9 Japanese horror films to watch on Netflix: From Ju-On The Grudge to ReMember

Netflix has a bunch of interesting horror films that will have you on the edge of your seat! Check out our top picks below.

1. Ju-On: The Grudge

A man's jealousy of his wife’s extramarital affair and subsequent killings result in a years-long curse on the property in their name. Following owners face a similar fate as deaths become a norm, with the grudge taking control of unsuspecting humans who are brought to damnation upon entering the space. 
 

• Cast: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa, Kanji Tsuda, Kayoko Shibata, Yukako Kukuri, Shuri Matsuda, Yōji Tanaka, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Hideo Sakaki, Takashi Matsuyama, Takako Fuji
• Director: Takashi Shimizu
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural
• Release date: August 23, 2003

2. Audition

Adapted from Ryu Murakami's 1997 novel of the same name, the film follows a man who decides to get married after the death of his wife and conducts an audition with young aspiring actresses as potential partners. He gets obsessed with a woman named Asami, who ends up being a crazy freak with an obsession, and finds other victims of her throughout her home. He must escape her capture and keep all his body parts intact while doing so.

• Cast: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura, Miyuki Matsuda, Toshie Negishi, Tetsu Sawaki, Shigeru Saiki, Ken Mitsuishi, Ren Osugi, Renji Ishibashi
• Director: Takashi Miike
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Psychological Horror
• Release date: March 3, 2000

3. Sadako vs. Kayako

Not one but two rival spirits must fight it out for the world to regain its peace and for the many deaths to cease, but instead they join forces and become one, a massively daunting spirit planning the downfall of humankind. Whether humans will be able to get rid of them forms the central plot.

• Cast: Mizuki Yamamoto, Tina Tamashiro
• Director: Kōji Shiraishi
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Comedy
• Release date: June 18, 2016

4. Tag

A high school girl comes across some friends called Aki, Sur, and Taeko, who end up dead or killing others around her in various scenarios, surprising her until she learns about being in a violent video game run by a man fantasizing about his desires with the help of the game. She must think fast and find a way out of this to avoid more killings. 

• Cast: Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano
• Director: Sion Sono
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror, Action
• Release date: July 11, 2015

5. Noroi: The Curse

Masafumi Kobayashi, a paranormal researcher, goes missing after filming the production of The Curse. Soon, they discover a demon named Kagutaba who wreaks havoc in their lives and causes multiple deaths. 

• Cast: Jin Muraki, Marika Matsumoto, Rio Kanno, Tomono Kuga, Satoru Jitsunashi, Ungirls, Maria Takagi, Dankan, Ai Iijima, Hiroshi Aramata
• Director: Kōji Shiraishi
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror
• Release date: August 20, 2005

6. Re/Member

Asuka and five of her classmates see visions of a dead former classmate and get stuck in a time loop, tasked with finding the various dismembered parts of her in order to break the curse. They must be able to do it and place the pieces themselves within a coffin to save themselves or face a similar fate.

• Cast: Hashimoto Kanna, Morisaki Asuka, Maeda Gordon, Ise Takahiro, Yamamoto Maika, Hiiragi Rumiko
• Director: Eiichirô Hasumi
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror
• Release date: February 14, 2023

7. Battle Royale

To deter high school students from delinquency, a yearly game of Battle Royale is planned by the government to pick a random junior high class and pit the classmates against each other. Amid feigned alliances and betrayals, Shuya must keep himself and his friend alive in hopes of changing their fates. 

• Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarō Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama, Kou Shibasaki, Masanobu Andō, Beat Takeshi
• Director: Kinji Fukasaku
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror, Dystopian, Action
• Release date: December 16, 2000

8. Dark Water

A troubled mother, following her messy divorce, enters an apartment complex with issues that she never expected and discovers the story of a past young girl who used to live above her unit. A continued flow of water has her visiting the upper unit and uncovering the truth behind a reappearing red schoolbag, getting herself involved with a relentless spirit. 

• Cast: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno, Mirei Oguchi, Asami Mizukawa, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yu Tokui, Isao Yatsu, Shigemitsu Ogi
• Director: Hideo Nakata
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural
• Release date: January 19, 2002

9. One Missed Call

A girl misses a call from a strange number, seemingly reading of her own, and a peculiar ring tone which points towards a scary turn of events as a spirit takes her control and involves many kids from the same gang. Multiple brutal killings, and a detective gets involved in the mess with seemingly no end. 

• Cast: Ko Shibasaki, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kazue Fukiishi, Goro Kishitani, Renji Ishibashi
• Director: Takashi Miike
• Language: Japanese
• Genre: Horror
• Release date: January 17, 2004

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