For some reason, J-horror exploded in popularity in the 2000s. It saw a rise in Japan throughout the late 90s, but its explosion in the West was undoubtedly aided by American remakes of popular J-horror movies like The Grudge and The Ring. Both films proved incredibly popular with mainstream audiences, and further J-horror and similarly-styled films of its ilk followed in their footsteps.
As is often the case with a "fad," most of these J-horror films were terrible, cheap cash grabs meant to capitalize on what was popular—but some were actually very good. These are ten of the highest-rated J-horror movies of the 2000s, according to IMDb.
10 Pulse (2001) - 6.5
The early 2000s saw the dotcom boom, and amidst the boom was a barrage of techno thrillers capitalizing on the unknowns of the new medium. Pulse was one of those movies. In this movie, two separate groups make the terrifying discovery that malicious spirits may be trying to invade the mortal world through the internet. It certainly sounds a little goofy, but it's actually quite effective. An American remake was made, but fans can definitely skip that one.
9 Suicide Club (2001) - 6.6
As is evident by its provocative title, Suicide Club was quite controversial upon release. The movie begins with 54 high school children throwing themselves in front of a subway train and only goes from there, with the police department trying to solve a string of seemingly unconnected suicides. The movie is undeniably gruesome and provocative, and viewing it in its entirety is not an easy feat.
8 Haze (2005) - 6.6
Haze is a very short movie, coming in at just 49 minutes. In reality, the movie is little more than a particularly terrifying episode of television, but terrifying it remains. Haze sees a man waking up in a crowded concrete maze and bleeding from the abdomen. Along the way he meets a female, and they must piece together both their past lives and why they were taken to this labyrinthine location. It's short, but it's incredibly effective.
7 Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) - 6.7
By far the most popular film on this, Ju-on: The Grudge took the world by storm in the early 2000s. While it was unfavorably compared to The Ring—sometimes even being referred to as "a ripoff"—The Grudge remains an exceptional, and exceptionally freaky, J-horror film.
Many of its scares and characters have become iconic staples of the horror genre, and it launched a franchise that is still going to this day.
6 Dark Water (2002) - 6.7
Dark Water is both exceptionally scary and profoundly sad. In this one, a recently divorced single mother moves into a dilapidated apartment with her young daughter. The apartment is plagued by running water that leaks from the floor above and the ghost of another young girl. It serves as both a terrifying ghost story and a profound statement on motherhood. Dark Water has scares and heart in equal measure.
5 Gozu (2003) - 7.0
Gozu is a Japanese horror movie unlike any other. Not necessarily a straight J-horror film, it's more of a bizarre mixture of horror, comedy, crime, and the surreal. On its surface, it's about a young criminal who kidnaps a senior. On the way, the senior disappears under strange circumstances, and the film launches into a surreal nightmare that would make David Lynch blush. It's certainly not for everyone, but those looking for a unique cinematic adventure would find a lot to like here.
4 Noroi: The Curse (2005) - 7.0
Noroi: The Curse blended two very popular styles of horror that permeated the 2000s: J-horror and found footage.
Presented as a documentary, Noroi: The Curse follows a documentarian/paranormal researcher who interviews people regarding a specific demon. The movie is certainly scary, but it also crafts a rich mythology that blends ghosts, demons, and curses into a wonderfully complex and imaginative whole.
3 Three...Extremes (2004) - 7.0
Famous film critic Roger Ebert called Three...Extremes a mixture of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King. The film is not one story, but three individual stories released under one banner. Dumplings was directed by Fruit Chan, Box by Takashi Miike, and Cut by Chan-wook Park. They were three of the biggest directors of the time, and it shows in the movie's quality. Each story is scary, and each proves just as captivating as the last.
2 The Happiness Of The Katakuris (2001) - 7.1
Directed by Takashi Miike, who also directed the Box segment of Three...Extremes, The Happiness Of The Katakuris is a bizarre movie, indeed. An extended family set up a peaceful bed and breakfast, but every single one of their customers dies under mysterious circumstances. The family, in turn, do all they can to mask the truth and save their B&B's reputation. The movie comes complete with musical numbers, a karaoke sing-along, and even a claymation sequence.
1 Noriko's Dinner Table (2005) - 7.1
Noriko's Dinner Table serves as a prequel, concurrently-told story, and sequel to 2001's Suicide Club. By interweaving its story with that of the preceding film, Noriko's Dinner Table answers many lingering questions that were left unanswered. It's arguably even better than its predecessor, drawing in themes of social alienation, generational divides, and questions of personal identity. It's far more than just another J-horror film.
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