10 Terrifying Japanese Horror Movies You've Probably Never Seen

Now it's time for another horror anthology, but this one is incredibly different from the previously mentioned Zoo.

Instead of impatiently throwing scares at you, Kwaidan allows the atmosphere to build slowly, keeping you constantly on edge awaiting some kind of catharsis. It runs for just over three hours and only tells four stories, but each one will stick with you thanks to the film's beauty and the shocking twist endings to each segment that flip everything you've seen on its head.

The first narrative tells of a swordsman who abandons his wife to seek fortune, but after realising he's made a mistake, returns home to a horrifying sight. Then comes a haunting tale about a man who encounters the Yuki-onna, a terrifying snow spirit. Next is a slow, but well paid-off tale of a blind musician lured into performing for some malevolent spirits. Finally, the film culminates with a segment about a man who's haunted by a face in his tea.

While it takes some time to get there, the scares in this movie are huge, as the deliberately slow pacing makes the sudden surge of action truly shocking. It's an exceptional kind of horror movie, thanks to its unique pacing and the phenomenal practical sets, that make the movie feel like theatre as opposed to cinema.

It's no surprise that the film is an Academy-Award nominee.