Japan has its own criminal elements that terrify the competition. Movies about yakuza are usually characterized by a captivating and mesmerizing plot. Here is a list of works that are sure to raise the adrenaline level in the blood.
Hana-bi
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Thriller, drama, melodrama, crime
- Japan production / 1997
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe, Hakuryu, Yasuei Yakushiji, Taro Itsumi, Ken’ichi Yajima, Makoto Ashikawa
The protagonist, former policeman Nishi, has a difficult life. He is unemployed after a tragic accident with his partners and is caring for his wife, who has cancer. The woman is never able to recover from the death of her child.
The need eventually forces Nishi to ask for a loan from a yakuza. Since there is nothing to pay it back, the man goes along with the crime. However, the yakuza isn’t satisfied with the money he’s given, and guesses that Nishi has robbed a bank and now wants all the stolen money.
The girl flying the kite in the last shots of the film is Takeshi Kitano’s daughter.
Ouroboros (mini-series)
- Rating IMDB – 7.2
- Genre: Action, Crime, Detective, Drama
- Japan production / 2015
- Directed by Ishii Yasuharu, Daisuke Yamamuro, Katsuhiko Ikeda
- Cast: Toma Ikuta, Shun Oguri, Juri Ueno, Yo Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Muro, Nana Seino, Kumiko Takeda, Ken Mitsuishi, Ken’ichi Takito, Hashinosuke Nakamura
Ikuo and Tatsuya became friends at the orphanage. Deprived of love, they feel supported and cared for by their elementary school teacher, Yuko, and greatly appreciate it. Soon she is murdered right in front of the boys.
The friends testify to the policeman, who is wearing a gold watch. But the latter manages to “cover up” the case. The boys decide, by all means, to take revenge on the policeman, and do so by growing up. On their way to exposing the crime, they discover the truth about Kintokei-gumi, the “people with the gold watch.”
Giri/Haji
- Rating IMDB – 7.8
- Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller, Drama
- UK production / 2019
- Directed by Julian Farino, Ben Cessel
- Cast: Takehiro Hira, Kelly McDonald, Yosuke Kubozuka, Will Sharp, Aoi Okuyama, Masahiro Motoki, Charlie Creed-Miles, Katsuya, Togo Igawa, Yuko Nakamura
The Yakuza clan hires Detective Kenzo Mori. He has to investigate the murder of the nephew of the leader of one of Tokyo’s criminal clans. On the results of his work depends both the truce between the two clans, and the safety of the beloved family.
The thing is that Mori’s late brother is allegedly involved in the crime, because he stole the very sword that served as the murder weapon. The Japanese goes to London and finds himself in the whirlpool of terrible events.
Kids Return
- Rating IMDB – 7.4
- Genre: Drama, Crime, Sports
- Japan production / 1996
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Ken Kaneko, Masanobu Ando, Reo Morimoto, Hatsuo Yamaya, Michisuke Kashiwaya, Mitsuko Oka, Yuuko Daike, Ryo Ishibashi, Susumu Terajima, Morooka Moro
Serious students in their final years of high school always wonder what they will become in the future, how their fate will be. Massaru and Shinji are not one of those kids. They are classical “bad boys”: they steal, make fun of their classmates, and fight. Not surprisingly, years later, their mere presence frightens the town’s population. After all, Shinji has become a boxer, and his friend is a yakuza.
Takeshi Kitano’s first picture after the unfortunate accident in which he was involved in a motorcycle.
Sonatine
- Rating IMDB – 7.5
- Genre: Action, thriller, drama, melodrama, comedy, crime
- Japan production / 1993
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Susumu Terajima, Ren Osugi, Tonbo Zushi, Ken’ichi Yajima, Eiji Minakata, Hiroshi Ando
The protagonist Murakawa is faced with the task of reconciling two criminal clans. To this end, he travels to Okinawa. At first, the middle-ranking yakuza leader seems to think that the problem is insignificant and he has gone off the rails for nothing. But after his headquarters is bombed and he and his faction are ambushed in a public place, his opinion changes.
Takeshi Kitano is both the director of the film and the lead actor.
Taxi 2
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Action, comedy, crime
- France production / 2000
- Budget: FRF 70 000 000
- Worldwide gross: $60 726 164
- Directed by Gerard Krawczyk
- Cast: Samy Nacéry, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard, Emma Wicklund, Bernard Farsi, Jean-Christophe Bouvet, Frédéric Thirmon, Edouard Montout, Marc Faure, Hirata Haruhiko
A sequel to the box-office movie “Taxi”.
A Japanese defense minister flies to Marseilles to conclude an agreement on French military developments.
Daniel is given the honor of driving the minister through the streets of the city. On the way, the motorcade is attacked by Yakuza and kidnapped by an important person. The cab driver must save the minister and his beloved Petra.
