Top 15 Asian Movies That You Could Watch Online for Free Part 3

In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, I’ve made a list of the best Asian movies you can watch for free online. With the recent release and success of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Parasite”, Asian representation in movies is at an all-time high. The criteria used to make this list include:

The movie must be free to watch legally.
Movies produced in Asian countries
American movies are accepted if the majority of the cast members are of Asian descent.
Although major streaming websites (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crave, etc.) have free trials and have a good number of Asian movies, they’re not counted.

There will be glaring omissions including the 2 movies already mentioned, simply because they’re not free or because I haven’t watched them.

Get your digital library card here, if you don’t already have one. You will need it to access Kanopy and Hoopla.

Note: To be honest I’m biased towards genre movies (sci-Fi, horror, action), whether or not it stands the test of time, and repetitive viewing.

#5 Ringu

Japanese | Horror | English Subtitles | Watch It On Kanopy | 97% on Rotten Tomatoes

“Ringu combines supernatural elements with anxieties about modern technology in a truly frightening and unnerving way.” – Rotten Tomatoes

7.2

Ringu (1998) 1h 36min | Horror, Mystery | 31 January 1998 (Japan)

Director: Hideo NakataWriters: Hiroshi Takahashi, Kôji SuzukiStars: Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani, Yûko Takeuchi

Summary: A reporter and her ex-husband investigate a cursed video tape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it.

Countries: JapanLanguages: Japanese

#4 Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Japanese | Animated, Sci-Fi | English Dubbed | Watch It On Tubi.tv | 96% on Rotten Tomatoes

“A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the medium.” – Rotten Tomatoes

8.0

Ghost in the Shell (1995) 1h 23min | Animation, Action, Crime | 29 March 1996 (USA)

Director: Mamoru OshiiWriters: Shirow Masamune, Kazunori ItôStars: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Ôtsuka

Summary: A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Countries: Japan, UKLanguages: Japanese

#3 Train to Busan

Korean | Horror | English Subtitiles | Watch It On TubiTV | 94% on Rotten Tomatoes

“Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique — and purely entertaining — take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.” – Rotten Tomatoes

7.5

Train to Busan (2016) 1h 58min | Action, Horror, Thriller | 20 July 2016 (South Korea)

Director: Sang-ho YeonWriters: Joo-Suk Park, Sang-ho YeonStars: Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jung, Dong-seok Ma

Summary: While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

Countries: South KoreaLanguages: Korean, Hawaiian

#2 Battle Royale

Japanese | Sci-Fi, Action | English Subtitles | Watch It On Hoopla | 87% on Rotten Tomatoes

Before Hunger Games there was Battle Royale. I prefer the latter. “Battle Royale is a controversial and violent parable of adolescence, heightening teenage melodrama with life-or-death stakes.” -Rotten Tomatoes

7.6

Battle Royale (2000) 1h 54min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi | 16 December 2000 (Japan)

Director: Kinji FukasakuWriters: Koushun Takami, Kenta FukasakuStars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto

Summary: In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.

Countries: JapanLanguages: Japanese

#1 Seven Samurai

Japanese | Drama, Action | English Subtitles | Watch It On Kanopy | 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

“Arguably Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.” – Rotten Tomatoes

8.6

Seven Samurai (1954) 3h 27min | Action, Adventure, Drama | 19 November 1956 (USA)

Director: Akira KurosawaWriters: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu HashimotoStars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima

Summary: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

Countries: JapanLanguages: Japanese