Japans Splatter Horror Genre Movies

March 29, 2021

With the release Terracotta's forthcoming splatter film, Meatball Machine, we thought we'd have a look at a few other films in this genre via trailers.

It's fair to say with this genre, to not expect deep meaningful plots with any logic, accept these films for their punk and coarse aesthetics. They are a reaction to the more psychological and suspense bound films which play on our fear of the unknown we associate with traditional horror. Think of the splatter genre as a middle finger to the establishment and like how punk went against the grain and broke the rules, so too do these films. Its sometimes known as splatterpunk, so you could argue it has an honest integrity at its core, albeit, a crude one.

'Where most horror films have a tendency to re-establish the social and moral order with good triumphing over evil, splatter films thrive on a lack of order.'

The genres history has been traced as far back as 1908 in French theatres and over the century, especially during the video nasty era, it had gained notoriety and cult status through films such as; Driller Killer, Cannibal Holocaust or Bad Taste to more recent incarnations such as Hostel or the Saw franchise. Japans entry point seems to be what is referred to as 'splatstick' (splatter and slapstick combined), essentially meaning a mix of horror and comedy, which, when you watch the trailers below, you'll be hard pressed to disagree with.

Directors you should look out for in this genre, Sion Sono, Takashii Miike and Noboru Iguchi.

This isn't a definite or best of list, but what we personally know and have been recommended.

*Trailers are not for the faint hearted and easily offended.
**Watch 2 hours after eating too.