oshii continues to push the boundaries of art and anime with this universally acclaimed cyber thriller following cyborg detective Batou as he tries to unravel the reasons for a murderous robot revolt in the year 2032. A quest for a killer that becomes a mind bending search for the meaning of life.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:48

    Duke Red has overseen the construction of a massive Ziggurat to extend his power across the whole planet. Tima, a robot-girl built in the image of his deceased daughter, is at the core of these plans. However, after escaping the Duke's clutches in a laboratory fire, she meets and befriends Kenichi, a boy who's traveled to Metropolis with his detective uncle in search of a scientist wanted for organ trafficking. Will her relationship with Kenichi, and the realization of the truth of her existence, change her destiny?

    Markimdb: 3.7
    Genrehorror, thriller, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:36

    Akane is a high school teacher who hears a rumor from her students that there is actual footage on the Internet of someone's suicide. The footage is said to drive anyone who sees it to also commit suicide. Akane does not believe the rumor at first, but when one of her female students dies after viewing the footage, she and her boyfriend Takanori are fatefully drawn into the horror that has been created by the man who appears in the suicide footage, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's intention is to create chaos in the world by bringing back Sadako and the power of her curse. Now Akane has to fight against Sadako and Kashiwada to save the lives of herself and Takanori.

    Markimdb: 5.7
    Genrethriller, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:00

    Akiko, a young woman, comes to Vladivostok to meet Matsunaga, a young businessman she has met in Tokyo only once. Akiko finally finds Matsunaga. However, he leaves her again, warning her not to trust strangers in a foreign country. She tries to follow him, but she is attacked by thugs and dumped on the outskirts of town.

    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
    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: 4
    Genrehorror, thriller
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:10

    Shun is a transfer student who can't seem to adjust to his new class and falls into mild depression. However, one day he meets some fellow students by chance in front of a creepy Western-style mansion called the "Jailhouse" which is rumored to be home to a hideous blue monster. Soon, the group of six students, led by Shun and Anna, become trapped inside and desperately attempt to escape before the monster finds them.

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genrethriller, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:04

    Ninagawa is a powerful man in Japanese politics and with top economic connections.His granddaughter is then murdered. The suspect is Kunihide Kiyomaru (Tatsuya Fujiwara). Kunihide Kiyomaru has a prior conviction for assaulting and killing a girl 8 years ago. The police could never apprehend the suspect in the prior killing.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrethriller, fantasy, drama, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:37

    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: 6.3
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration01:26

    This is the story of how Satoshi and Pikachu first met. At first, Pikachu was disobedient towards Satoshi, but Satoshi only wanted to be friends with Pikachu. On the day they set out from Masara Town, both of them saw a Ho-Oh flying and they made a vow to meet it.

    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: 6.5
    Genrethriller, drama, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:58

    When Kanako, a model daughter and a brilliant student, disappears, her mother asks her ex-husband, a violent former policeman, to find her. As his investigation progresses, his idealized image of Kanako cracks: the girl hides a dark life that her father can not even imagine.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrehorror, fantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, crime, detective, anime
    CountryJapan, Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain

    The Governor of Tokyo, Yuichiro Asakura, receives a threatening letter the day before the opening of Touto Line, a new train line for the Tokyo Metro. During the opening ceremony of the line, Conan Edogawa and the Detective Boys are driven by Professor Agasa and pass under the Touto Line. Conan, having heard about the threatening letter, notices explosives connected to the Touto railway; Using his original voice to inform the police as Shinichi Kudo, he is able to stop the train and divert traffic away from the explosives preventing any deaths.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime, history
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:15

    Set in Hokkaido, Japan in the 1880s. Jubei Kamata (Ken Watanabe), who is on the side of the Edo shogunate government, kills many people. His name is infamous in Kyoto. When the battle at Goryoukaku is about to be finished, Jubei disappears. 10 years later, Jubei lives with his kid in relative peace. He is barely able to make a living. Protecting his dead wife's grave, Jubei has decided to never pick up a sword again, but due to poverty he has no choice but to pick the sword again. Jubei becomes a bounty hunter.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:50

    As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. What started as an internal strife in Outrage has now become a nationwide war in Outrage Beyond.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrethriller, crime, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:32

    After having narrowly escaped an attempt on his life at the hands of a psychopath, detective inspector Takakura quits active service in the police force and takes up a position as a university lecturer in criminal psychology. But his desire to get to the bottom of criminals’ motives remains, and he does not hesitate long when former colleague Nogami asks him to reopen an old case.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:00

    Ichi is a blind entertainer that travels the countryside with her traditional Japanese guitar and walking stick. She’s in search for the kind man that brought her up as a child, but because of her beauty she encounters problems every step of the way. Fortunately for Ichi, she is also a gifted swordswoman and carries a lethal blade within her walking stick.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
    CountryUSA, Germany, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom
    Duration02:10

    Hobbs has Dominic and Brian reassemble their crew to take down a team of mercenaries: Dominic unexpectedly gets convoluted also facing his presumed deceased girlfriend, Letty.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrethriller, crime
    CountryJapan

    A con man and a would-be filmmaking crew force themselves into the lives of two grief-scarred young women. But nothing is as it seems.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genrefantastic, thriller, melodrama, drama, cartoon, short, anime
    CountryUSA, Japan

