Best mind-bending Japanese movies in India
By the KyaDekhu team · Updated · Availability for India from JustWatch, ratings from IMDb
107 movies in India match this list, with an average IMDb rating of 6.8. Newest addition: Kubi, added to Netflix on 21 Oct. Ranked by vote-weighted IMDb rating and popularity; showing the top 30.
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1. Spirited Away (2001)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 5m · Animation, Family · IMDb 8.6 (9.9L votes)
Visually stunningTwistyFamily-friendlyHeartwarming
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
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2. Your Name. (2016)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 46m · U/A 13+ · Animation, Romance · IMDb 8.4 (4.1L votes)
TwistyVisually stunningHeartwarming
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.
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3. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 59m · Fantasy, Animation · IMDb 8.2 (5.2L votes)
Visually stunningHeartwarmingTwisty
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.
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4. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · A · Animation, Action · IMDb 8.3 (71.4K votes)
Visually stunningFast-pacedMatureTwisty
In a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into Denji's world, and he faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
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5. Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 57m · UA · Animation, Action · IMDb 8.2 (1.0L votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatDark & grittyFast-paced
Tanjiro Kamado, joined with Inosuke Hashibira, a boy raised by boars who wears a boar's head, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, a scared boy who reveals his true power when he sleeps, boards the Infinity Train on a new mission with the Fire Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the people and killing
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6. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 27m · Animation, Science Fiction · IMDb 8.1 (79.6K votes)
TwistyVisually stunningDark & grittyMature
SEELE orders an all-out attack on NERV, aiming to destroy the Evas before Gendo can advance his own plans for the Human Instrumentality Project. Shinji is pushed to the limits of his sanity as he is forced to decide the fate of humanity.
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7. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 17m · Animation, Drama · IMDb 8.0 (63.4K votes)
Slow-burnVisually stunningTwistyFamily-friendly
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
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8. Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 20m · Animation, Drama · IMDb 8.3 (15.4K votes)
Visually stunningSlow-burnHeartwarmingTwisty
As the world moves on from the war and technological advances bring changes to her life, Violet still hopes to see her lost commanding officer again.
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9. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 45m · UA · Animation, Action · IMDb 7.8 (67.9K votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatTwistyFast-paced
Yuta Okkotsu is a nervous high school student who is suffering from a serious problem—his childhood friend Rika has turned into a curse and won't leave him alone. Since Rika is no ordinary curse, his plight is noticed by Satoru Gojo, a teacher at Jujutsu High, a school where fledgling exorcists learn how to combat curs
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10. Monster (2023)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 5m · Mystery, Thriller · IMDb 7.8 (44.0K votes)
TwistyDark & grittyEdge-of-seat
After an outburst at school involving her son, a concerned single mother demands answers, triggering a sequence of deepening suspicion and turmoil.
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11. Look Back (2024)
Movie · Japanese · 58m · U · Animation, Drama · IMDb 7.8 (24.7K votes)
Slow-burnHeartwarmingLow-stakesFamily-friendly
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passio
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12. Battle Royale (2000)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 53m · Drama, Thriller · IMDb 7.5 (2.1L votes)
MatureFast-pacedDark & grittyEdge-of-seat
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
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13. Suzume (2022)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 2m · U/A 7+ · Animation, Drama · IMDb 7.6 (66.8K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyEdge-of-seat
Suzume, 17, lost her mother as a little girl. On her way to school, she meets a mysterious young man. But her curiosity unleashes a calamity that endangers the entire population of Japan, and so Suzume embarks on a journey to set things right.
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14. When Marnie Was There (2014)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 43m · Animation, Drama · IMDb 7.6 (56.6K votes)
TwistySlow-burnFamily-friendlyHeartwarming
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
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15. Only Yesterday (1991)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 59m · Animation, Drama · IMDb 7.6 (43.3K votes)
TwistySlow-burnHeartwarmingFamily-friendly
In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.
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16. Drive My Car (2021)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 59m · Drama · IMDb 7.5 (78.5K votes)
Slow-burnLow-stakesTwistyHeartwarming
Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt conf
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17. The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 4m · UA · Animation, Fantasy · IMDb 7.3 (1.5L votes)
Visually stunningTwistySlow-burn
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appea
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18. Detective Conan: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 47m · Animation, Mystery · IMDb 7.8 (5.2K votes)
TwistyVisually stunningEdge-of-seatFast-paced
Noah's Ark, the latest innovation in VR technology, is set for a showcase to Japan's privileged children. However, their carefree fun is cut short when a company employee is found murdered, with his dying message pointing to a clue hidden within the Ark. Along with the Detective Boys and Ran Mouri, Conan Edogawa enter
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19. Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa (2005)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 45m · Action, Adventure · IMDb 7.3 (13.1K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyEdge-of-seat
Munich, Germany, 1923. Two years have passed since Edward Elric was dragged from his own world to ours, leaving behind his country, his friends and his younger brother, Alphonse. Stripped of his alchemical powers, he has been all this time researching rocketry together with Alphonse Heiderich, a young man who resembles
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20. Stand by Me Doraemon 2 (2020)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 36m · Animation, Adventure · IMDb 7.5 (6.4K votes)
TwistyHeartwarmingFamily-friendly
Nobita travels to the future to show his beloved grandma his bride, but adult Nobita has fled his own wedding.
