Outstanding Japanese movies in 2023

It is not without reason that international critics call 2023 a "bumper year" for Japanese films, because in the past year, the Japanese film industry was not "noisy" (about promotional campaigns) but their films made audiences outside this country come to watch (especially in the big market of North America).

Without any need for fanfare, quality films have naturally attracted audiences to the cinema, although the budget for making these films, in reality, is extremely modest compared to a Hollywood blockbuster with an investment of up to several hundred million USD. Below are the typical works of Japanese cinema last year, arranged in random order.

Monster

The movie Monster represents Japan in competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Monster is a gritty social realism film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, his next work as a screenwriter after Maborosi (1995). The film tells the story of a "confrontation" between a mother whose son has problems at school and the school, but what the mother receives is more complicated than she expected. The film represented Japan in the competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Best Screenplay and the award for gay film.

The Boy and the Heron

The anime film The Boy and the Heron marks the return of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki after a decade of "disappearance".

The Boy and the Heron (released in the Vietnamese market with the name Thieu nien va chim diec ), along with the blockbuster Godzilla Minus One (director: Takashi Yamazaki) are two Japanese films that have made a splash at the North American box office.

The Boy and the Heron is a classic Hayao Miyazaki film, blending poetic fantasy with post-war realism, taking audiences on a journey that is both intense and resonant. It took Hayao Miyazaki a long time to create (partly because of his age). The film has now grossed over $126 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

Evil Does Not Exist

The movie Evil Does Not Exist won big at the 2023 Venice Film Festival

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (who made a splash at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and the 2022 Oscars with Drive My Car ), Evil Does Not Exist tells the story of a disagreement between the people of a village and a company that plans to turn the land into a luxury resort, raising larger issues such as civilization and ecology. The film won the Grand Prix at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.

Perfect Days

The movie Perfect Days is the first work of Japanese "nationality" directed by a foreign director to be entered into the 2024 Oscar competition.

Perfect Days is a Japanese film that is very popular with critics and Western audiences who love art films. The work of German director Wim Wenders is set in Japan, speaks Japanese, and tells the story of a male toilet cleaner's daily life, but his life gradually brings him into contact with people who gradually reveal his past. The film won the Best Actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival (for actor Kōji Yakusho), and will represent Japan at the 2024 Oscars in the category of Best International Feature Film.

Godzilla Minus One

The movie Godzilla Minus One represents Japan in the 2024 Oscar competition

The monster movie, Godzilla Minus One , directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the latest installment in the Godzilla franchise and produced by the "big guy" Toho, has impressed audiences and box office observers alike. With a budget of less than 15 million USD, the film's box office success ($79.5 million worldwide ) has made many live-action films this year envious. The modest budget, good script, impressive acting, and the way the Godzilla image is exploited, although old, is very new, shows that this is a film that audiences will find difficult to ignore this year. The film is about Japan after World War II, when the domestic situation was extremely dire, at this time from the sea, Godzilla appeared and destroyed Japan, turning this place, which was already "zero" into "negative".

Godzilla Minus One has received rave reviews from Western critics, with a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a "fresh" certification. The film will represent Japan in the 2024 Oscars for Best Visual Effects. The black-and-white version of the film will be released in Japanese theaters on January 12, 2024.

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