If you’re tired of Western horror’s same old jump scares, Asian horror will wreck you in the best way. These movies don’t just freak you out—they crawl under your skin and stay there. Think heart-pounding zombie chaos in South Korea or eerie village curses in Indonesia—it’s all about slow-burn dread, deep folklore, and messed-up psychology. We’ve picked 10 insanely scary Asian horror films (all ready to stream!) that’ll take you from ghostly possessions to full-on societal meltdowns. Fair warning: these ones stick with you. Sleep tight!
1. Train to Busan (2016, South Korea)
Streaming on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten Viki
Picture this: a high-speed train full of ordinary people suddenly becomes ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. But here’s the kicker – the real horror isn’t the infected (though holy hell, these are some of the scariest zombies ever put on screen). It’s watching how different people react when civilization crumbles around them. Some turn heroes. Some turn monsters. Most just try to survive.
At the center of it all is Gong Yoo’s Seok-woo, a workaholic dad who’s basically the Korean equivalent of “too busy for his kid.” Watching him desperately try to protect his daughter while redeeming himself hits harder than any jump scare. The film’s genius is making you care about these characters so much that when bad things happen (and oh boy, do they happen), it actually hurts.
The action sequences are insane – imagine World War Z’s intensity but in tight train corridors. But what really sticks with you are the quiet moments: that pregnant couple, the homeless guy, the high school baseball players. It’s these human stories that elevate this from great zombie flick to straight-up masterpiece.
Fair warning: keep tissues handy. And maybe don’t watch it alone at night. And definitely call your parents afterward.
Also, Read – The 10 Best Korean Movies on Prime Video
2. The Wailing (2016, South Korea)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Rakuten Viki
Ever watch a horror movie that sticks with you for days, creeping into your thoughts at 3 AM? That’s The Wailing – a slow, suffocating nightmare that’ll make you question everything you think you know about good and evil.
This isn’t some cheap jump-scare fest. It’s a sprawling, unsettling dive into Korean folklore, where nothing is black and white – just varying shades of dread. Picture a sleepy rural village suddenly gripped by a bizarre sickness, brutal murders, and whispers of a mysterious stranger lurking in the mountains. At the center is Jong-goo, a hapless cop who’s more comic relief than hero, desperately trying to protect his daughter as the world around him unravels.
What makes The Wailing so terrifying isn’t just the gore (though yeah, there’s some brutal stuff) – it’s the way the film keeps you guessing. Is this a demon? A ghost? A curse? Every time you think you’ve got it figured out, the movie yanks the rug out from under you. And that exorcism scene? Pure, unfiltered chaos – one of the most disturbing things you’ll ever see.
By the end, you won’t get tidy answers. Just a deep, lingering unease that clings to you like a bad dream. If you’re looking for horror that actually haunts you, this is it. Sleep tight.
3. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018, South Korea)
Streaming on: Netflix, Shudder
Found footage? Been there, screamed that. But Gonjiam plays the format like a pro. A YouTube-style horror web series team decides to livestream from a real abandoned psychiatric hospital (yes, Gonjiam Mental Hospital exists), chasing viral fame. What starts as staged scares quickly devolves into actual terror — the kind that’s silent, creeping, and irreversible. Director Jung Bum-shik lets the setting do the heavy lifting, and it works. The film’s commitment to realism (shot in first-person with real cam rigs) gives you nowhere to hide. If you ever considered ghost hunting for fun, this might change your mind.
4. Noroi: The Curse (2005, Japan)
Streaming on: Shudder, Tubi
Noroi: The Curse isn’t just a horror film — it’s a slow, spiraling descent into cosmic dread. Shot in a faux-documentary style, it follows a paranormal investigator tracing strange phenomena across Japan: dead pigeons, missing children, a psychic breakdown, and whispers of an ancient demon named Kagutaba. What sets Noroi apart is how unnervingly normal it all feels — like watching someone stitch together horror piece by piece until it becomes unbearable. It’s found-footage horror at its most patient, and that patience pays off. Just make sure the lights are on. And maybe unplug your electronics.
5. Incantation (2022, Taiwan)
Streaming on: Netflix
Ever stumbled across something online that just felt… wrong? Like you shouldn’t be watching it, but you can’t look away? Incantation takes that feeling and cranks it up to nightmare fuel. This isn’t just a movie – it’s a cursed artifact you’ll regret opening.
Think The Ring, but instead of a creepy VHS tape, it’s some dark web shit you accidentally downloaded. The story follows a mom who screws up big time by poking around a forbidden ritual (because apparently, “don’t mess with this” warnings are just suggestions). Now she’s got to deal with the consequences – and by consequences, I mean an ancient curse that’s coming for her and her kid.