There was a real tragedy on the set of this film – a member of the camera crew died.
Shinjuku Incident
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Action, Drama, Crime
- Hong Kong production / 2009
- Budget: $15 000 000
- Worldwide gross: $5 461 200
- Directed by Derek Yi
- Cast: Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Daniel Wu, Xu Jinglei, Masaya Kato, Fan Bingbing, Toru Minegishi, Kenya Sawada, Jack Kao, Paul Chun
Quite a high rating for this yakuza movie. Tokyo, 1990s. Two immigrants move to the capital of Japan without any permits. The film’s protagonist, nicknamed “Ironhead,” has a good reason for this – his beloved girl Su is lost there.
In pursuit of earnings, the guys join the criminals and carry out the tasks assigned to them. Since they are new to the criminal world, they constantly get into trouble.
Jackie Chan postponed filming the movie for 10 years because of his employment.
Brother
- Rating IMDB – 7.1
- Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
- UK, France, Japan production / 2000
- Budget: $10 000 000
- Worldwide gross: $15 250 594
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Omar Epps, Kurodo Maki, Masaya Kato, Susumu Terajima, Royal Watkins, Lombardo Boyar, Ren Osugi, Ryo Ishibashi, James Shigueta
A bloody massacre between two rival yakuza clans leads to the death of the head of one clan’s family. All his life the bandit had been committing crimes, believing he was working for the good of his family. With him gone, the clan began to consider what to do. The sons have little choice: either commit harakiri or serve the victors. Yamatato chooses to flee to Los Angeles to find a free brother and seek revenge.
In one scene in the film, the bodies are arranged in a hieroglyph that signifies death.
The Outrage (Trilogy)
- Rating IMDB – 6.8
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Japan production / 2010
- Worldwide gross: $8 457 741
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kipei Shina, Ryo Kase, Fumiyo Kohinata, Renji Ishibashi, Hideo Nakano, Takashi Tsukamoto, Jun Kunimura, Tetta Sugimoto, Soichiro Kitamura
The criminal power struggle knows no limits. Games with severed fingers are a thing of the past. Now the yakuza clans want to reach the top of the hierarchy. Loyalty and honesty weren’t honored before, but now they are.
Otomo, a yakuza with extensive experience, watches as his comrades take the world of corruption by stepping on each other’s heads.
The picture was awarded the Palme d’Or.
Gozu
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Horror, thriller, drama, crime, detective
- Japan production / 2003
- Directed by Takashi Miike
- Cast: Hideki Shone, Kimika Yoshino, Shohei Hino, Keiko Tomita, Harumi Shone, Susumu Kimura, Kanpei Hazama, Sakichi Sato, Sho Aikawa, Ken’ichi Endo
A Japanese mystery film about yakuza. The protagonist Minami is a member of the criminal clan Azamawari. The gang boss himself doesn’t like the guy, primarily because of his eccentricity and flighty personality.
One day, Minami is sent on a mission by his boss to travel with his girlfriend, Anika, to a strange town called Nagoya. It seems surprising at the expense of the locals.
The film was made on a small budget, but that did not prevent it from being distributed.
Crying Freeman
- Rating IMDB – 6.4
- Genre: Action, thriller, crime
- France, USA, Japan, Canada production / 1995
- Budget: FRF 30 000 000
- Directed by Christoph Gans
- Cast: Mark Dacascos, Julie Kondra, Ray Dong Chong, Byron Mann, Masaya Kato, Cheki Karyo, Mako, Kevan Oji, Debbie Podowski, Murray Lowry
A young artist named Yo is forced to retrain as a sophisticated criminal. He becomes a true professional of his craft, easily coping with gang leaders.
One day, he regains the right to a normal life. Yo kills a man in front of Emu’s girlfriend. She not only witnesses his atrocity but also sees his face. The fate of the beautiful girl is sealed, but Yo has fallen in love and does not want to eliminate the witness. Now he has to get rid of the mafioso.
Actor Mark Dakaskos gave up the understudy and performed all the stunts himself.
Graveyard of Honor
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Action, thriller, crime
- Japan production / 2002
- Directed by Takashi Miike
- Cast: Ryo Amamiya, Narimi Arimori, Yoshiyuki Daichi, Hirotaro Honda, Harumi Inoue, Renji Ishibashi, Goro Kishitani, Shigeo Kobayashi, Takashi Miike, Ryosuke Miki
The main character Ishimatsu works as a dishwasher in a restaurant. A Yakuza often visits the place. During one of these visits, the gangster gets violent and starts shooting at regular customers. Even the gangsters couldn’t fight him back, but Ishimatsu hits him on the head with a chair, thus earning respect in the underworld.
So he becomes a criminal face and is ready to reach new heights, but he lacks authority.
