Oldboy Review: A Revenge Story Like No Other
8.5/10 — Oldboy (2003)
Pros
- Choi Min-sik's ferocious performance
- Brilliant hallway fight
- Stylish direction
Cons
- Shocking violence
- Disturbing twist
After being locked in a hotel room for fifteen years without explanation, Oh Dae-su is released and given five days to find out who imprisoned him and why. Park Chan-wook’s film is the second in his Vengeance trilogy.
What works
Choi Min-sik is superb as the desperate, feral Dae-su, and the single-take hallway fight with a hammer is one of cinema’s great action scenes. The mystery builds to a devastating twist, and the film is dazzlingly shot.
Where it falters
The violence and the dark twist are deeply disturbing, and the story is bleak.
Verdict
A bold, brutal cult classic that you won’t forget.
