James Balmont

James Balmont

James Balmont is a freelance journalist based in London, whose work has been published by The Guardian, BBC Culture, Sight & Sound and more. He specialises in coverage of contemporary East Asian cinema, and has previously worked as a music reporter for outlets including NME and Crack Magazine.

Five decades of juvenile delinquency cinema in Japan

Features

Five decades of juvenile delinquency cinema in Japan

Mild-mannered school children waving guns around? We track teenage rebellion in Japanese cinema over 50 years.

2022-01-13 16:06:08By James Balmont

The Brotherhood of Satan and eight other crazy cults on film

Features

The Brotherhood of Satan and eight other crazy cults on film

Charismatic leaders, strange rituals and foretelling doom? Sounds like you might have a cult on your hands...

2022-01-12 17:50:45By James Balmont

Kaiju Battle Royale: Who is Japan’s Most Formidable Giant Monster?

Features

Kaiju Battle Royale: Who is Japan’s Most Formidable Giant Monster?

Mothra vs Gamera vs King Ghidorah? They're all competitors in our rundown of Japanese monster films battling to be the best kaiju!

2022-01-11 18:10:56By James Balmont

Eight unlikely adventures of the Japanese salaryman

Features

Eight unlikely adventures of the Japanese salaryman

We look at 8 films that examine the Japanese salaryman - a character that personifies the work culture of Japan and is often subverted in film.

2022-01-07 15:52:07By James Balmont

Battle Royale: the sum of all conflicts

Features

Battle Royale: the sum of all conflicts

Battle Royale may have been the last film from director Kinji Fukasaku but the themes of his best work remained constant throughout his output.

2022-01-06 17:38:31By James Balmont