What makes this one really messed up? It doesn’t just show you the horror – it drags you into it. The film straight-up dares you to repeat creepy chants and stare at distorted, glitchy footage like you’re some dumbass in a creepypasta. And the worst part? It works. The more you watch, the more you feel like you’ve accidentally invited something awful into your life.
The storytelling is deliberately scrambled, jumping between past and present, so you’re never quite sure what’s coming next – just that it’s going to be bad. And that ending? Let’s just say you’ll be side-eyeing shadows for a while.
If you’re into horror that sticks to you – the kind that makes you second-guess every weird noise in your house at 2 AM – this is your new obsession. Just… maybe don’t watch it alone. Or with the lights off. Or while browsing sketchy websites. You’ve been warned.
6. The Medium (2021, Thailand/South Korea)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Disney+
This mockumentary-style horror set in rural Thailand begins like a cultural deep dive into shamanism — and then quickly rips your soul out. When Nim, a reluctant medium, begins to notice strange behavior in her niece, what follows is part possession, part family curse, and part horrifying ritual unraveling. Produced by The Wailing’s Na Hong-jin and directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun (Shutter), The Medium is unsettling, occasionally grotesque, and shockingly well-acted. The documentary angle lulls you into comfort, but don’t be fooled — it ends in full-blown chaos. It’s one of those rare horror films that feels too real, in the worst (best) way.
7. Roh (Soul) (2019, Malaysia)
Streaming on: Netflix
Imagine The Witch set in a humid Southeast Asian forest. That’s Roh. A mother and her two kids live a quiet life in a cabin until a strange, silent girl arrives and whispers that they will die soon. What follows is a stripped-down horror fable steeped in local folklore, mysticism, and primal fear. Director Emir Ezwan crafts dread from the smallest of things — a dark corner, a disembodied voice, a knife placed just so. The scares are minimal but stick to your ribs. Bonus: the film’s micro-budget gives it a rawness that somehow makes it feel even more cursed.
8. Impetigore (2019, Indonesia)
Streaming on: Shudder
What starts as a homecoming story turns into a descent into a deeply cursed bloodline. In Impetigore, a young woman travels to her ancestral village hoping to inherit property — but instead finds herself in a rural horror show filled with skinless babies, shadow puppets, and buried secrets. Directed by Joko Anwar, this Indonesian chiller blends social commentary with supernatural folklore, often in the same breath. It’s gruesome without being exploitative, and the village setting is straight-up nightmare fuel. If Southeast Asian curses and dark family histories are your thing, welcome home — just don’t unpack.
9. Tumbbad (2018, India)
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Imagine a horror movie so beautiful it hurts to watch—until you realize the real monster is staring back at you in the mirror. That’s Tumbbad for you—a lush, rain-soaked nightmare that plays out like a dark fairy tale your grandparents warned you about.
This isn’t your typical ghost story. Forget jump scares—Tumbbad is about greed, that slow, creeping rot that turns men into monsters. The film follows Vinayak, a guy so obsessed with a cursed treasure that he’s willing to gamble generations for it. And oh, what a curse it is: tied to Hastar, a god so gluttonous even other deities locked him away. The horror here isn’t in what lurks in the shadows—it’s in watching a man’s soul decay as he claws for gold.
Visually, it’s stunning—every frame drips with atmosphere, from monsoon-battered villages to the grotesque, almost Del Toro-esque creature design. But the real magic? It feels ancient, like some long-lost folktale whispered around a fire. The dread builds slow, creeping under your skin until you’re as desperate as Vinayak to see what’s in that damn vault.
By the end, you won’t just be scared—you’ll be haunted. This is the kind of horror that lingers, making you side-eye your own wants. A masterpiece? Absolutely. Just don’t blame us if you start seeing Hastar in your dreams. Sleep tight—and maybe check your greed at the door.
10. Under the Shadow (2016, Iran/UK/Qatar)
Streaming on: Shudder, Tubi, Showtime
Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow is a masterclass in tension, deftly weaving political horror into a terrifying ghost story. Set in 1980s Tehran amidst the harrowing Iran-Iraq War, the film traps a mother, Shideh, and her young daughter, Dorsa, in their apartment after a missile strikes their building. As the war rages outside, a new, insidious terror emerges within: a malevolent Djinn, a supernatural entity from Persian mythology, believed to be haunting them.
But the film’s true genius lies in its dual horrors. While the Djinn provides chilling supernatural scares, the suffocating reality of a society where women are relentlessly oppressed, war is endless, and avenues for escape or help are brutally limited, delivers an even more profound dread. Anvari brilliantly uses the confined setting and the constant threat of war to amplify the psychological torment, blurring the lines between external threats and internal decay.
Under the Shadow is chillingly effective, fiercely original, and carries a powerful feminist subtext. The Djinn might hover menacingly, but the film’s sharp social commentary and poignant metaphors land with devastating impact, making it a truly unforgettable experience.
