THEME EXPLORATION

Japanese folklore creatures

12 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Tokyo-ga
Tokyo-ga
1985 · Wim Wenders
Il se peut que la beauté ait renforcé notre résolution – Masao Adachi
Il se peut que la beauté ait renforcé notre résolution – Masao Adachi
2011 · Philippe Grandrieux
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
1959 · Robert Stevenson
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
1999 · Nobuhiko Obayashi
Aliens
Aliens
1986 · James Cameron
Body Snatch
Body Snatch
1998 · Anonymous Fixture
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2008 · Guillermo del Toro
Macario
Macario
1960 · Roberto Gavaldon
Brave
Brave
2012 · Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
2011 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Bhooth Bangla
Bhooth Bangla
2026 · Priyadarshan
Dracula
Dracula
2026 · Radu Jude
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Hayao Miyazaki Japan

His films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are fundamentally rooted in Japanese folklore, yokai, and Shinto mythology, bringing traditional creatures and spirits to vivid animated life.

 Takashi Miike Japan

He frequently draws from Japanese folklore and urban legends in films like Audition and Ichi the Killer, blending traditional supernatural elements with contemporary horror narratives.

 Masaki Kobayashi Japan

His masterpiece Kwaidan is a seminal anthology film that beautifully adapts classic Japanese ghost stories and folklore with atmospheric cinematography and traditional aesthetics.