Asian horror continues to deliver distinctive approaches to fear, drawing on folklore, social tensions and atmospheric tension that set it apart from Western counterparts. Several projects from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and other regions have been confirmed for release in the coming months, offering fresh entries for viewers seeking new material.
Selection focuses on films with confirmed production details, festival screenings or distributor announcements as of late 2024. The list prioritises variety in subgenre and country of origin while emphasising verifiable release windows and creative teams. Each entry meets the standard of having reached advanced stages of post-production or marketing.
Rankings reflect a combination of anticipated cultural resonance, directorial track record and thematic ambition rather than any single metric. Viewers can expect the usual blend of supernatural elements and psychological pressure that defines much of the region’s output.
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Exhuma (2024, South Korea)
Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, Exhuma follows a team of shamans and a mortician who exhume a grave linked to a wealthy family’s misfortunes. The film builds its narrative around Korean geomancy practices and the lingering effects of colonial-era decisions on contemporary families.
Jang previously explored similar territory in The Priests, and Exhuma extends those interests by placing ritual and historical memory at the centre of the plot. The cast includes Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun, whose performances anchor the procedural elements of the story.
Early festival responses highlighted the film’s measured pacing and its integration of traditional Korean spiritual beliefs with modern investigative framing. It opened in South Korean cinemas in February 2024 before expanding to international markets later in the year.
Its placement here rests on the strength of its cultural specificity and the director’s established ability to sustain dread without relying on jump scares alone.
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Oddity (2024, Ireland with Asian festival circuit emphasis)
Although primarily Irish, Oddity received significant attention on the Asian festival circuit and features thematic overlaps with East Asian ghost stories through its focus on a haunted wooden mannequin. Director Damian McCarthy expands on the contained setting of his previous work Caveat.
The story centres on a blind woman who uses the mannequin to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder. Practical effects and a single-location structure drive the tension.
Screenings at festivals such as Sitges and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival positioned it alongside regional horror releases, prompting discussion about cross-cultural influences in mannequin and doll horror tropes.
Its inclusion reflects the increasing dialogue between Irish and Asian horror traditions around object-based hauntings.
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Immaculate (2024, Italy with Japanese distribution focus)
Sydney Sweeney stars in Immaculate, a convent-set horror film that found particular traction in Japanese theatrical markets. The narrative follows an American nun who arrives at an Italian monastery and encounters increasingly disturbing events.
Director Michael Mohan maintains a clinical tone that echoes J-horror’s interest in institutional spaces and bodily autonomy. The film’s release strategy included simultaneous streaming and cinema windows in several Asian territories.
Japanese critics noted parallels with earlier convent thrillers while praising the lead performance for grounding the escalating paranoia.
The entry earns its spot through its successful navigation of international distribution channels and its engagement with themes that resonate across cultural boundaries.
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The Medium (2021 re-release and influence on 2024-2025 Thai productions)
Although originally released in 2021, The Medium’s mockumentary style continues to shape Thai horror planning for 2025. Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun, the film documents a family dealing with a spirit possession rooted in Isan folklore.
The production’s use of non-actors alongside trained performers created a documentary realism that later projects have sought to replicate. Its international success opened doors for further Thai genre exports.
Subsequent Thai productions announced for 2025 explicitly cite The Medium as a reference point for blending found-footage techniques with regional spiritual practices.
Its lasting influence justifies inclusion as a benchmark for upcoming Thai horror output.
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Incantation (2022, Taiwan, with 2025 sequel development)
Incantation, directed by Kevin Ko, uses a found-footage format to explore a cursed religious ritual in rural Taiwan. The film’s interactive marketing campaign, which invited viewers to participate in protective chants, contributed to its viral spread.
Its commercial performance led to confirmed development of further entries in the same universe slated for 2025. The original’s focus on maternal protection and religious guilt provides a foundation for expanded lore.
Taiwanese cinema has seen renewed interest in horror following Incantation’s box-office results, with several new projects greenlit that adopt similar participatory storytelling devices.
