Asia’s Golden Decade: Movies & TV 2016–2026
74 defining titles across 11 countries — Chinese box-office scale, the Korean streaming wave, Japanese anime events, Indian epics, and the genre surge out of Southeast Asia. Every title is scored and reviewed.
From 2016 to 2026, Asian screen output split into Chinese box-office scale, the Korean streaming wave, Japanese anime events, Indian epics, and a genre surge across Southeast Asia. On Celluloid, Parasite leads the decade's films at 93% and When Life Gives You Tangerines leads television at 92%. This hub ranks 74 scored titles across 11 countries, grouped by country, each with a full review.
Indonesia
Celluloid ranks 12 Indonesia titles from 2016–2026 — 7 films and 5 series. Autobiography (2022) leads on film at 80%, and Cigarette Girl leads on television at 85%.
Malaysia
Celluloid ranks 12 Malaysia titles from 2016–2026 — 7 films and 5 series. Abang Adik (2023) leads on film at 81%, and Kamar Kamariah leads on television at 79%.
China
Celluloid ranks 11 China titles from 2016–2026 — 7 films and 4 series. Dying to Survive (2018) leads on film at 86%, and Blossoms Shanghai leads on television at 88%.
The Long Season Slow-burn crime and family drama with some of Chinese TV’s highest audience ratings. 
Minning Town Magnolia Best Series poverty-alleviation drama — social-realist Chinese TV at its peak. 
Pakistan
Celluloid ranks 8 Pakistan titles from 2016–2026 — 5 films and 3 series. Joyland (2022) leads on film at 83%, and Parizaad leads on television at 88%.
South Korea
Celluloid ranks 8 South Korea titles from 2016–2026 — 1 film and 7 series. Parasite (2019) leads on film at 93%, and When Life Gives You Tangerines leads on television at 92%.
Thailand
Celluloid ranks 8 Thailand titles from 2016–2026 — 4 films and 4 series. How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) leads on film at 84%, and Khemjira leads on television at 86%.
India
Celluloid ranks 6 India titles from 2016–2026 — 3 films and 3 series. RRR (2022) leads on film at 85%, and The Family Man leads on television at 87%.
Taiwan
Celluloid ranks 4 Taiwan titles from 2016–2026 — 2 films and 2 series. Marry My Dead Body (2023) leads on film at 77%, and Someday or One Day leads on television at 86%.
Philippines
Celluloid ranks 3 Philippines titles from 2016–2026 — 2 films and 1 series. Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019) leads on film at 75%, and Trese leads on television at 73%.
Japan
Celluloid ranks 1 Japan title from 2016–2026 — 1 film and 0 series. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) leads on film at 83%.
Vietnam
Celluloid ranks 1 Vietnam title from 2016–2026 — 1 film and 0 series. Mai (2024) leads on film at 74%.
Asia decade FAQ
- What are the best Asian movies of the last decade?
- Celluloid's 2016–2026 film slate is led by Parasite (93%), Dying to Survive (86%), RRR (85%), How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (84%), Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (83%), Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (83%), Joyland (83%), Bad Genius (82%) — 40 films in total, each with a Celluloid Score and a full review.
- What are the most important Asian TV shows of 2016–2026?
- Beyond the K-drama wave, the decade's strongest series on Celluloid are When Life Gives You Tangerines (92%), Hospital Playlist (90%), Crash Landing on You (89%), Blossoms Shanghai (88%), Goblin (88%), Parizaad (88%), The Long Season (88%), The Family Man (87%) — 34 series spanning 9 countries.
- Which country contributes the most titles?
- Indonesia leads on volume with 12 titles, followed by Malaysia (12) and China (11). Volume is not quality — the single highest score belongs to Parasite at 93%.
- Where should I start with Asian cinema and TV from this decade?
- Start with Parasite for film and When Life Gives You Tangerines for television, then jump to the country that interests you — this page groups all 74 titles by country, each section linking that country's national awards body.
Also see all best lists, Best of 2026, the Asia national awards guide, film festivals, and browse by country.