Taiwanese cinema has a unique charm that sets it apart. It’s a world where emotions are often understated yet deeply felt, where nostalgia paints every scene, and where the bittersweet ache of first love or lingering regrets feels universally relatable. If you’re looking for films that don’t just tell a story but genuinely stir your soul, leaving you with a lasting, “faintly emotional” resonance, you’ve come to the right place.
Drawing inspiration from countless “best of” lists and viewer favorites, we’ve curated a list of 10 Taiwanese films that master the art of emotional storytelling. Get ready to embark on a journey filled with romance, friendship, family bonds, and the quiet beauty of life’s most poignant moments. 🎬❤️
The Allure of Taiwanese Cinema’s Emotional Depth
Before we dive into our list, let’s briefly touch on what makes Taiwanese films so uniquely capable of evoking such deep, often melancholic, emotions:
- Nostalgia & Coming-of-Age: Many films masterfully capture the fleeting beauty of youth, first loves, and the innocence of bygone eras. 🏫
- Subtle Storytelling: Instead of grand gestures, emotions are often conveyed through lingering shots, poignant silences, and nuanced performances. It’s about what’s unsaid as much as what’s said. 🤫
- Beautiful Cinematography: Taiwanese films frequently boast stunning visuals, often with a soft, dreamlike quality that enhances the emotional atmosphere. 🎨
- Authenticity: They often portray everyday life and relationships with a raw, honest sincerity that feels incredibly real. 💖
Your Heart-Stirring Taiwanese Movie Marathon List 🍿✨
Here are 10 films that promise to leave an indelible mark on your heart:
1. Secret (不能說的秘密, 2007) 🎶🎹💔
- Director: Jay Chou
- Stars: Jay Chou, Gwei Lun-mei
- Why it will stir your soul: This film is a masterpiece of romantic fantasy, blending music, mystery, and a truly heart-wrenching twist. It follows a talented piano student who discovers a mysterious old score and a beautiful girl who seems to appear and disappear like a phantom. The story of their connection, woven through time and melody, is both enchanting and incredibly sad. You’ll be guessing until the very end, and the emotional payoff is immense.
- Emotional impact: A hauntingly beautiful tale of impossible love and the lengths one would go for it. Be prepared for tears and a lingering sense of bittersweet longing. 😭
2. You Are the Apple of My Eye (那些年，我們一起追的女孩, 2011) 🍎🏫💖
- Director: Giddens Ko
- Stars: Ko Chen-tung, Michelle Chen
- Why it will stir your soul: The quintessential Taiwanese coming-of-age romance! It’s an honest, hilarious, and ultimately poignant look at first love, unrequited feelings, and the painful beauty of growing up. Based on the director’s own novel, it follows a mischievous high school boy and his friends as they navigate their teenage years, all fixated on the class’s smartest and most beautiful girl. It perfectly captures the awkwardness, the longing, and the profound impact of those formative years.
- Emotional impact: Pure nostalgia. It will remind you of your own first crushes and the bittersweet reality that some loves are meant to be cherished memories rather than future realities. Get ready to laugh and then suddenly, quietly cry. 🥺
3. Our Times (我的少女時代, 2015) 📼🎤🌟
- Director: Frankie Chen
- Stars: Vivian Sung, Darren Wang, Dino Lee
- Why it will stir your soul: Often considered the spiritual successor to You Are the Apple of My Eye, this film offers a charming female-centric perspective on 90s high school romance. An ordinary high school girl, disheartened by her life, makes an unlikely alliance with the school’s notorious gangster to break up their respective crushes. What unfolds is a delightful journey of self-discovery, friendship, and unexpected love.
- Emotional impact: Utterly charming and full of heart. It perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness and excitement of youth, complete with iconic 90s pop culture references. You’ll root for the underdog and feel a surge of warmth. 🥰
4. Hear Me (聽說, 2009) ✍️🏊♀️🔇
- Director: Cheng Fen-Fen
- Stars: Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, Michelle Chen
- Why it will stir your soul: A wonderfully sweet and unique romantic comedy centered around sign language. A young man falls for a girl he believes is deaf, communicating solely through written notes and sign language. The film beautifully explores the nuances of communication, misunderstanding, and the pure joy of connecting with someone. It’s light-hearted but surprisingly deep in its message about seeing beyond appearances.
- Emotional impact: A heartwarming gem that proves love transcends words. It’s full of genuine affection and subtle humor, leaving you with a feeling of gentle happiness and appreciation for genuine connection. 😊
5. Café. Waiting. Love (等一個人咖啡, 2014) ☕🧚♀️🌌
- Director: Chiang Chin-lin
- Stars: Vivian Sung, Megan Lai, Marcus Chang
- Why it will stir your soul: Also based on a Giddens Ko novel (sharing the same universe as You Are the Apple of My Eye), this film is a whimsical, magical realism-infused romance. It follows a college freshman working at a unique coffee shop, where she observes its quirky regulars and experiences bizarre events. The film blends humor, fantasy, and genuine romance, exploring different facets of love and destiny.
