The 65 Best Asian-American Movies
(Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection. Thumbnail: A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection; Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection.)
Between Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, and Always Be My Maybe in recent years, there’s been a surge in Asian-American representation on screens of all sizes. These films are milestones in what has been a long, continuous journey to be seen and heard in theaters and at home, and we celebrate those contemporary hits and everything else that has come before them with the 65 Best Asian-American Movies.
To be Asian-American means a personal identity spread across a coalition of different countries. Under this umbrella is a wide range of Pacific Ocean cultures and histories, countries whose people have also found a new life in the United States. The movies in our guide reflect their experiences, from Korean (Columbus), Chinese (Saving Face), Singaporean (Shirkers), Japanese (To Be Takei), Filipino (The Debut), Vietnamese (Green Dragon), and more. South Asian-American films included are The Big Sick, The Namesake, and Meet the Patels.
We selected movies where the Asian-American experience drives character and story, or had a significant impact on Asian-American audiences due to its casting, the filmmakers behind it, and for breaking representational ground (Searching, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before). The Asian-American experience is sometimes about traveling to a foreign “home” country, explored in movies like Always Tomorrow in Hong Kong, Go Back to China, and Cavite. And sometimes the experience is about coming to America and becoming citizens, as in Journey From the Fall or Tigertail. These stories start overseas, but are also set and shot in America, so we included those.
The historical landmark films are here, including Chan Is Missing, The Joy Luck Club, and Better Luck Tomorrow. All except for Flower Drum Song: This 1961 musical was the first major Hollywood production to have an Asian-American cast, but it’s also Rotten on the Tomatometer. We included only Fresh movies, with at least 10 reviews, before ranking them using our ranking formula, takes into factor the movie’s year of release and its number of reviews.
With all that said, we present the 65 Best Asian-American Movies of all time!
#65
Adjusted Score: 38.224%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: One of Filmmaker Magazine’s «25 New Faces of Independent Film,» writer-director Tze Chun makes his feature film debut with one… [More]
#64
Adjusted Score: 42.566%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: FRONT COVER is about handsome, openly gay New York City fashion stylist Ryan (Jake Choi), who rejects his traditional Asian… [More]
#63
Adjusted Score: 50.535%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This full-length documentary follows Samantha and Anaïs as they meet in person for the very first time. Their unique experiences… [More]
#62
Adjusted Score: 51.285%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Seoul, 1986. A raucous gaggle of Korean teenagers spill out of the Gimpo airport and onto buses that transport them… [More]
#61
Adjusted Score: 52.697%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in the… [More]
Starring:
#60
Adjusted Score: 58.689%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: One of the few American films to deal with the tragic story of the internment of Asian-Americans during World War… [More]
#59
Adjusted Score: 61.079%
Critics Consensus: Green Dragon struggles to control its sentimental tendencies, but its flaws are just outweighed by an affecting — and often overlooked — perspective on the Vietnam War.
Synopsis: The story of some Vietnamese refugees as they first arrive at Camp Pendleton in the United States as the Vietnam… [More]
#58
Adjusted Score: 61.27%
Critics Consensus: Smartly constructed by writer-director Gina Kim and brought to life by a strong cast led by Vera Farmiga, Never Forever is an unexpectedly engaging melodrama.
Synopsis: Korean filmmaker Gina Kim directed this erotic drama about a woman’s dangerous response to her husband’s fertility issues. The Departed’s… [More]
#57
Adjusted Score: 64.081%
Critics Consensus: Linsanity offers a compelling enough look at its basketball star subject for fans and curious viewers, even if it never really delves below the surface.
Synopsis: Jeremy Lin came from a humble background to make an unbelievable run in the NBA. State high school champion, all-Ivy… [More]
#56
Adjusted Score: 64.264%
Critics Consensus: A gentle, light, kid friendly comedy about a Chinese-American hoopster turned ping pong pro, Playa is a charming but considerable digression from director Jessica Yu’s previous works.
Synopsis: Christopher «C-dub» Wang is a suburban guy who sports an urban swagger, waxes political on all things Asian American, and… [More]
#55
Adjusted Score: 68.66%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The year is 1987. Motorcycle ninjas tighten their grip on Florida’s narcotics trade, viciously annihilating anyone who dares move in… [More]
#54
Adjusted Score: 68.981%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The struggles of a young Japanese who leaves her home to marry an stranger are chronicled in this historical drama… [More]
#53
Adjusted Score: 70.837%
Critics Consensus: Although The Debut offers few surprises, it remains an engaging and well-acted look at the multi-generational immigrant experience.
