A Korean mystery and thriller movie Oldboy, which premiered in 2003 in South Korea, seems to be one of the best known Asian movies and also the best and most rated Korean movie according to the IMDB. It has won over 20 awards and it has been nominated 12 times. And all this not without reason since the film will undoubtedly amaze all the viewers with its crooked and unpredictable storyline.
Oh Dae-su (played by Min-sik Choi), an alcoholic man with a family, gets kidnapped and imprisonised for 15 years. One day after being locked out of the surrounding world he manages to escape. Without knowing who or why someone kidnapped him he begins to hunt down his captor. And soon after his escape he finds out he has only 5 days to find out the kidnapper and the reason for his capture. He seeks for revenge – but it turns out that his captor hasn’t got his one yet either.
All the characters were intresting and kinda ”out of ordinary”. The protagonist is more or less problematic even before he is captured and let alone when he has spent 15 years in a same room, watching TV and eating fried dumplings every day. As for the villain, Ji-tae Yu creates yet so laid-back but twisted character that is thrilling to watch and wait for his next move. In a supporting role we will also see Hye-jeong Kang who introduces us a mysterious young woman, Mi-do, who will help the main character solve the situation.
My first impression after I had watched the film was shocked. The movie reveals something so disturbing in the end that is not just easy to take in. But after thinking the plot again for a while I thought it was actually really clever. And my favourite part was definitely when the plot twist comes in even though it’s pretty horrendous. But after all it still is the highlight of the entire movie.
The director Chan-wook Park (Bajkwi (2009), Stoker (2013)) succeeds to keep up the thrill even unto the very last minutes of the film. And more importantly, he manages to achieve a frigid plot twist that will most likely mess you up. Because of seeing some of his other work as well I can consider him as the best director I know. The films he has directed are often pretty gloomy and provocative but it’s part of his style. Probably that’s why one of his personal quotes goes like this: ”I don’t feel enjoyment watching films that evoke passivity. If you need that kind of comfort, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t go to a spa.”
Oldboy may seem a little bit complicated or confusing at the beginning, especially for people who usually stick to the ordinary American or British movies. But often in Korean movies things will be explained in the end even though they still leave you stuff to think and struggle with. And that’s what I like about them because in that way you won’t forget the film very easily. Although this movie was pretty cruel and messed up it was extremely well done so I would definitely recommend it to anyone whose willing to watch something different. Oldboy has its American remake as well but in my opinion the original always beats the new version. Don’t shun foreign films, be brave and encounter some new experieces!