Asian cinema offers a great alternative to those seeking grounded stories filled with human emotion and the nuances of life as it comes. Life by nature is unpredictable, even when we do our best to stick to routines and schedules. The most visionary filmmakers in Asian nations understand this, and they seek to appeal to audiences with tales that appeal to emotion in ways American filmmakers haven’t done in a long while.
Some of the most talented filmmakers of all time come from Asia, and they have inspired the best Western filmmakers, helping them shape their visual styles. Talented directors from Asia are not restricted by budgetary limitations or the need to appeal to a worldwide market, yet their films appeal to any audience. They have also mastered storytelling by using different mediums, such as animation, to tell compelling stories.
The following is a list of some of the most acclaimed directors in Asian cinema and the works they have done to leave a mark in the industry.
18 Hirokazu Kore-eda
Hirokazu Kore-eda is well known for portraying the most marginalized portions of Japanese society. While his career started in the weird limbo that is Japanese television, he quickly rose in the ranks and moved to full-time filmmaking. Most of his works make the rounds in the international film festival circuit, and he was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for the movie Shoplifters. He frequently collaborates with actor Hiroshi Abe and composer Hanaregumi.
Recommended filmography: Still Walking, Like Father, Like Son, After the Storm, and the upcoming Baby, Box, Broker.
17 Naomi Kawase
Naomi Kawase is another staple of the international film circuit, often regarded as one of the most prolific filmmakers in Japan and one of the best in the business; she gets props for being a respected woman in a male-dominated industry. Her first works were presented as documentaries, but she quickly transitioned to full-feature films. Her breakout film, Suzaku, won the Best New Director award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. She frequently teams up with actress Kyara Uchida and cinematographer Arata Dodo for most of her movies.
Recommended filmography:Hanezu, Sweet Bean, and Still the Water.
16 Bong Joon-ho
Academy Award Winner Bong Joon-ho made its mark in American audiences with his film Parasite. This movie still sparks one too many discussions online about class disparity or just how awful the disenfranchised can be when given some leeway. Hailing from South Korea, Joon-ho is known for being extremely flexible in casting choices. The director has worked with American talent in the past without issues. He often collaborates with actor Song Kang-ho and cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo for most of his productions.
Recommended filmography: Snowpiercer, The Host, and Memories of Murder.
15 Eric Khoo
Eric Khoo is credited as being the man who brought Singaporean cinema to the world. He’s been pumping hits since 1995 when his movie Mee Pok Man premiered in Venice. Koh has had a significant role in creating the Singapore Film Commission, with his films being screened in over 60 film festivals. The son of established businessmen in his native country, Khoo chose to explore more creative endeavors to much success and high praise. The director frequently works with actor Lee Kang-sheng and composer Lim Giong in most of his productions.
Recommended filmography: Mee Pok Man, Tsunami, and 12 Storeys.
14 Tsai Ming-Liang
Famed Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang is known for exploring human emotions such as desire, alienation, and loss, with bursts of humor sparkling each character in slow-paced stories. While his body of work consists of only ten films, each one has gained high praise in the film circuit festivals. Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice International Festival for his movie Vive L’Amour, Ming-Liang often collaborates with actor Lee Kang-sheng and composer Lim Giong to tell most of his stories.
Recommended filmography: Stray Dogs, Goodbye Dragon Inn, and The Hole.
Related: The Best Takashi Miike Movies, Ranked
13 Takashi Miike
Very few people can become a master of all trades in the entertainment industry, but then we remember that Japanese people are efficiency experts. Takashi Miike is one of the most prolific filmmakers in the land of the rising sun. The actor, director, screenwriter, and producer has been pumping films since 1991 with no signs of stopping soon. Known for his graphic depictions of gore and violence, Miike is often involved in many projects related to adaptations of manga, anime, or light novel productions. He works frequently with actor Sho Aikawa and composer Koji Endo for most productions.
Recommended filmography: Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins, and Yakuza Apocalypse.
12 Yim Soon-rye
Yim Soon-rye decided a long time ago she would give a voice to women in the male-driven spaces of South Korea, and so far, she has done a successful job at it. She made her bones in the industry by working as an Assistant Director until she was given her first shot at directing the feature Three Friends. She won the Busan International Festival with her first effort. While not the most prolific filmmaker on the list, her commitment to voicing women’s rights issues keeps her in the limelight. She frequently works with actress Go Ah-sung and cinematographer Kim Hyun-seo.
Recommended filmography: Waikiki Brothers, Whistle Blower, and Little Forest.
11 Ann Hui
Ann Hui hails from Hong Kong, and she offers something only a few people can portray properly on screen: the ability to illustrate feminine perspective in most of her works. All of her films talk about womanhood and what being a real woman truly entails, from an emotional point of view, as well as the pains and compromises they must endure in the male-dominated Asian continent. Her stories are not necessarily about empowerment; they are mostly related to the realities women endure in China, whether they are matriarchs of families or providers. She counts actress Deanie Ip and cinematographer Arthur Wong among her frequent collaborators.
Recommended cinematography: Song of Exile, Summer Snow, and A Simple Life.
10 Wong Kar-wai
Despite having only ten films to his name, Wong Kar-wai is one of the heavy hitters of Hong Kong cinema. An acclaimed screenwriter first with 30 credits to his name, Kar-wai is celebrated for offering deeply emotional stories with relatable characters that encompass the complexities of human relationships. He’s received accolades for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for the movie Happy Together, but each of his films garnered enough attention to secure international releases. He works consistently with actor Tony Leung and cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Recommended cinematography: In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, and 2046.
