Cinema Escapist
Explore and connect the world through a cinematic lens
The 11 Best Japanese Movies of 2018
BY Anthony Kao
Cinema Escapist reveals the top Japanese films from 2018 across genres like animation, family dramas, zombies, and more!
Review: Your Name (Japan, 2016)
BY Jake Goldwasser
Makoto Shinkai's 2016 film "Your Name" is a vibrantly-animated meditation on memory in Japanese culture, told through the story of a teenage body swap.
Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Japan, 2006)
BY Anthony Kao
Imagine if one day, while carrying papers into a chemistry classroom, you fall upon a walnut that grants you the ability to–literally–jump through time. This...
Review: Paprika (Japan, 2006)
BY Anthony Kao
When Inception came out in 2010, it seemed like a novel film with a novel concept. With its mind-blowing story about dream thieves, it provided–and...
Review: The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Japan, 2004)
BY Anthony Kao
Oftentimes compared to Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, Makoto Shinkai is among Japan’s most acclaimed anime directors. Although he isn’t a member of the popularly known...