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Asian Cinema HIGHLIGHT

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The Rapacious Jailbreaker

What could have been a curio is a curiously thrilling tale

Author: Richard Durrance

LATEST Asian Cinema REVIEWS

All the good (and bad) stuff!

The Rapacious Jailbreaker

posted by Richard Durrance
16 May 2025

Mermaid Legend

posted by Richard Durrance
07 May 2025

Tokyo Decadence

posted by Richard Durrance
30 Apr 2025

Woods are Wet

posted by Richard Durrance
28 Mar 2025

Brief History of a Family

posted by Richard Durrance
20 Mar 2025

Watcher in the Attic

posted by Richard Durrance
19 Mar 2025

New Religion

posted by Richard Durrance
06 Mar 2025

Play it Cool

posted by Richard Durrance
04 Mar 2025

Bushido

posted by Richard Durrance
03 Mar 2025

Underworld Beauty

posted by Richard Durrance
27 Feb 2025

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Classic titles from a bygone age

Farewell My Concubine

by Hayley Scanlon

Reviewed: 2016

After Life

by M. B.

Reviewed: 2014

Land of Hope, The (Theatrical screening)

by M. B.

Reviewed: 2013

UKA RECOMMENDS

The Best of the Best

24 Nov 2015

Kiju Yoshida: Love Plus Anarchism

28 Aug 2024

Spirited Away

01 Mar 2022

To Sleep So As To Dream

04 Apr 2012

Himizu (Theatrical release)

ALL Asian Cinema REVIEWS

The Entire Archive

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Asian Cinema REVIEWS A-Z

Apartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon

7/10

Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker, The

8/10

Godzilla Raids Again - Review 2 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

7/10

9/10

5/10

5/10

9/10

A Certain Killer & A Killer's Key

6/10

A Fugitive from the Past

9/10

A Story Written with Water

9/10

About Her Brother (Otouto)

7/10

About the Pink Sky

6/10

Adrift in Tokyo

9/10

Adrift in Tokyo (blu-ray)

8/10

After Life

9/10

After The Storm

9/10

Age of Samuarai Battle for Japan

7/10

Air Doll

8/10

Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection

8/10

Alice in Borderland

7/10

Alita Battle Angel

8/10

Alive

6/10

All Monsters Attack - Review 10 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

6/10

An Actor’s Revenge

10/10

Ang Lee Trilogy

8/10

Animal World (theatrical screening)

7/10

Antique Bakery

7/10

Arirang

9/10

Asleep

8/10

Assassination Classroom

8/10

Assassins, The

7/10

Asura: The City of Madness

9/10

Attack on Titan: Parts 1 and 2 (Theatrical screening)

5/10

Attack on Titan: The Movie - Part 1

6/10

Attack on Titan: The Movie - Part 2: End of the World

6/10

Au revoir l'ete

8/10

Audition

9/10

Back to 1942

7/10

Bad Company (Mabudachi)

7/10

Battles Without Honour and Humanity Box Set

10/10

Be My Baby (Theatrical screening)

7/10

Behind the Camera

8/10

Big Time Gambling Boss

9/10

Birth of the Dragon

8/10

Black Society Trilogy

8/10

8/10

5/10

7/10

8/10

8/10

8/10

Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji

7/10

Blue Spring

7/10

Branded to Kill

9/10

Brief History of a Family

8/10

9/10

8/10

8/10

6/10

By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him

9/10

City Hunter (Netflix)

8/10

7/10

7/10

7/10

10/10

8/10

Cowboy Bebop (Netflix)

5/10

Crazy Thunder Road

8/10

Crocodile

8/10

Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories

8/10

Daimajin Collection

7/10

Dark Harbour, The (Futoko)

8/10

Dark Water

8/10

Dead or Alive Trilogy

8/10

Death Bell

5/10

Death Note (TV)

7/10

Death Notice: Ikigami

8/10

Decision to Leave

7/10

Desire to Kill

7/10

Destroy All Monsters - Review 9 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

6/10

Destruction Babies

1/10

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

9/10

Dogra Magra

9/10

Dolls

9/10

Dong-ju: The Portrait of a Poet (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Doomsday Book

7/10

Door / Door 2: Tokyo Diary

7/10

Dragon

8/10

Drudgery Train, The

9/10

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep - Review 7 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