9 Lee Chang-dong
It’s fair to say Lee Chang-dong walked so Bong Joon-ho could run. The South Korean director had already impacted American audiences with the film Burning in 2018. A self-taught artist on his craft, Chang-dong is a novelist and screenwriter who happens to make incredible films occasionally. Given his literary sensibilities, the man displays outstanding precision when crafting the personalities of his characters. He gives them enough development so the audiences genuinely care about them by the time he’s done telling the story. He often works with actor Yoo Ah-in and cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo.
Recommended cinematography: Peppermint Candy, Oasis, and Secret Sunshine.
Related: Best Tsai Ming-Liang Movies, Ranked
8 So Yong Kim
You might be wondering why someone with such a small output, such as So Yong Kim, is making the ranking. With only four feature films to her name, Yong Kim makes movies that speak to audiences about their struggles. In the four films she’s released since she started her career, it’s possible to find deep explorations of identity, the complexity of relationships, and the hardships of commitment. While not a household name yet, her work has been lauded at the Sundance Film Festival. She frequently works with Paul Dano, Jiseon Kim, and cinematographer Reed Morano.
Recommended filmography: In Between Days, For Ellen, Lovesong.
7 Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki needs no introduction; the writer, director, and animator wasn’t quite happy within the limits of the studio system, so he co-founded Studio Ghibli to tell the stories he wanted in the way he wanted. Highly regarded for elevating animation to an efficient medium to tell compelling narratives, Miyazaki is known for letting his imagination run wild and creating brand-new worlds beyond the scope of any mind. He’s received accolades from the Academy and every single circuit film festival. He frequently chooses to work with composer Joe Hisaishi and producer Toshio Suzuki for most of his films.
Recommended filmography: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro.
6 Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is the guy who opened the door of Korean cinema to the world. The South Korean filmmaker doesn’t mince words or visuals regarding violence. He knows how to put a spin on revenge by making each character enthralling while surrounding them in unique situations using gripping narratives that either leave you exhausted or disgusted. His commitment to exploring human cruelty hasn’t gone unnoticed, with accolades earned at the Cannes Festival. His works often feature actor Song Kang-ho and cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon.
Recommended cinematography: Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave.
5 Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Prolific and committed to multiple forms of storytelling, Hou Hsiao-Hsien is another great talent that exploded with the new wave of Taiwanese cinema in the 1980s. A frequent guest in most cinematic film festivals, his movies have earned multiple awards, including the Golden Montgolfiere and the Best Director Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Known for his propensity to use long takes and minimal camera movement, Hsiao-Hsien is mainly focused on his actors’ performances over the flashiness. He often works with cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bin and actress Shu Qi.
Recommended cinematography: A City of Sadness, Flowers of Shanghai, Three Times, and Café Lumière.
4 Ang Lee
If we ever had to point a finger at a versatile filmmaker, Ang Lee would come on top without question. This Taiwanese-American has a career spanning decades, and while his output is smaller, people pay attention each time he makes a movie. Lee’s filmmaking career includes Hollywood blockbusters and some of the best dramas ever put in film. Most of his work is produced by James Schamus, and Lee often hires cinematographer Linus Sandgren.
Recommended cinematography: Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Lust, Caution.
Related: Wong Kar Wai’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
3 John Woo
Action and thrills are the name of the game for John Woo. Another jack of all trades, Woo isn’t afraid of putting on too many hats for most of his productions. He’s a successful director, but he also writes most of his screenplays and works as the producer for most of his movies. American audiences are familiar with his antics in films like Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and Wind Talkers, but these are merely the work for hire he’s done for Hollywood. His best films are produced for Chinese audiences, and they have served as a source of inspiration for guys like Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee. He had a longtime creative partnership with actor Chow You-Fat and producer Terence Chang.
Recommended filmography: A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled, The Red Cliff.
2 Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano often says he had to resort to playing murderers, killers, and rapists to be taken seriously by the entertainment industry finally. A longtime comedian and TV personality in Japan, Kitano sought to transition to film since his early days in TV in 1980. It wasn’t until the premiere of Violent Cop in 1989 that people started to pay attention. An accomplished filmmaker, Kitano writes, directs, produces, and edits all his works while starring in most of them, usually playing a hardened criminal or a down-on-his-luck cop. Kitano’s exploration of the underworld differs from the usual tropes, as he often dwells on themes of depression and self-worth. He frequently collaborates with actor Susumu Terajima and composer Joe Hisaishi for most of his films.
Recommended filmography: Sonatine, Hanna-Bi, and the Outrage trilogy.
1 Akira Kurosawa
By many accounts, Akira Kurosawa is the best Asian filmmaker ever. Kurosawa built the Japanese cinematic industry as we know it today. His groundbreaking works told the world the tales of ancient times in Japan. He also helped shape Western perceptions about Japanese life, the ways of the samurai, and many other tropes. He’s hailed as a source of influence by many American filmmakers. Kurosawa had a long partnership with actor Toshiro Mifune and composer Masaru Sato. While a significant portion of his movies explore Samurai adventures, he was also an accomplished director in genres such as drama and slice-of-life films.
Recommended filmography: Seven Samurai, Rashomon, and Yojimbo.