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21. Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 59m · Animation, Action · IMDb 7.3 (10.4K votes)
Visually stunningFast-pacedEdge-of-seatTwisty
In 2026, a new machine called the Augma is developed to compete against the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere. A next-gen wearable device, the Augma doesn't have a full-dive function like its predecessors. Instead, it uses Augmented Reality to get players into the game. It is safe, user-friendly and lets users
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22. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)
Movie · Japanese · 2h 18m · Action, Adventure · IMDb 7.2 (12.5K votes)
Visually stunningEdge-of-seatFast-pacedMature
In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who've vowed their revenge.
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23. Detective Conan: The Last Wizard of the Century (1999)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · Adventure, Animation · IMDb 7.6 (4.0K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyFast-pacedEdge-of-seat
Kaitou Kid dares to challenge the police once more, setting his sights on the Russian Imperial Easter Egg. With the date, time, and place, the Osaka police force scrambles to stop him. But this time, Kid may have bitten off more than he can chew—Conan Edogawa, Heiji Hattori, and numerous others are also trying to get t
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24. Case Closed: Countdown to Heaven (2001)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · Animation, Action · IMDb 7.6 (3.8K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyEdge-of-seatFast-paced
As a pair of towers in Tokyo are being prepared for their grand opening, there is a series of murders of people connected to the towers. Conan suspects that the mysterious Syndicate may also be involved.
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25. GANTZ:O (2016)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 35m · Animation, Science Fiction · IMDb 7.1 (18.1K votes)
Visually stunningMatureFast-pacedDark & gritty
After being brutally murdered in a subway station, a teen boy awakens to find himself resurrected by a strange computer named Gantz, and forced to fight a large force of invading aliens in Osaka.
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26. Detective Conan: The Time Bombed Skyscraper (1997)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 34m · Animation, Crime · IMDb 7.4 (4.9K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyEdge-of-seatFast-paced
Once brilliant teenage detective Shinichi Kudo was given a poison that reverted him to a 4-year-old. He's adopted the pseudonym Conan Edogawa so no one (save for an eccentric inventor) will know. Now he's got to solve a series of bombings before his loved ones become victims. Who is this madman and why is he doing this
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27. Detective Conan: Captured in Her Eyes (2000)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · Animation, Crime · IMDb 7.5 (4.0K votes)
TwistyEdge-of-seatVisually stunning
Police officers around Tokyo are being murdered by an unknown assailant. When Ran witnesses an attempt on the life of one of her friends in the police, she loses her memory. Now, Conan and Inspector Megure must find the murderer while Ran attempts to regain her lost memories.
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28. Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target (1998)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · Animation, Crime · IMDb 7.3 (4.0K votes)
TwistyVisually stunningEdge-of-seatFast-paced
Ran’s secret past revealed! Ten years ago, something happened between her mom and dad. Now, plagued by nightmares, Ran is starting to remember… Meanwhile, a murderous card dealer breaks out of jail to seek revenge. His target: Ran’s father. Can Conan stop him in time and save his girlfriend’s family?
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29. Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (2017)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 40m · Animation, Action · IMDb 7.7 (2.1K votes)
Visually stunningMatureDark & grittyCold & detached
Ciel learns of a "Aurora Society", that is rumored to be researching how to bring the dead back to life. Their next meeting is scheduled to be conducted on the ship Campania, voyaging across the Atlantic Ocean. Much to Ciel's dismay, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Midford, is taking the same ship, thus leaving him with no choice bu
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30. Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine (2023)
Movie · Japanese · 1h 50m · Animation, Action · IMDb 7.2 (3.1K votes)
Visually stunningTwistyEdge-of-seatFast-paced
While visiting Hachijo-jima, Conan sneaks aboard a security boat heading to the Pacific Buoy, an off-shore facility constructed near the coasts built to connect surveillance cameras used by police forces around the world. However, an engineer gets abducted! An eerie sound of a propeller hums underwater as a dark figure
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