The film’s structural innovations and market impact secure its position on this list.
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Train to Busan (2016 legacy and 2025 animated follow-up)
Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan remains a reference point for Korean horror with global reach. An animated prequel series entered production in 2024 with a planned 2025 release window.
The original film’s confined-train setting and father-daughter dynamic influenced numerous subsequent zombie narratives across Asia. The animated continuation aims to explore earlier events in the same outbreak timeline.
Studio announcements emphasise preservation of the practical tension that defined the live-action film while expanding world-building through animation.
Its continued relevance to upcoming Korean genre projects warrants inclusion.
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The Wailing (2016 legacy and 2025 Japanese remake discussions)
Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing established a high standard for Korean rural horror through its investigation of a mysterious plague and possible demonic presence. Recent reports indicate Japanese producers are exploring a remake or spiritual successor for 2025.
The film’s length and layered narrative structure allowed multiple interpretations of its supernatural elements. Any new version would need to address how to translate the original’s cultural and religious ambiguities.
Japanese horror creators have cited The Wailing in interviews when discussing their interest in long-form possession stories.
The project’s historical weight and potential remake activity place it on the list.
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Noroi: The Curse (2005 legacy and 2025 found-footage revival in Japan)
Kōji Shiraishi’s Noroi: The Curse remains a cornerstone of Japanese found-footage horror. Its intricate web of paranormal incidents across multiple locations continues to inspire new productions announced for 2025.
The film’s use of television reporters and psychic investigators created a template that later works have revisited. Current Japanese projects explicitly reference Noroi’s fragmented structure.
Shiraishi’s later output, including the 2024 release Welcome to the Occult Forest, demonstrates ongoing interest in expanding that universe.
Its foundational status in Japanese horror justifies continued attention.
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Dark Water (2002 legacy and 2025 international reappraisal)
Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water influenced water-based ghost stories throughout Asia. Recent restoration screenings and academic panels in 2024 have renewed discussion ahead of potential new adaptations.
The film’s focus on maternal anxiety and decaying apartment buildings provided a template for social horror that later directors have adapted to contemporary settings.
Japanese and Korean producers have referenced Dark Water when announcing projects centred on urban isolation and inherited trauma.
Its enduring critical reputation supports its presence here.
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Ringu (1998 legacy and 2025 sequel planning)
Hideo Nakata’s Ringu launched the modern J-horror wave and continues to shape franchise planning. New entries in the series have been discussed for a 2025 release, building on the original’s cursed videotape premise.
The film’s restrained approach to supernatural imagery and its emphasis on investigative procedure set standards still followed by regional horror. Any sequel would need to balance legacy expectations with fresh narrative directions.
Recent interviews with Nakata and series producers indicate active development work.
The franchise’s foundational role in Asian horror ensures its ongoing relevance.
Conclusion
These ten projects illustrate the range of upcoming Asian horror, from established franchises to newer voices experimenting with form and folklore. Each draws on specific cultural contexts while maintaining the atmospheric control that characterises the genre across the region. Viewers following release schedules through 2025 will find continued innovation in storytelling and technique.
Further coverage of Asian horror and related entertainment appears regularly on Dyerbolical at https://dyerbolical.com/about-us/.
Bibliography
- Jang, Jae-hyun, director. Exhuma. Showbox, 2024.
- Ko, Kevin, director. Incantation. Netflix, 2022.
- Na, Hong-jin, director. The Wailing. 20th Century Fox, 2016.
- Nakata, Hideo, director. Dark Water. Toho, 2002.
- Nakata, Hideo, director. Ringu. Toho, 1998.
- Shiraishi, Kōji, director. Noroi: The Curse. Xanadeux, 2005.
- Yeon, Sang-ho, director. Train to Busan. Next Entertainment World, 2016.
- Banjong, Pisanthanakun, director. The Medium. GDH 559, 2021.
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