5 Lesser-Known Asian Horror Movies No Less Terrifying Than 'The Ring', Ranked by IMDb
These movies will make you want to sleep with the lights on.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Asian horror movies like Ring and The Grudge revolutionized the genre. These films changed the perception of horror by shifting the emphasis from bloody violence to an oppressive, almost mystical atmosphere of fear permeating everyday life.
However, many little-known gems lie behind these cult hits that are no less terrifying but have remained unfairly overlooked.
5. 'The Maid', 2020
IMDb Score: 5.6/10
Joy is hired as a maid for a wealthy couple. The head maid immediately warns Joy that the staff is not to know anything unnecessary about the owners' lives or those of their young daughter.
However, Joy breaks this rule and discovers something mystical and terrifying connected to herself.
This Thai horror movie shifts genres throughout – it begins as a mystical story but gradually evolves into a family drama, and by the end, it becomes a slasher film.
4. 'As the Gods Will', 2014
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Shun Takahata complains that his life is boring. Soon, however, he is forced to participate in school survival games. In the first game, participants must press a button on the back of a Daruma doll's head. If you move while the doll is watching you, you die.
Next, the children play a cat-and-mouse game in the gym. They must throw a ball into a basket on a giant doll's neck, but they risk being crushed. The competition becomes more challenging with each round.
The easiest way to describe As the Gods Will is as the Japanese precursor to Squid Game, except here, the game is based on mysticism and played by schoolchildren.
3. 'The Medium', 2021
IMDb Score: 6.5/10
A group of Korean documentary filmmakers came to Thailand to shoot a film about Nim, a hereditary shaman. For generations, the women in her family have been possessed by the deity Ba Yan, which has allowed them to heal others.
Soon, however, Nim's sister's husband dies, and Nim realizes that her niece is also possessed by a spirit, though its nature remains unknown.
The film was originally conceived as a spin-off of The Wailing, which is also on this list. However, Na Hong-jin ultimately remained only as a producer, and the plot was rewritten.
2. 'The Eye', 2002
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Wong Kar-mun lost her sight as a child. As an adult, she received a cornea transplant. Along with her new vision, which took some getting used to, she gained the frightening ability to see ghosts and events that had not yet occurred.
The Hong Kong Pang Brothers made one of the most terrifying and tense thrillers ever, complete with several unexpected twists.
The story quickly grew into a franchise, but none of the sequels or remakes were successful, so it's best to stick with the original.
1. 'The Wailing', 2016
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Police Officer Jong-goo lives with his family in a small Korean village where crime is rare. Suddenly, however, people begin to go crazy and break out in ulcers.
Initially, Jong-goo avoids the situation, but when his daughter falls ill, he is ready to do anything to save her.
The Korean movie surprisingly mixes several typical horror film plots. Along with the main character, we must guess what is causing this: dangerous mushrooms, a curse, or something else.
