Movie top list: 501 to 525

"You have to be a fan of wire-fu antics and elongated martial arts scenes to appreciate a film like this, but if you do then you're getting one of the most spectacular and creative films in the genre."

"Kowloon finally gets the film it deserves, sporting a great cast, a distinctive score, and some dazzling action scenes, layered on top of a sprawling crime epic."

"Tony Takitani is one of the finest exercises in balancing style and content I've ever seen. Form, narrative and characters are really one here and feed off each other the entire time. "

"Switchblade Romance is a very basic horror film, but executed to perfection. The presentation is flawless, the killer is grotesque and the finale is brutal."

"The sense of adventure, wonder and delight is what set this film apart, combined with a great eye for detail and perfect pacing it makes for a sprawling, joyous fantasy film."

"Save some out of place effects, House of Flying Daggers hasn't lost much of its original appeal."

"Sleepless Beauty combines clinical torture porn with diabolical science experiments, maximizing impact with a terrific score and some inventive visual touches."

"Terumae Romae is a film that survives on the comic whims of Hiroshi Abe and the excellent premise cooked up by Yamazaki."

"Even though this film may be a bit too dense and slow for some, once Gojira awakes there's still plenty of massive and all-destructive chaos to look forward to."

"A film like this may not be the easiest sell as it lacks a strong dramatic undercurrent, but Yamashita compensates with lovely characters, a beautiful setting and tons of charm."

"Luk shows she has talent as a director and delivers a powerful, confrontational yet endearing drama. Hopefully her talent is recognized and she isn't shot down for the unconventional choices she made"

"Sakaguchi's performance is stellar, the action is almost meditative and Shimomura's direction does everything in its power to draw the attention towards the implausible feat they pulled off."

"Two excellent leads, a stylish and poignant presentation and a solid central mystery that stretches well into the second half of the film make Ánimas a very successful mindfuck."

"The remarkable trip of one farmer and his huge cow. My advice: just watch it and marvel at this unlikely piece of genre mash-ups."

"A somewhat gritty but heartfelt and compassionate look at an underexposed part of Japanese youth culture, appropriately stylized and building up to a memorable finale."

"The animation is abundant and on point, the voice acting is superb and the plot balances small human drama and wild fantasy perfectly."

"It's more of the same of course, just 130 minutes of that same fun, entertaining and surprising comedy that makes Miike films such unique experiences."

"You need to be able to stomach the mix of social drama and daft, absurd comedy, but the flawless execution, solid performances and surprising twists and turns are a sight to behold."

"When the cinematography is splendid, the score is tailored to perfection and the performances are exceptional, you know you're getting a lovely film from Iwai."

"The Storm Warriors is definitely not a masterpiece, but taking it at face value, it's an almost perfect piece of entertainment featuring some stunning art direction."

"Ujicha's passion is beyond question. The unique animation style, the grotesque art style, the off the wall plot and the immense scale of Ujicha's undertaking make this an experience like no other."

"Love Me If You Dare looks good, the soundtrack's nice and the actors do a good job. Sadly it has become one of the forgotten films of 00's, a destiny it didn't really deserve."

"There are moments of sheer genius here, hidden away in a film that comes off just a little to modest for its own good."

"Herdal delivers a very moody and stylistically impeccable mix of mystery and horror, an audiovisual experience that washed over me and stayed with me until the very end."

"While Yoshida has quite a few stories to tell and quite a few angles to explore, the film still feels like a very tight package, sporting little to no cruft."