5/10

Edge of Tomorrow

6/10

Eighteen Years in Prison

9/10

Electric Dragon 80,000v

9/10

Elegant Beast

8/10

Exit

9/10

Fairy Tale Killer

5/10

Farewell My Concubine

9/10

Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection

8/10

Fires on the Plain

8/10

Flowers of War, The

7/10

For Love's Sake

7/10

For Love's Sake (Theatrical screening)

9/10

Four, The

7/10

Fuku-chan of FukuFuku Flats (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Funky Forest & Warped Forest

5/10

Gantz

7/10

Gantz: Perfect Answer

8/10

Garm Wars: The Last Druid

6/10

Gemini

9/10

Genghis: The Legend of the Ten

6/10

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster - Review 5 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

7/10

Ghost in the Shell

7/10

Giants and Toys

8/10

Girl At My Door, A (Theatrical Review)

9/10

8/10

Godzilla - Review 1 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975.

10/10

Godzilla (2014)

6/10

Godzilla Minus One

9/10

Godzilla vs Kong

4/10

Godzilla vs. Gigan - Review 12 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

4/10

Godzilla vs. Hedorah - Review 11 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

7/10

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

2/10

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Theatrical screening)

6/10

9/10

6/10

7/10

7/10

9/10

9/10

Happiness of the Katakuris, The

8/10

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (Ichimei) 3D

7/10

Hard Day, A

8/10

Helpless (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Himizu

8/10

Himizu (Theatrical release)

10/10

Hiruko the Goblin

7/10

HK: Forbidden Superhero

7/10

Hokuriku Proxy War

8/10

Human Condition Trilogy, The

9/10

I Just Didn't Do It (Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai)

8/10

I Wish (Kiseki)

8/10

I, the Executioner

10/10

In Front of Your Face (theatrical screening)

8/10

Insect Woman, The (Nippon-Konchuki)

9/10

Instant Swamp

9/10

Invasion of Astro-Monster - Review 6 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

6/10

Japan Organised Crime Boss

8/10

Judge! (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Kai (Theatrical screening)

6/10

Katsuhito Ishii Collection - Part 1: Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl and Party 7

7/10

Katsuhito Ishii Collection - Part 2: Four Films

6/10

Kick, The

4/10

Kids Return

8/10

Kiju Yoshida: Love Plus Anarchism

10/10

Kikujiro

9/10

King Kong vs. Godzilla - Review 3 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975.

2/10

King of Fists and Dollars

6/10

Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, The

9/10

Kirishima Thing, The (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Kite

6/10

Knights of the Zodiac

2/10

Kumiko The Treasure Hunter

8/10

Kunoichi: Ninja Girl

3/10

Kwaidan

8/10

Lady Snowblood / Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance

9/10

Land of Hope, The (Theatrical screening)

9/10

Last Princess, The

8/10

Lesson of Evil

7/10

Let the Bullets Fly

9/10

Let the Bullets Fly (Theatrical)

8/10

8/10

9/10

7/10

8/10

Love Exposure (Blu-Ray)

7/10

Love Hotel

8/10

Love Strikes! (Moteki)

6/10

7/10

9/10

6/10

7/10

Man With Style, A - Azemichi no Dandi

7/10

Massacre Gun

8/10

Matter of Interpretation, A

8/10

9/10

6/10

7/10

8/10

Moebius (Theatrical Screening)

8/10

Monarch Legacy of Monsters

8/10

Monster Chronicles, The: Tiktik

7/10

Mothra (1961)

7/10

Mothra vs. Godzilla - Review 4 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

8/10

Mountains May Depart

9/10

My Ex

3/10

Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki

7/10

New Directors From Japan

8/10

New Religion

8/10

Nikkatsu Diamond Guys Vol. 1

9/10

Nikkatsu Diamond Guys Vol. 2

8/10

Ninja Kids!!! (Theatrical Screening)

8/10

Nobuhiko Obayashi's 80s Kadokawa Years

8/10

Obon Brothers

8/10

Ode to My Father

7/10

One on One (Theatrical screening)

6/10

One Percenter

6/10

One Piece (Netflix)

8/10

One Way Trip

8/10

Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (theatrical screening)

8/10

Otakus in Love

8/10

Outlaw: Gangster VIP Collection

9/10

Over Your Dead Body

7/10

Pale Moon

9/10

Parasite

10/10

Parasyte the Movie: Part 1

8/10

Parasyte the Movie: Part 2

8/10

Penalty Loop

7/10

Phantom Detective, The (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Pink Films vol 1& 2