Synopsis: Ben Mercado is a talented high school senior who enrolls in a prestigious art school in order to realize his… [More]
#52
Adjusted Score: 72.526%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Arthur Dong’s documentary Hollywood Chinese pays homage to the first century of the American film industry, as specifically colored… [More]
#51
Adjusted Score: 72.739%
Critics Consensus: With Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, writer-director Emily Ting adds a modest yet enjoyable entry to the expatriate rom-com subgenre.
Synopsis: In this sparkling romance, Ruby (Jamie Chung), a Chinese American toy designer from LA, visits Hong Kong for the first… [More]
#50
Adjusted Score: 73.563%
Critics Consensus: A gritty, low-budget thriller, Cavite takes us on a heart-pounding ride through the seedy Filipino underworld.
Synopsis: A young man unwillingly becomes embroiled in a terrorist plot in Cavite, a low-budget digital video project from Filipino-American co-writers/co-directors… [More]
#49
Adjusted Score: 74.421%
Critics Consensus: Although its four stories vary in quality, Robot Stories is still worth a look for Twilight Zone fans.
Synopsis: Greg Pak directs Robot Stories, a feature film made up of four separate vignettes set in the near future. In… [More]
#48
Adjusted Score: 75.099%
Critics Consensus: While its impact is blunted by an overly reverential approach to its subject, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story remains a reasonably entertaining biopic of the martial arts legend.
Synopsis: The brief but eventful life of actor and martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee is portrayed in this drama, based on… [More]
#47
Adjusted Score: 76.012%
Critics Consensus: Take Out presents an unvarnished view of one immigrant’s experiences as a restaurant deliveryman — and leaves the audience with plenty of food for thought.
Synopsis: Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou make their feature debut as writer/directors with the documentary-style DV drama Take Out. Korean-American actor… [More]
#46
Adjusted Score: 76.31%
Critics Consensus: Advantageous transcends obvious budgetary limitations to pose thought-provoking questions about gender roles and family dynamics.
Synopsis: In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to… [More]
#45
Adjusted Score: 76.917%
Critics Consensus: The Grace Lee Project is a clever, humorous, and personal exploration of identity, ethnic stereotypes, and the oppressive cultural expectations placed on Asian-American women.
Synopsis: Grace Lee is a filmmaker who, when she left her hometown of Columbia, MO, for New York City, and later… [More]
Starring:
#44
Adjusted Score: 77.891%
Critics Consensus: The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.
Synopsis: Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment… [More]
#43
Adjusted Score: 79.664%
Critics Consensus: Though it may not be as profound as its pacing would suggest, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers delicately examines familial issues in an earnest fashion.
Synopsis: Wayne Wang’s intimate drama A Thousand Years of Good Prayers stars Henry O as Mr. Shi, a Chinese man who,… [More]
#42
Adjusted Score: 79.859%
Critics Consensus: The Search for General Tso digs into the history of a beloved dish and uncovers a heaping helping of powerfully nourishing history along the way.
Synopsis: This mouthwateringly entertaining film travels the globe to unravel a captivating culinary mystery. General Tso’s chicken is a staple of… [More]
Starring:
#41
Adjusted Score: 79.93%
Critics Consensus: The plight of Asian refugees is sensitively rendered, and the movie builds, with the help of Nolte, to a wrenchingly poignant conclusion.
Synopsis: ‘The Beautiful Country’ follows the story of Binh, a shy Vietnamese man in his 20s who embarks on a personal… [More]
#40
Adjusted Score: 81.071%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Samir (Aasif Mandvi, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, THE LAST AIRBENDER) is a sous chef who dreams of becoming… [More]
#39
Adjusted Score: 81.298%
Critics Consensus: Uneven but entertaining, Go Back to China puts a refreshing cross-cultural spin on the traditional coming-of-age story arc.
Synopsis: The semi-autobiographical film follows spoiled rich girl Sasha Li (Anna Akana), who after blowing through most of her trust fund,… [More]
#38
Adjusted Score: 81.446%
Critics Consensus: Featuring an attractive young cast, Charlotte mostly shines as a portrait of the sexual frolics and hangups of L.A. Asian twentysomethings.
Synopsis: Four twentysomethings living in the hip L.A. suburb of Silverlake struggle with love, lust, and ennui in this independently produced… [More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 81.835%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mississippi Masala is a tale of how prejudice makes victims and instigators of us all. In 1972, Indian Jay (Roshan… [More]
#36
Adjusted Score: 82.363%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In The Problem With Apu, South Asian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his long-standing «nemesis» Apu Nahasapeemapetilon–better known as the Indian… [More]
Directed By:
#35
Adjusted Score: 83.538%
Critics Consensus: A promising work by Lin, the energetic Better Luck Tomorrow is disturbing and thought-provoking.