The film is a remake of 1975.
Cut
- Rating IMDB – 5.9
- Genre: Thriller, Drama
- Japan, France, USA, South Korea, Turkey production / 2011
- Directed by Amir Naderi
- Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Takako Tokiwa, Takashi Sasano, Shun Sugata, Danden, Takuji Suzuki, Ikuji Nakamura, Satoshi Nikaido, Junichi Hayakawa, Hatsuo Ito
The main character is an aspiring filmmaker, Shuji. In Japanese society he can be called a black sheep. He borrows money for his paintings from his loan shark brother. The latter, in turn, borrows money from the Yakuza. However, this continues until the brother owes a large sum to the gangsters. The criminals had no mercy on him. The debt is pinned on Shuji.
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen
- Rating IMDB – 6.3
- Genre: Comedy, Crime
- Japan production / 2015
- Directed by Takeshi Kitano
- Cast: Tatsuya Fuji, Masaomi Kondo, Akira Nakao, Toru Shinagawa, Ben Hiura, Koichun Ito, Ken Yoshizawa, Akira Onodera, Ken Yasuda, Takeshi Kitano
A movie about the old Japanese yakuza. It turns out that it’s not easy for gangsters to retire, primarily because they don’t want to.
A retired former gang leader almost falls for a telephone scammer and loses a large sum of 5 million yen. He makes inquiries and finds out that the scammer works for a certain corporation called Keihin. It’s time to round up the old fighters.
The film did not participate in film festivals, but modestly appeared in cinemas.
Like a Dragon
- Rating IMDB – 6.1
- Genre: Action, Drama, Crime
- Japan, South Korea production / 2007
- Worldwide gross: $286 799
- Directed by Takashi Miike
- Cast: Kazuki Kitamura, Goro Kishitani, Shun Shioya, Saeko, Haruhiko Kato, Saki Takaoka, Sho Aikawa, Kon Yu, Yutaka Matsushige, Kurodo Maki
Kiryu Kuzuma served 10 long years in prison and finally broke free. Now he faces several challenges. First, he wants to find his girlfriend, the love of his childhood, and second, his enemy, whom he intends to take revenge on.
Meanwhile, the local bank is robbed by several members of the Tojo clan. In the process, the bandits realize that the necessary money is not there, and take hostages. At the same time, the Nishikiyama clan is searching for the missing funds.
Director Takashi Miike once again made a picture without a genre. The film can be classified as a comedy, a parody, and an action movie.
The Outsider
- Rating IMDB – 6.2
- Genre: Crime, Drama
- USA production / 2017
- Directed by Martin Zandvliet
- Cast: Jared Leto, Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shina, Shiori Kutsuna, Emile Hirsch, Ray Nicholson, Rory Cochrane, Nao Omori, Min Tanaka, Masaki Miura
Sometimes one action is enough to change an entire life. An American in prison saves a man from hanging. He turns out to be a Yakuza. The Japanese man, driven by a sense of duty, helps his savior, an American named Nick, to gain his freedom. However, now the guy is a member of his criminal gang. Doing his job well, he quickly moves up the hierarchical ladder. Soon he becomes a yakuza himself.
The plot is based on a novel by Stephen King.
Hatsukoi
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Crime, action
- Japan production / 2019
- Worldwide gross: $5 556 608
- Directed by Takashi Miike
- Cast: Masataka Kubota, Sakurako Konishi, Nao Omori, Shota Sometani, Seiyo Uchino, Becky, Jun Murakami, Sansei Shiomi, Takahiro Miura, Yan Jinko
The life of the popular boxer Leo changes when he learns of his disease – inoperable brain cancer.
Meanwhile, a yakuza and a greedy policeman have a plan: they must steal a shipment of illegal substances and blame it on drug addict Monica.
It just so happens that Leo gets involved. Monica was running from her pursuers, and the boxer knocked out the cop. Now the two of them must hide from the criminal men of Tokyo.
The Japanese version of the film is slightly longer at 115 minutes.
Darc
- Rating IMDB – 5.8
- Genre: Action, thriller, crime
- USA production / 2018
- Directed by Julius R. Nasso
- Cast: Tony Sheena, Armand Assante, Kippei Shina, Sho Ikushima, Vienna Hehir, Tetsu Watanabe, Dawn Oliveri, Kevan Oji, Chance Hurstfield
The top of interesting Yakuza movies is rounded out by this film work.
Little Jack lives in Japan. His mother is involved in prostitution and one day she is murdered.
Jack grows up to be a criminal, his actions leading to him getting jail time. He is rescued from prison by an Interpol officer. He asks Jack for help in finding his daughter, who has been kidnapped by the Yakuza clan.
Jack at first refuses to get involved, but he soon learns that the same people who killed his mother did it. The man is fired up with a desire for revenge.
