Matt Schley
May 18, 2020 Looking for something new (new to you, that is) to watch? You could do worse than ticking some films off this list. Straight from the folks at the British Film Institute, it lists the best Japanese film of the year for each year starting in 1925.
But it’s just more than a list: it describes what’s so great about each and film and where they slot into Japanese cinematic history.
Any anime on the list? Plenty! You’ve got Momotaro (1945), one of Japan’s earliest full-length animated films, plus Akira (1988), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Spirited Away (2001), Paprika (2006) and Summer Wars (2009). Not too shabby.
In the US, the 94 films will obviously be spread across a variety of streaming platforms, but are all worth seeking out for a fascinating look at the films from the country that produces all the pop culture stuff we love.
And don’t miss BFI’s YouTube introduction to the list, which features an Akira-inspired sequence.
Source: BFI
