Even though Hollywood is considered the global capital of movies, Asia movies are not far behind in providing world class entertainment. Here is a list of the top 10 Asia movies to give you a glimpse of what the Asian movies are made of.

10. Ab-normal Beauty

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Ab-normal beauty is a dark, sinister, violent thriller. Its main protagonist is an art student whose avid interest is photography. She witnesses a car crash and the horrible death of the victim. Compelled, she takes pictures of this scene and finds that she finds death titillating. As her obsession with death increases, she descends further and further into a world of her own and into her own self destruction. With brilliant use of flashback, we are made aware of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her cousin and how her own mother refused to believe her, giving insight into her traumatic background. In the meantime, she gets sent a videotape of a girl being beaten to death and finds that she is stalked by a serial killer. The movie is directed by Oxide Pang of the famous Pang Brothers, who gave us Eye and Eye 2.

9. So Close
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Even though female combatants may be new to Western audiences, they have been entertaining Asian audiences for more than a decade and it is no surprise that a movie about 2 sister assassins made it to the Top 10 Asia Movies. So Close is a story of two sisters who are for-hire assassins and one lady cop who is hot on their trails. The two sisters utilize their fighting as well as IT skills to assassinate their victims in Matrix-style fight sequences. In due course, one of the sisters is killed by the very people who hired the duo and the blame is pinned on the lady cop. The lady cop and the younger sister are left with no choice but to join forces and find out who the real killer of the older sister is.

8. Jet Li’s Fearless
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Touted as Jet Li’s last venture in martial arts movies, Fearless is the story of a real life martial arts master Huo Yuanjia (1868-1910), founder of the Jingwu Sports Federation. His true story is extremely inspiring- he fell because of his own hubris, rose from the ashes and then set an example that inspired a nation. Jet Li’s portrayal of this renowned fighting master is power packed and goes far beyond what has been required of the actor in simple martial arts movies. Huo Yuanjia, son of a fighting master is discouraged from fighting because of his frail physical condition. However, Huo masters kung fu and with dreams of fame and glory. He soon becomes a master, but his luck runs out when he challenges and kills another fighting master. In revenge, his entire family is killed and he is dishonored. Roaming the countryside in grief and shame, he is rescued by a blind girl who teaches him a lesson or two about honor and humility. After a lapse of few years, Huo is back in the fighting arena, this time to restore his family’s honor. His skills and faith are put to the most stringent tests, but he comes out smelling of flowers.

7. House of Flying Daggers
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The movie House of Flying Daggers is such a perfect wuxia film, that it is no wonder it lists among Top 10 Asia movies. There have been hundreds of wuxia films before this one, but the treatment this film receives sets it apart from the rest. The story revolves around two government officers who are seeking to destroy a house of rebels, called the House of Flying Daggers. The house is named after its weapon of choice and there are many fascinating sequences using flying daggers in the movie. The only hope they have of finding this house is a blind old lady and pretending to be rebels they coax her into taking them to the house. What follows are exciting sequences and plot twists in which all three of them turn against each other.

6. Ichi the Killer

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This movie is based on a Japanese comic strip which is popular for its grotesque images. The movie follows the torture, murders and plots that several Yakuza gangs are involved in. An anonymous killer called Ichi takes down the Yakuza leader and a thug by name Kakihara seeks revenge and tortures a lot of gang members who he thinks are involved. As the film progresses, we learn that Ichi is not the cold blooded killer that we expect. His friend makes use of his friend’s psychological problems from his childhood to make him go on rampages slaughtering men, women and children. After each episode, we see him weeping and going into depression over what he had done. This will be a great movie for all the gore lovers across the world and is no doubt one of the Top 10 Asia Movies.

5. Hero

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This Chinese wuxia movie starring Jet Li treats us to breath-taking martial arts between Jet Li who remains nameless and some deadly assassins. It is no wonder that it is one of the Top 10 Asia Movies. The assassins are out to get the King of Qin. After defeating the three assassins, Nameless (Jet Li) comes to the court to collect his reward. The entire movie plays as flashbacks to how he defeated the assassins and saved the country. There is a twist when the king discovers this is a false tale and comes up with a theory which depicts Nameless as a co-plotter. This movie keeps you on your toes and is interesting till the very end. Throughout the movie there is a continuous shift between the real and imagined tales and it keeps you guessing as to which is the truth.

4. Spirited Away
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Spirited Away is an animation masterpiece from Japan which is a story about a little girl Chihiro and stands among one of the top 10 Asian movies. This movie shows the journey of a sulky girl into becoming a courageous one when her parents get magically transformed. She is on her own because of the greed of the witch Yu-Baba. The movie is a rollercoaster of wonderful as well as terrifying experiences of the little girl. This animation movie is not just entertaining for the children but for adults as well. This is a beautifully rendered movie which is both touching and scary.

3. Oldboy
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Oldboy is a great cinematic experience and is a story about a man named Oh Dae-Su. It starts off with him getting kidnapped on his way home after being arrested for public drunkenness. He is put in a small room with a TV and during his captivity, his wife gets murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. He is released after 15 years feeling angry and confused. The story then deals with the torment and frustration of the protagonist trying to find out who did this to him and why. He is fuelled by this desire to exact his revenge. The acting done by Min-sik Choi who plays Oh Daesu has to be watched to be believed. At times bizarre, the movie depicts the emotions of the characters very vividly. With an end that will blow your mind, the movie is top notch with its excellent music and special effects.

2. Battle Royale
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Battle Royale is one of the controversial movies of Japan about 42 ninth- graders. Reminiscent of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ but far more sinister, the movie is a twisted plot where the students are deceived and taken to an island and given weapons. They have to kill each other in order to survive in the island as only the last person alive gets to go home. This complex movie is naturally quite disturbing but is also equally insightful as it makes one wonder what they would do in similar situations. It is a brutal, violent film with erotic undertones. This movie has included pockets of resistance and a few moments portray female empowerment as well. Its amazing storyline will keep you rooted to the spot till it gets over.

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is definitely a masterpiece. All the characters have performed excellently and this epic story has been told in a very creative way. This movie created history with its action scenes, the kind which were never seen before either in the West or amongst Asian films. The movie also has the eastern culture embedded throughout its narrative, wonderfully showcased for the viewer. There are parts of the movie where certain philosophies are questioned, especially by one of the main characters Jen. Jen abuses the powers given to her which includes the magical sword, the Green Destiny. Her rebellion is a very strong one and one will wonder if the love she finds in the desert will save her. With top notch cinematography, direction, plotline and acting, this is truly one of the best movies ever made.