20 Awesome J-Horror Movies Every Horror Fan Should See

16. Jigoku

Jigoku 1960
Shintoho

Plot: Various sinners all die over the course of one chaotic night and enter hell itself.

A 1960s horror directed by Nobuo Nakagawa that's more disturbing than many far more recent horror flicks, this one is not for the faint-hearted.

The sequences set in the real-world are compelling and beautifully shot, but once the film enters hell it becomes a surreal, violent nightmare that's very difficult to watch but even harder to look away from. Its visual gifts are very well supported by a compelling story as well.

The ending isn't entirely satisfying, but that doesn't undermine what came before and this is a very obscure horror movie (it doesn't even have a score on Rotten Tomatoes) that's most definitely worth seeking out.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.