Synopsis: A group of unlikely high school students take up crime as an extracurricular activity in this independent drama. Ben (Parry… [More]
#34
Adjusted Score: 83.615%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A romantic rivalry between a white cop and his Nisei partner causes suppressed racial tensions to explode…. [More]
#33
Adjusted Score: 83.846%
Critics Consensus: Uneven yet revealing, Tigertail offers a well-acted — and ultimately valuable — look at the immigrant experience in America.
Synopsis: In this poignant multi-generational drama, Pin-Jui (Hong-Chi Lee) is a free-spirited yet impoverished young Taiwanese factory worker, who makes the… [More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 84.552%
Critics Consensus: Ham Tran’s ambitious film proves to be extremely powerful due to stunning photography and passionate performances.
Synopsis: The true story of the Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon — and those who… [More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 86.111%
Critics Consensus: In Between Days is a moving, artistic slice-of-life indie film.
Synopsis: Aimie, a newly arrived Korean immigrant teenager, has fallen in love with her best and only friend, Tran. She tries… [More]
#30
Adjusted Score: 87.041%
Critics Consensus: A finely layered drama with rich visal allure, Ms. Purple sifts sensitively through the emotional wreckage of a broken family.
Synopsis: From award-winning filmmaker Justin Chon (GOOK, 2017), MS. PURPLE is a poignant drama about Asian American sister and brother, Kasie… [More]
#29
Adjusted Score: 87.45%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Produced on a shoestring $2 million budget, documentary director Nancy Kelly and her husband, editor Kenji Yamamoto created this romantic… [More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 88.234%
Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age dramedy whose familiar outline is filled in with rewarding empathy and character detail, The Motel marks an impressive feature debut for writer-director Michael Kang.
Synopsis: Writer-director Michael Kang makes his feature debut with the coming-of-age comedy, The Motel. Newcomer Jeffrey Chyau stars as Ernest Chin,… [More]
#27
Adjusted Score: 88.282%
Critics Consensus: Meet the Patels works on multiple levels, offering an affably entertaining documentary about one man looking for love while posing thoughtful questions about cultural assimilation and modern romance.
Synopsis: A laugh-out-loud real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-old Indian-American who enters a love triangle between the woman… [More]
#26
Adjusted Score: 88.393%
Critics Consensus: A charming tale of a love affair that overcomes cultural taboos.
Synopsis: An Asian-American woman and her mother both find their private lives are becoming a family matter in this romantic comedy-drama…. [More]
#25
Adjusted Score: 89.315%
Critics Consensus: An ambitious exploration of the immigrant experience with a talented cast that serves the material well.
Synopsis: «The Namesake» is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing… [More]
#24
Adjusted Score: 90.172%
Critics Consensus: Three teens contemplate life after high school while singing their hearts out in this fresh musical.
Synopsis: The title of the teen musical comedy Colma: The Musical incorporates a colloquialism regionally specific to the San Francisco area:… [More]
#23
Adjusted Score: 91.152%
Critics Consensus: To Be Takei rests almost entirely on its subject’s inherent likability — and, for the most part, that’s more than enough.
Synopsis: Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei boldly journeyed from a WWII internment camp, to the helm of the… [More]
#22
Adjusted Score: 92.072%
Critics Consensus: Utterly predictable and wholly of its time, but warm, sincere, and difficult to resist, due in large part to Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio’s relaxed chemistry.
Synopsis: Newly arrived in California from New Jersey, teenager Daniel (Ralph Macchio) almost immediately runs afoul of karate-trained high school bullies…. [More]
#21
Adjusted Score: 92.407%
Critics Consensus: Carried by the infectious charms of Ali Wong and Randall Park, Always Be My Maybe takes familiar rom-com beats and cleverly layers in smart social commentary to find its own sweet groove.
Synopsis: Childhood sweethearts have a falling out and don’t speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha, now a… [More]
#20
Adjusted Score: 93.394%
Critics Consensus: If Be Water’s surface level approach doesn’t quite match its subject’s depth, it still serves as an appropriate introduction to the almighty Bruce Lee.
Synopsis: In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents’ homeland of Hong Kong to complete four… [More]
#19
Adjusted Score: 93.576%
Critics Consensus: The Joy Luck Club traces the generational divide, unearthing universal truths while exploring lives through the lens of a specific cultural experience.
Synopsis: Stories told by four elderly Chinese women and their American-born daughters while playing mah-jongg…. [More]
#18
Adjusted Score: 94.843%
Critics Consensus: An entertaining mystery that’s also rich in setting and character detail, Chan Is Missing suggests thrilling potential from director/co-writer Wayne Wang.