8/10

Pink Films Vol. 3&4

7/10

Pink Films Vol. 5 & 6

8/10

8/10

9/10

9/10

9/10

Pokemon Detective Pikachu (Theatrical Screening)

8/10

7/10

7/10

8/10

7/10

9/10

8/10

Rebirth (Theatrical screening)

9/10

9/10

8/10

7/10

7/10

Revenge: A Love Story

6/10

Rigor Mortis

7/10

River

7/10

Road Stained Crimson, A

8/10

Rogue Ninja

3/10

Rolling

7/10

Romance Joe

7/10

Rurouni Kenshin 2: Kyoto Inferno

8/10

Rurouni Kenshin 3: The Legend Ends

8/10

Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen

8/10

Sacrifice

8/10

Sado Tempest (Arashi)

7/10

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun

9/10

Sake-Bomb

6/10

Sake-Bomb (Theatrical screening)

6/10

Salute! Sun Yat-Sen

8/10

Samurai Reincarnation

9/10

7/10

7/10

9/10

7/10

Secrets in the Hot Spring

6/10

Seijun Suzuki: The Early Years. Vol. 1 Seijun Rising: The Youth Movies

9/10

Serpent's Path / Eye of the Spider

8/10

Seven Samurai (60th anniversary BFI Blu-ray)

8/10

Shackled (Belenggu)

7/10

Shadow of Fire (theatrical screening)

9/10

9/10

8/10

7/10

8/10

Shin Godzilla (Home Video Release)

9/10

Shin Godzilla: Theatrical Review

8/10

Shirome

7/10

Snake of June, A

9/10

Snow White Murder Case, The (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Son of Godzilla - Review 8 from Godzilla: The Showa era films 1954-1975

6/10

Sonic the Hedgehog

8/10

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

9/10

Spirited Away

10/10

Spring in a Small Town

8/10

Story of Yonosuke

8/10

Story of Yonosuke, The

8/10

Stray Cat Rock Collection

8/10

Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist

9/10

Suicide Club

8/10

Summer Time Machine Blues

7/10

Suzhou River

7/10

Sweden Porno: Blonde Animal

3/10

Sweet Little Lies

9/10

Sympathy for the Underdog

7/10

Tag

8/10

Tag (Dual Format Release)

9/10

Tale of Iya, The

9/10

Tale of Samurai Cooking - A True Love Story, A

7/10

Taste of Money, The

7/10

Tattooed Life

8/10

Terraformars

7/10

Tetsuo: The Iron Man / Tetsuo II: Body Hammer

10/10

Tezuka’s Barbara

7/10

The Bounty Hunter Trilogy

7/10

The Bullet Train

8/10

The Crazy Family

9/10

The Executioner Collection

6/10

The Fall of Ako Castle

8/10

The Game Trilogy

6/10

The Guard from Underground

7/10

The H-Man / Battle in Outer Space

6/10

The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

7/10

The Rapacious Jailbreaker

9/10

The Shape of Night

8/10

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch

7/10

The Sting of Death

9/10

The Street Fighter Trilogy

7/10

The Taste of Tea

7/10

The Threat

7/10

The Villainess

7/10

The Yellow Sea (Hwanghae)

8/10

Thermae Romae (Theatrical screening)

7/10

Three Outlaw Samurai

9/10

Thunderbolt Fantasy Eps. 1-5

8/10

Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

6/10

To Sleep So As To Dream

10/10

Tokijiro: Lone Yakuza

9/10

Tokyo Decadence

7/10

Tokyo Drifter (Theatrical Screening)

9/10

Tokyo Fist

9/10

Tokyo Ghoul

8/10

Tomie

8/10

Toshiaki Toyoda: The Early Years

8/10

Touch of Sin, A

8/10

Train to Busan (Theatrical screening)

8/10

Tsukamoto (Killing / Haze / Denchu-Kozo)

8/10

Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers

7/10

7/10

8/10

7/10

6/10

9/10

9/10

Unlucky Woman's Blues

6/10

Uzumasa Limelight

8/10

Veteran

8/10

Villain

7/10

Violent Prosecutor, A (Theatrical screening)

8/10

7/10

8/10

8/10

7/10

9/10

9/10

8/10

8/10

Woodsman and the Rain, The

8/10

World of Kanako, The (Theatrical Screening)

8/10

9/10

8/10

6/10

8/10

8/10

Your Lie in April: The Musical

8/10

Your Lovely Smile

8/10

Yu Yu Hakusho (Netflix)

7/10

Zokki

6/10

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