Time: 139 Minutes
Cast:
Lee Byung-hun as Yoo Man-su
Son Ye-jin as Lee Mi-ri
Park Hee-soon as Choi Seon-chul
Lee Sung-min as Goo Beom-mo
Yeom Hye-ran as Lee A-ra
Cha Seung-won as Ko Si-jo
Director: Park Chan-wook

With it being the latest movie from Park Chan-wook, I was immediately looking forward to No Other Choice, and it certainly lived up to all the hype and acclaim.

The script is excellent and very sharp, and made for a suspenseful and captivating thriller. As expected from Park, it is a very thematic movie with plenty of social commentary, mainly about capitalism and focusing on the unemployment, corporate layoffs, hiring practices, and what people are willing to do to secure a job within an impossible job market. It is satirical and certainly very funny, with plenty of dark comedy especially with the absurdity of many of the situations. But there’s also a truth to it and a sadness throughout, and the tone is handled and balanced really well. I thought that the ending was also very fitting for the movie too. I was engaged throughout, however, some of the pacing could be a little slow at times and the movie could feel a little stretched out at times. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, it definitely feels its length.

Lee Byung-hun is amazing in the lead role, giving a layered and complex performance. He gives a lot of depth and humanity to his character and does well at conveying the tragedy, while also nailing the comedy and comedic timing perfectly. The supporting cast is good too, Son Ye-jin is particularly great, especially in the second half.

The direction from Park Chan-wook is incredible. The cinematography, camerawork and editing are inventive, with amazing transitions and dynamic tracking shots. The production design is top notch and makes really good use of music, including the score from Jo Yeong-wook.

No Other Choice is a darkly comic, satirical, excellently crafted thriller, phenomenally directed and with a fantastic performance from Lee Byung-hun. It’s very much among the year’s best.