- Emotional impact: A quirky and endearing tale that’s both funny and touching. It reminds us that love can be found in the most unexpected places, and sometimes, a little magic is all it takes to open your heart. ✨
6. GF*BF (女朋友。男朋友, 2012) 💔🤝🏳️🌈
- Director: Yang Ya-che
- Stars: Gwei Lun-mei, Joseph Chang, Rhydian Vaughan
- Why it will stir your soul: This epic drama spans decades, tracing the complex, intertwined lives of three friends from their rebellious high school days in the late 1980s through Taiwan’s social and political changes. It’s a raw and powerful exploration of friendship, love, identity, and the pain of unspoken feelings. The characters’ journeys are deeply personal yet reflect the broader societal shifts.
- Emotional impact: A truly profound and often heartbreaking film that explores the enduring power of bonds and the quiet tragedy of roads not taken. It’s a testament to the complexities of human relationships. 🌧️
7. Cape No. 7 (海角七號, 2008) 🏖️✉️🎸
- Director: Wei Te-sheng
- Stars: Van Fan, Chie Tanaka
- Why it will stir your soul: A massive box office hit and a beloved film in Taiwan, Cape No. 7 is a charming romantic comedy with a deep emotional core. It tells two parallel love stories: one contemporary, between a disheartened rock singer and a Japanese model, and another from 60 years prior, revealed through a series of undelivered love letters from a Japanese teacher to his Taiwanese beloved. The film beautifully weaves together themes of music, community, and historical reconciliation.
- Emotional impact: Warm, funny, and deeply moving. It celebrates finding purpose, embracing local culture, and the timeless nature of love across generations. You’ll feel a sense of hope and joy. 😊
8. More Than Blue (比悲傷更悲傷的故事, 2018) 🥺💊☔
- Director: Gavin Lin
- Stars: Jasper Liu, Ivy Chen
- Why it will stir your soul: If you’re looking for an absolute tearjerker, this is it. A remake of a South Korean film, the Taiwanese version delivers pure, unadulterated melodrama about two orphans who are best friends and soulmates, sharing a deep bond that defies conventional romance. When one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, they make a pact to ensure the other finds happiness, leading to heart-wrenching sacrifices and unrequited love.
- Emotional impact: A devastatingly sad yet beautiful story of selfless love and sacrifice. You will cry. Bring tissues. Lots of them. 💧💔
9. Dear Ex (誰先愛上他的, 2018) 👨👩👦👦🌈💔
- Director: Hsu Chih-yen, Mag Hsu
- Stars: Roy Chiu, Hsieh Ying-hsuan
- Why it will stir your soul: A poignant and unconventional family drama that deftly balances humor and heartbreak. A frustrated wife discovers her recently deceased husband had changed his life insurance beneficiary to his male lover. The film explores grief, acceptance, family dynamics, and LGBTQ+ issues through the eyes of the bewildered son caught in the middle. It’s sharp, witty, and deeply empathetic.
- Emotional impact: A powerful and surprisingly uplifting film about unconventional love and finding common ground amidst grief and anger. It’s a beautifully acted and modern take on family and identity. 🏳️🌈🫂
10. The Wedding Banquet (喜宴, 1993) 👪✉️🇨🇳
- Director: Ang Lee
- Stars: Winston Chao, May Chin, Mitchell Lichtenstein
- Why it will stir your soul: A classic by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, this film is a masterful blend of comedy and drama centered around cultural clashes, family expectations, and hidden truths. A gay Taiwanese man living in New York agrees to a fake marriage with a mainland Chinese woman to appease his traditional parents visiting from Taiwan. What ensues is a hilarious yet deeply touching exploration of love, sacrifice, and the complexities of filial piety and personal happiness.
- Emotional impact: Witty, tender, and incredibly human. It beautifully captures the nuances of cross-cultural understanding and the profound love within a family, even when faced with difficult truths. A timeless and heartwarming gem. ❤️
Dive into the Emotional Depths!
These 10 films represent just a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Taiwanese cinema. Each one offers a unique perspective on the human condition, inviting you to reflect on your own experiences with love, loss, friendship, and identity. They may not always provide easy answers, but they promise to resonate deeply, leaving you with that distinct, “faintly emotional” warmth long after the credits roll.
So, grab your favorite snack, maybe a tissue box, and prepare to be utterly captivated by the magic of Taiwanese storytelling.
Which Taiwanese films have touched your heart the most? Share your favorites in the comments below! 👇 G