Theme: Asian Horror

Asian horror is an umbrella term that refers to horror films that come from the Asian region, principally Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, China, the Philippines, Singapore and most of all from Japan.

Asian horror will often feature themes from Eastern religion such as reincarnation, luck, the importance of written prayers and offerings, as opposed to Western horror, which frequently turns to Christian imagery. Many Asian horror films have adapted Western horror tropes like the possession, vampire and zombie film to their own uses.

This covers everything from the traditional Japanese kaidan eiga (ghost story) to modern variants such as the huge success enjoyed by Ring (1998) and Ju-on: The Grudge (2003). Variants of these proliferated throughout Japan and the Asian region in the 2000s, earning nicknames such as the J-horror (Japanese horror) and K-horror (South Korean horror) film, before undergoing a series of English-language remakes.

Also included here is the phenomenon of the Gonzo Japanese Splatter Film featuring bizarre mutations and bio-mechanoid transformation, copious splatter and over-the-top moves. The kaiju eiga (Japanese monster movie) is featured under the theme Japanese Monster Movies.