OldBoy (2003)

OldBoy (2003)

A twisted thriller that will freak you the hell out. We apologize in advance.

The Very Best

9.0

Movie

Korea, South Korea
Korean
Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
2003
CHAN-WOOK PARK, PARK CHAN-WOOK
Byeong-ok Kim, Choi Min-sik, Dae-han Ji
120 min

What it's about

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors.

The take

From Korean director Park Chan-wook, who also brought you the far quieter The Handmaiden, comes a movie that is positively terrifying. Its premise alone is enough for any sentient human being to shudder. On his daughter's birthday, the good-for-nothing Oh Dae-su (played by Choic Min-sik) gets drunk and is arrested by the police. A friend eventually bails him out and, while he is making a phone call, Oh Dae-su disappears. Not knowing why, he is held in the same room for 15 years for no apparent reason. Until, one day, he is released. That's all that can be revealed about this winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 2004 without giving away too much. All we can add here is the way we recommend Oldboy to people admitting to not having seen it yet: “Watch Oldboy. You're welcome. We're sorry.” A crazy, twisted film that goes to extremes. A cult classic and a statement.

Comments

Absolutely fantastic movie. Acting and writing are well done, and the cinematography is on point. The use of long cuts during fight scenes keep you aware of what’s going on without sacrificing the intensity of the action. The plot is on you will have to wrap your head around, you may have to watch it twice, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

More like this in

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Falling in Love Like in Movies (2023)

A contemplative Indonesian romance film that rewrites and re-examines the genre’s conventions

8.4

The Beautiful Game (2024)

A heartwarming lesson in belonging and humility following the sports movie formula

7.0

The Official Story (1985)

A heartbreaking family drama that reveals the human cost of Argentina’s political unrest in the 20th century

7.7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (2024)

WWE’s best effort to pay tribute to Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda

8.5

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

River (2023)

A delightful and ultimately life-affirming Japanese time loop comedy clearly made with love

8.8

The Greatest Hits (2024)

Music prolongs grief in this fairly standard indie romance

6.3

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.