    This animated short revolves around the events causing an electrical systems failure on the west coast of the US. According to Blade Runner 2049’s official timeline, this failure leads to cities shutting down, financial and trade markets being thrown into chaos, and food supplies dwindling. There’s no proof as to what caused the blackouts, but Replicants — the bio-engineered robots featured in the original Blade Runner, are blamed.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, detective
    CountryUSA, Japan

    A group of families on a tropical holiday discover that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly – reducing their entire lives into a single day.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, drama, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:38

    It is the second year of the Kowa Period. The world has unified around the reorganize United Federation of Nations, and has enjoyed days of continuing peace, but now, that peace suddenly comes to an end. Suzaku, while travelling as the masked man "Zero" accompanying Nunnally on her visit to the refugee camp, is defeated by a mysterious Knightmare Frame, and the two of them are taken away. Following secret orders from Schneizel, Kallen, Lloyd and Sayoko infiltrate Zilkistan, the Land of Warriors, where they are attacked by a mysterious Geass user. There in Zilkhstan is a person named C.C., known to the assailants as the "former master". In the indomitable kingdom which once conquered even the great army of the Holy Britannian Empire, what do the people desire? Hope, or despair? The people of Zilkhstan Palace certainly know of Geass. What are they, and C.C., planning?

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genreaction, thriller, fantasy, adventure
    CountryUnited Kingdom, Japan, USA
    Duration02:11

    Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.

    Markimdb: 6
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, adventure
    CountryUSA, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan
    Duration02:20

    Follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species - thought to be mere myths - rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:28

    Decades after the original, a new Godzilla emerges in Tateyama. The Japanese government commissions a new defense measure. A cyborg named Kiryu is constructed from the remains of the first Godzilla. Piloted by Akane Yashiro, she soon discovers that Kiryu harbors the restless spirit of the original monster.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genreaction, thriller, comedy, crime
    CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, Japan
    Duration01:57

      Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.

      Markimdb: 5.4
      Genrehorror, thriller, drama
      CountryJapan

      A horror variety that looks back on the mouth split woman who pioneered the urban legendary boom. At the end of the 1970s, a tearing mouth woman suddenly fears people. Tell the truth of the rumor by giving specific examples such as who she is, its identity and appearance, how to repel.

      Markimdb: 8
      Genrefantastic, action, thriller, cartoon, detective, anime
      CountryJapan
      Duration02:04

      Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda are pulled into the post-apocalyptic underworld of Neo-Tokyo and forced to fight for their very survival. Kaneda is a bike gang leader, and Tetsuo is a member of a tough motorcycle crew who becomes involved in a covert government project called Akira. But a bloody battle ensues when Kaneda sets out to save his friend.

      Markimdb: 7.3
      Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
      CountryJapan

      Yuuji makes the unexpected decision to pursue promotion within the institution he works for. He meets with JB to discuss the documents he submitted for review as a part of the promotion process, documents pertaining to his own past.

      Markimdb: 6.6
      Genrefantastic, action, thriller, drama
      CountryJapan
      Duration01:32

      A middle-aged office worker encounters aliens and is gifted with alien technology and limitless powers.

      Markimdb: 6.7
      Genreaction, thriller, comedy, drama, crime
      CountryFrance, Japan
      Duration01:34

      Hubert is a French policeman with very sharp methods. After being forced to take 2 months off by his boss, who doesn't share his view on working methods, he goes back to Japan, where he used to work 19 years ago, to settle the probate of his girlfriend who left him shortly after marriage without a trace.

      Markimdb: 5.7
      Genrehorror, thriller, detective
      CountryJapan
      Duration01:47

      Ten people gather together at a complex named “Ankikan” after hearing of a short term job paying 112,000 Yen ($1,236 USD) per hour. The ten people are informed that they will be monitored 24 hours a day for 7 days straight in a psychological experiment. They are then sent to individual rooms with a different weapon located in each room. Once they are locked in they learn the rules of the psychological experiment. 1.) Each person must return to their room by 10 PM. 2.) At the end of 7 days or when there are only two surviving members left alive the experiment will end. The next day a person is found shot to death. Now, what looked like a dream job will turn into a nightmare ...

      Markimdb: 6.9
      Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime
      CountryJapan

      Terry is a tough mercenary and a master of martial arts. When an important business magnate dies, leaving billions to his daughter, the Mafia and Yakuza try to hire Terry to kidnap the daughter. When they refuse to meet his exorbitant price, then try to kill him to conceal their secret plans, he promptly offers his services to protect her. Much ultra-violent martial-arts fighting action, as expected, ensues. This also includes a subplot of a family's blood-feud with Terry over a disputed debt.

      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: 6.1
      Genrethriller
      CountryUSA, Japan, Argentina, Costa Rica

      A gritty, international tale of four separate stories woven together by a common theme: the Rapture.

      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: 6.5
      Genrethriller, documentary
      CountryUSA, Russia, Japan, France
      Duration01:18

      A documentary on the modeling industry's 'supply chain' between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S., told through the experiences of the scouts, agencies, and a 13-year-old model.

      Markimdb: 6.4
      Genrethriller, crime, detective
      CountryJapan

      The cyber crime investigation division at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department finds a video on website "YOURTUBE." In the video, a man covered by a newspaper, warns that a fire will be set at a food processing company. More crime notices are soon found involving violent crimes. Geitsu is the main guy behind the group "Shinbunshi," which has posted the videos. He used to work as a temporary employee at an IT company, but was unfairly dismissed. He then begins doing manual labor work and meets the other members of "Shinbushi."




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