Memories of Murder
Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha
In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
Why you'll love it
Though set in Korea, this thriller captures the same moody, rain-drenched nighttime urban atmosphere as Tokyo noir stories with compelling detective work.
Rashomon
Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori
The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
Why you'll love it
Kurosawa's iconic film explores Tokyo's rain-soaked nights and the complexity of truth, featuring atmospheric cinematography of the city after dark.
Tokyo Story
Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
Why you'll love it
A poetic exploration of Tokyo life and human connections, offering a timeless portrait of the city's character and intimate nighttime moments.
In the Mood for Love
Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ping-Lam Siu
Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
Why you'll love it
Wong Kar-wai's visual masterpiece set in Hong Kong but shares Tokyo's intimate nighttime atmosphere with lush cinematography of urban nights and romantic tension.
Blade Runner 2049
Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas
Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Why you'll love it
Features stunning neo-noir Tokyo sequences with rain-soaked neon streets and cyberpunk aesthetics that capture a futuristic version of the city's nocturnal beauty.
Lost in Translation
Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi
A fading movie star falls for a lonely young woman in Tokyo.
Why you'll love it
A melancholic masterpiece capturing the isolation and neon-lit beauty of Tokyo at night, following two lonely souls navigating the city's atmospheric streets and hotels.
Midnight in Paris
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
Why you'll love it
While set in Paris, this film shares the same enchanting nocturnal atmosphere and romantic wandering through city nights that Lost in Translation perfected in Tokyo.
Battle Royale
Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto
In a dystopian future, a group of students from a Japanese high school are forced by the government to compete in a battle, killing one another until only one is left standing.
Why you'll love it
Features intense nighttime sequences with neon-lit Japanese urban settings and the energy of Tokyo's underground culture reimagined in a dystopian thriller.
Tokyo Drifter
Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani
After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.
Why you'll love it
A stylish noir thriller featuring Tokyo's underground criminal underworld, neon-lit streets, and nightlife with vibrant 1960s aesthetic.
Ichi the Killer
Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômori, Shin'ya Tsukamoto
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.
Why you'll love it
Takashi Miike's violent neo-noir explores Tokyo's underworld with striking neon-soaked nighttime cinematography and surreal urban landscapes.