Aucun autre choix

"Paper has fed me for 25 years. Honey, I have no other choice." Park Chan-wook, master of black comedy, definitively already a living legend, delivers yet another masterpiece. So dark, so funny. The plot takes quite a while to fully kick in. But once it does, the film is unstoppably riveting. A flawless central performance from Lee Byung-hun, and fantastic turns from the rest of the cast.🔥

"No Other Choice" is the latest from Korean director Park Chan-wook. I saw it in a film festival and assume it will be more widely available here in the States in the near future.

When the story begins, you see that Man-soo has a good life. He's a manager at a paper plant, has a lovely wife, two kids and lives in an amazingly lovely home. Life is good...and then one day he is fired. Being an older worker, he has a lot of difficulty finding work and later, in desperation, he comes upon the idea of killing his competition for jobs!

To say this movie is dark is an understatement! It's very darkly comical and it's certainly NOT the sort of thing you'd expect to come from Hollywood. It's very well acted, very engaging and is well worth seeing. Not for everyone, however, as it is a bit bloody and nasty, but I think the director did a good job not overwhelming the audience with gore.

In an era where AI and robots are replacing labor, the value of human existence is rapidly diminishing, even threatening the very survival of craftsmanship and intangible heritage. This film captures, with both bitterness and irony, the unease that comes with the march of civilization. Park Chan-wook's signature mise-en-scène and artificial allure shine once again here, as he stages the inevitable dilemma of humans forced to point their guns at one another with a kind of chaotic humor. Among his filmography, this is arguably his most maximalist work, with a raucous ensemble of performances and sound design that gives palpable weight to the spaces they inhabit.

A portrait of our lives in a rapidly changing age, the film also quietly weaves in reflections on family.

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

This is no where near the best movie Park Chan-wook has made. But Chan-wook once again strikes another dark comedy thriller exploring about the modern climates of the social class system, labor force, and commentary between people, contradictions, and insanity. Chan-wook has always never shy away from dark yet hilarious approaches with the writing and tone. Throughout, Chan-wook takes liberty on bringing the atmosphere, humor, production designs, camerawork and writing to light with's it's strong ambitious direction. Each scene with the camerawork felt purposeful, the production designs, costumes, music, and sound designs are excellent, and Chan-wook's direction is brilliant and meaningful.

The character portrayed by Lee Byung-hun is interesting as both a depressed, frustrated, at times, pathetic and engaging character. Byung-hun gives one of the best performances in recent times, alongside with the other performances as well. I really enjoyed how the Byung-hun's character was portrayed and developed. As his character resonates with the modern critique of the workforce, people, and the paradox between one another. The writing is pretty great as the irony and satirical aspects explored were well-written and quite brilliant.

While I did wish some of the other characters could have been developed a little more, as a whole, Chan-wook reminds us why he is one of the master's of Korean cinema.

Deeply inspired by the tradition of French classic thrillers, particularly Claude Chabrol, No Other Choice is a beautifully shot dark comedy that will please the fans of Parasite. This absurdist human drama unfolds within stunning woody interiors, enveloped in a lush, menacing forest-green palette. I loved the bold colour choices throughout the movie.

The film expertly immerses its characters in a menacing natural setting, evoking the ruthlessness of the animal kingdom. While the comedy outshines the crime intrigue, the story occasionally lacks momentum. Nevertheless, Park Chan-wook's inventive direction is absolutely incredible and beautiful.