Oldboy
Oldboy

Oldboy

2003Movie120 minKorean

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.

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Insights

IMDb8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes82%
Metacritic74/100
Google Users90%
Director: Park Chan-wookGenres: Action, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Summary

A businessman is inexplicably imprisoned for 15 years without knowing his captor or the reason. Upon his sudden release, he is given only five days to discover who wronged him and why, embarking on a violent quest for vengeance that leads him to a shocking and disturbing truth.

Critical Reception

Oldboy is a critically acclaimed masterpiece of South Korean cinema, lauded for its stylish direction, brutal yet artful violence, and a gripping, unforgettable narrative. It's often cited as a landmark film in the thriller genre and a defining work of Park Chan-wook's career, praised for its daring themes and shocking conclusion.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its visceral and stylish direction.
  • Acclaimed for its intricate and shocking plot.
  • Hailed as a powerful exploration of revenge and its consequences.

Google audience: Audiences widely celebrate Oldboy for its intense storytelling, memorable twists, and artistic presentation. Many found the film to be a compelling and thought-provoking experience, though some noted its extreme violence.

Awards & Accolades

Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival (2004), Best Film at the Blue Dragon Film Awards (2004).

Fun Fact

The famous scene where the protagonist eats a live octopus was performed by actor Choi Min-sik himself, who reportedly did it in one take despite his strong aversion to raw seafood.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
EveAlex23

EveAlex23

This is not just a film you watch, it’s a film you experience. Oldboy is without question, one of the greatest revenge stories ever put to film. It has, in my opinion, the greatest villain of all time, smart, terrifying, and totally unfo...
Niemand

Niemand

Just about everyone I’d spoken to about this film recommended it to me. I watched this film with the original Korean-language soundtrack, with English subtitles. Oh Dae-su (Chi Min-sik) is a bit of a flirt (whether he is a womaniser i...
manwhonose

manwhonose

This is definitely one of the films to see before you die. It's seat-squirmingly unsettling, shocking and very violent. It's a journey into a truly disturbed mind; a mind, which - like yours will be - is unable to cope with what it disc...
Eky

Eky

I’m sure that all of you can always spot a film with good acting, superb plot and great cinematography easily but when it comes to a thriller that possesses all those above quality, it would be such a rarity. OldBoy here, second installment...