After 2022's Decision to Leave, Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is bringing out his new thriller, No Other Choice, headlined by Squid Game actor Lee Byung-hun, known for appearances in acclaimed Korean thrillers like A Bittersweet Life and I Saw the Devil.
No Other Choice, which has been selected as the opening film at this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), is powered by a twisted idea in The Ax, a 1997 novel by mystery author Donald E. Westlake. The plot revolves around a middle-aged man, recently terminated on account of corporate downsizing, drawing up a plan to kill every single man who could be a potential replacement to take over his former job, while desperately looking for new employment.
The story is transplanted to South Korea, with Lee Byung-hun playing the protagonist Man-soo, while Crashing Landing On You actress Son Ye-jin plays his wife, A-ra. Lee will be hosting the BIFF opening ceremony.
The festival will run from Sept. 17 to 26. The organisers picked the film for a reason. "It embodies what audiences most hope to see — a film that can reinvigorate Korean cinema at this pivotal moment," said the team in an official statement. The festival marks its 30th anniversary this year.
No Other Choice is also expected to feature in the competitive section of this year's Venice International Film Festival.
A former film critic, Park Chan-wook made his directorial debut with The Moon... is the Sun's Dream. However, his 2000 film Joint Security Area was what was deemed to be his breakthrough. He later made the 'Vengeance' trilogy, which comprises the widely acclaimed Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance.
For his stellar work in Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.