Top 9 Must-See Asian Movies in Cinemas

Broken Keys is a gripping drama directed by Jimmy Keyrouz, centered around Karim, a pianist who dreams of a career in Europe, trying to escape the oppression in his Middle Eastern town. Here, both music and the way of life are banned by an extremist group. After his piano is destroyed by ISIS, he desperately tries to rebuild it. The filming in Mosul adds a powerful layer of realism to the devastation.

The film tells a story of silent defiance and the hope for a better future amidst conflict. Though it leans heavily into emotional themes, it beautifully balances political struggles with the triumph of the human spirit.

Release Date: November 25, 2020
Duration: 90 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Director: Jimmy Keyrouz
Cast: Sara Abi Kanaan, Adel Karam, Tarek Yaacoub

Khorshid - The Sun (Sun Children) is a film by Majid Majidi. In bustling Tehran, a 12-year-old boy, Ali, along with his mischievous street gang, is hired by a dangerous criminal to steal a hidden treasure near a school. To gain access, the children enroll in the school, and through their education, they begin to discover a different kind of treasure: one hidden within themselves.

This poignant film shines a light on the heartbreaking reality of disadvantaged, exploited, and abused youth. If one of the aims of "Sun Children" is to remind us that all children deserve equality, education, and encouragement, Majidi's group of young characters bring this message to the forefront in a compelling and clear way.

Release Date: February 10, 2020
Duration: 99 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Director: Majid Majidi
Cast: Ali Nassirian, Javad Ezzati, Tannaz Tabatabaei

The Man Standing Next is a film directed by Woo Min-ho in collaboration with Hive Media Corp, based on the non-fiction novel of the same name written by Kim Choong-sik.

Set in the 1970s, South Korea was under the absolute control of President Park Chung-hee, who commanded the KCIA (Korean Central Intelligence Agency), an organization more powerful than any other branch of the government. The film centers around Kim Jae-gyu, the head of the KCIA, who assassinated the president at his private residence on the morning of October 26, 1979, thereby ending the 18-year dictatorship.

Release Date: January 22, 2020
Duration: 114 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Director: Woo Min-ho
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Kwak Do-won, Lee Hee-joon

True Mothers is a Japanese drama directed by Naomi Kawase, based on the novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura. The story follows a couple who adopts a young boy through a service called Baby Baton, which matches unwanted children with childless couples (with the condition that one parent must quit their job to become a full-time parent). The plot takes a turn when, at the age of five, the child's biological mother reappears, seeking to reclaim her son.

True Mothers is a deeply complex and poignant film that explores the powerful and sacred nature of motherhood and family through a story of emotional turmoil and delicate relationships.

Release Date: September 16, 2020
Duration: 140 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Director: Naomi Kawase
Cast: Hiromi Nagasaku, Arata Iura, Aju Makita, Miyoko Asada

Leap is a film directed by Peter Chan that chronicles the struggles, sweat, and sacrifices of China's national women's volleyball team over four decades. The team's perseverance and teamwork became a national inspiration and part of the collective memory during the 1980s, a period when China transformed from a rising nation into the powerhouse it is today.

Though Leap is a biographical film, its dramatic elements make the story even more captivating. Despite its lengthy runtime, each scene adds essential complexity. In the 1980s storyline, we see Bai Lang, a member of a volleyball team in the United States, recounting her mother's youth. The movie also features Peng Yuchang, a rising star known for his role in the 2019 Chinese version of *The Prince of Tennis*, playing alongside Bai Lang as her athletic partner.

Release Date: September 25, 2020
Duration: 135 minutes
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Director: Peter Chan
Cast: Gong Li, Huang Bo

Asia is a gripping drama directed by Ruthy Pribar, exploring the intimate bond between a mother and her daughter. The film tells the story of Asia, a 35-year-old single mother who emigrates from Russia to Jerusalem with her daughter, Vika, where she works as a nurse. Asia is a free-spirited, open-minded woman, but her world is shaken when her daughter enters adolescence and expresses her readiness to lose her virginity.

With subtlety and grace, the film captures the complexities of their relationship, offering a poignant portrayal of a family in conflict. Asia is a remarkable debut from director and writer Ruthy Pribar, presenting an insightful and moving narrative of family, love, and personal growth.

Release Date: April 17, 2020

Duration: 85 minutes

IMDb Rating: 6.7/10

Director: Ruthy Pribar

Cast: Alena Yiv, Shira Haas

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is a heartwarming film directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji, centered around Ugyen Dorji (played by Sherab Dorji), a young man with dreams of becoming a singer and moving to Australia. However, instead of realizing his ambitions, he is drafted into a five-year government service as a teacher.

He is assigned to one of the most remote schools in the world, located in a village in northern Lunana, nestled in the Himalayas. There, Ugyen begins to realize the importance of his work and discovers the profound impact he can have on the lives and futures of the children he teaches.

Release Date: October 5, 2019
Duration: 109 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
Cast: Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung, Kunzang Wangdi

Better Days is a heartfelt Chinese crime drama about the struggles of adolescence, adapted from the popular novel The Youth of Us by author Jiu Yuexi. The story follows a troubled young street thug and a bullied high school girl, whose lives become intertwined. Together, they protect each other and dream of a better future, all while navigating the harsh realities of life. The film also showcases the remarkable performances of Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, further solidifying their success as a pair.

Release Date: October 25, 2019
Duration: 135 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Director: Derek Tsang
Cast: Zhou Dongyu, Jackson Yee

Jallikattu is set in a remote village in Kerala, India, where the fabric of a once-peaceful society unravels when a buffalo escapes, triggering a chaotic hunt by the locals. Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, the film explores the primal violence that erupts when society collapses.

Unlike the polished, romanticized films of Bollywood, Jallikattu paints a raw, unsettling portrait of a rural community. As night falls, the forest, illuminated only by flickering torches, transforms into a perilous trap, where violence lurks at every turn. The stark, haunting imagery and brutal atmosphere of the film often evoke the tension of a horror movie.

Release Date: October 4, 2019
Duration: 92 minutes
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery
Cast: Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad