No Other Choice
2025
****½
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Woo-seung, Choi So-yul
A paper industry specialist is laid off after decades of service and cannot secure a comparable job. Desperate to maintain his family's standard of living, he devises a plan to eliminate his competition for coveted positions. Park Chan-wook's darkly black comedy examines contemporary capitalism and explores how work shapes a person's sense of purpose and self-worth. The film takes a while to get going, but it has plenty of surprises in store, and Park delivers some supremely entertaining moments. Whether the ending is happy or not is a valid question. Lee Byung-hun gives a terrific lead performance. Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax, which was previously filmed in 2005 by Costa-Gavras.
