Oldboy Movie Review 2003

Winner of the 2004 Cannes Grand Jury Award, this Korean thriller takes the emotionally charged terror of a David Fincher film and multiples it by a factor of ten. After a drunken evening, Oh Dae-su (Choi, in a brilliant performance) awakens to find himself trapped inside a small room, barred from escape by a thick steel door. Oh spends the next fifteen years in captivity, with no explanation ever offered from his jailers. With no warning, Oh--now half crazy from isolation and his thirst for vengeance--is suddenly freed and a mysterious figure gives him five days to figure out why he's been imprisoned. Park should be applauded for his vicious, unflinching insight into human sexuality and violence in this sad, surrealistic mystery.

Distribution

Movies Unlimited, 3015 Darnell Rd., Philadelphia, PA 19154, Phone: (215)637-4444, Toll-free: 800-668-4344, Fax: (215)637-2350, Email: movies@moviesunlimited.com, URL: http://www.moviesunlimited.com

Available on DVD
Running time 120 minutes.
Originally from Korean.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Action-Thriller, Action-Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Kidnapped!, Executing Revenge, Revenge, Asia

Screenplay

Park Chan-wook, Hwang Jo-yun, Lim Jun-hyeong

Cast

Mink-sik Choi, Yu Ji-tae, Hye-jeong Kang

Cinematography

Jeong-hun Jeong

Director

Park Chan-wook

Music

Yeong-wook Jo, Shim Hyeon-jeong, Lee Ji-su, Choi Sung-hyeon

Other

Lee Sang-wook, Lee Seong-cheol, Kim Sang-Beom, Yu Seong-heui, Jo Sang-gyeong

Producer

Kim Dong-ju, Show East, Show East