Synopsis: Robbed of $4000 by the elusive Chan Hung, a pair of cabdrivers attempt to track down the thief through the… [More]
#17
Adjusted Score: 95.34%
Critics Consensus: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail transcends its less-than-dramatic trappings to present a gripping real-life legal thriller with far-reaching implications.
Synopsis: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings… [More]
Directed By:
#16
Adjusted Score: 95.471%
Critics Consensus: From its confrontational title to its striking cinematography, this raw cinematic gem uncompromisingly proves writer/director/actor Justin Chon is a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: In 1992, two Korean-American brothers and director running a shoe store in South Central Los Angeles share a friendship with… [More]
#15
Adjusted Score: 96.068%
Critics Consensus: In depicting one man’s sexual awakening, Spa Night explores the tension between tradition and individuality with tenderness and compassion.
Synopsis: The atmospheric SPA NIGHT is a portrait of forbidden sexual awakening set in the nocturnal world of spas and karaoke… [More]
#14
Adjusted Score: 96.884%
Critics Consensus: Lucky Grandma gives Tsai Chin a long-overdue opportunity to shine in a leading role — but it’s audiences who are the truly fortunate ones.
Synopsis: In the heart of Chinatown, New York, an ornery, chain-smoking, newly widowed 80-year-old Grandma (Tsai Chin) is eager to live… [More]
#13
Adjusted Score: 97.212%
Critics Consensus: In the Family uses one couple’s tragedy to examine the legal meaning of parenthood – and make a persuasive argument for a more inclusive approach to family law.
Synopsis: In the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines, a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two… [More]
#12
Adjusted Score: 97.556%
Critics Consensus: Ang Lee’s funny and ultimately poignant comedy of manners reveals the filmmaker’s skill across genres.
Synopsis: A gay New Yorker stages a marriage of convenience with a young woman to satisfy his traditional Taiwanese family, but… [More]
#11
Adjusted Score: 98.142%
Critics Consensus: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before plays by the teen rom-com rules, but relatable characters and a thoroughly charming cast more than make up for a lack of surprises.
Synopsis: What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song… [More]
#10
Adjusted Score: 100.01%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rachel (Lynn Chen) lives in idle luxury with a cheating husband, Professor Erika (Ayako Fujitani) juggles career demands while raising… [More]
#9
Adjusted Score: 101.811%
Critics Consensus: Wonderfully acted and artfully composed, Columbus balances the clean lines of architecture against the messiness of love, with tenderly moving results.
Synopsis: When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin (John Cho) finds himself stranded… [More]
#8
Adjusted Score: 102.142%
Critics Consensus: Shirkers uses one woman’s interrogation of a pivotal personal disappointment to offer affecting observations on creativity, lost opportunity, and coming to terms with the past.
Synopsis: Shirkers was a Singapore-made 1992 cult classic from teenage friends Sandi Tan, Jasmine Ng and Sophie Siddique–or it would have… [More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 102.509%
Critics Consensus: Understated yet powerful, Driveways is a character study anchored in fundamental decency — and a poignant farewell to Brian Dennehy.
Synopsis: Director Andrew Ahn’s intimate drama revolves around the unlikely friendship formed between a lonely young boy (Lucas Jaye) and his… [More]
#6
Adjusted Score: 102.642%
Critics Consensus: Searching’s timely premise and original execution are further bolstered by well-rounded characters brought to life by a talented cast.
Synopsis: After David Kim (John Cho)’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to… [More]
#5
Adjusted Score: 104.636%
Critics Consensus: Minding the Gap draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.
Synopsis: Compiling over 12 years of footage shot in his hometown of Rockford, IL, in MINDING THE GAP, Bing Liu searches… [More]
Starring:
#4
Adjusted Score: 105.846%
Critics Consensus: Led by arresting performances from Steven Yeun and Yeri Han, Minari offers an intimate and heart-wrenching portrait of family and assimilation in 1980s America.
Synopsis: A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas… [More]
#3
Adjusted Score: 106.632%
Critics Consensus: With a terrific cast and a surfeit of visual razzle dazzle, Crazy Rich Asians takes a satisfying step forward for screen representation while deftly drawing inspiration from the classic — and still effective — rom-com formula.
Synopsis: «Crazy Rich Asians» follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Golding), to… [More]
#2
Adjusted Score: 110.773%
Critics Consensus: Funny, heartfelt, and intelligent, The Big Sick uses its appealing leads and cross-cultural themes to prove the standard romcom formula still has some fresh angles left to explore.
Synopsis: Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, THE BIG SICK tells the story of Pakistan-born… [More]
#1
Adjusted Score: 112.772%
Critics Consensus: The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
Synopsis: The film follows a Chinese family who, when they discover their beloved Grandmother has only a short while left to… [More]
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Rotten Tomatoes
