No Other Choice Review: Park Chan-wook’s satirical comedy is a darkly hilarious thriller

Plot: Man-su is on a desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years. When he fails to get hired, he decides to take drastic steps to eliminate the others in contention for his job.

Review: Park Chan-wook is hands down one of the best directors working today. From fan favorites like Oldboy and Lady Vengeance to the acclaimed 2022 film Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook has explored every genre, from horror to comedy, science fiction, and beyond. While he has dabbled in satire and comedy, his latest film, No Other Choice, is easily one of his best films and a contender for best movie of the year. A biting satire about how we identify ourselves and our value based on our professional achievements, No Other Choice features a fantastic performance from Squid Game star Lee Byung-hun (check out our interview with him here) and one of the best endings in recent memory.

No Other Choice opens with Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) celebrating his success at work by having a barbecue with his wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), and his stepson, Si-one, and autistic stepdaughter, Ri-one. After twenty-five years working for a paper mill, Man-su is a homeowner and can afford luxuries for his entire family. When the mill, which an American company had taken over, downsizes and fires him, Man-su is left depressed and unable to find employment. As he contends with his wife resuming work as a dental hygienist, giving up their pet dogs, and the thought of selling the family home, Man-su begins to spiral as he cannot find any paper company willing to hire him. One day, Man-su crosses paths with a successful line manager and social media influencer, Seon-chul (Park Hee-soon), whom Man-su thinks about murdering. That is when Man-su devises a complex plan to secure a new job.

Man-su’s plot involves the murder of his primary rivals for an open job at another paper company. Spending all of his time in his greenhouse, Man-su first seeks out Goo Beom-mo (Lee Sung-min). At this point, you may be wondering how No Other Choice could be categorized as a comedy, but trust me, you will understand when you begin watching it. The subtext of Man-su’s single-minded focus on working for a dying industry is in itself a hilarious concept that echoes the ridiculousness of The Office. Still, it does so through the lens of South Korea’s deeply hierarchical culture. The cultural implications of one being defined by one’s station in business are not solely a Korean concept, which makes No Other Choice accessible from any vantage point. At no point in the film do the characters play their scenes as intentionally comical, but the pitch-black sense of humor is evident in the over-the-top plot that Man-su tries to execute.

At one hundred and forty minutes, No Other Choice flies by as the narrative keeps things moving briskly after setting up the professional downfall of Man-su and his subsequent plan. There are a few tangential threads that connect back to the main plot. Lee Byung-hun impressively nuances his performance as Man-su, embodying a range of emotions that starkly contrast with his more stoic portrayal in Squid Game. It is easy to feel a kinship with Man-su’s plight. Equally good is Son Ye-jin as Man-su’s wife, Mi-ri. Whether she suspects that her husband may be committing the crimes, the police have discussed with him, or that he is blinded by a focus on achieving the same type of job he had before. Both Lee and Son have a chemistry together that makes them a believable couple, giving their fights with each other a realistic angle that anchors the over-the-top concept of the movie.

Park Chan-wook co-wrote the screenplay for No Other Choice alongside Lee Kyoung-mi (Lady Vengeance), Lee Ja-hye, and Don McKellar (The Sympathizer). Based on the novel The Ax by Donald Westlake, No Other Choice is the second adaptation of the source material. Still, it changes the story from a serious horror tale into a funnier and more layered narrative that feels like a prescient look into the current emotional state of adult professionals worldwide. The threat of unemployment and the risk of upending your lifestyle is a fear that everyone can relate to, and Park Chan-wook and his co-writers nail the angst and anxiety that accompany it. Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung have crafted one of the most beautiful films of the year, with every frame brimming with details that you see differently with each viewing. No Other Choice also has one of the best scores of the year from composer Jo Yeong-wook, who is able to deliver a jazz-influenced soundtrack that also incorporates the work of Mozart.

No Other Choice could be boiled down to how The Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man would play if the protagonist worked at Dunder-Mifflin, but that undersells how fantastic a film this is. Park Chan-wook outdoes himself as a director with each new film he creates, and No Other Choice feels like a culmination of his skills as a visual artist and a storyteller, but far from being the end of his talents. This is a film that is idiosyncratic in a way that many Korean films are, but it is one of the most accessible offerings from the country’s robust movie industry. Suspenseful and hilarious in equal measure, you will find yourself cringing with anticipation as much as you are chuckling at the audacity of the characters and their actions. The title of the film comes up repeatedly throughout the film, and you should feel that you have no other choice but to check this movie out on the big screen. From the first classical notes at the start of the film to the moment the end credits begin, No Other Choice is a captivating masterwork from one of the best directors working today.

No Other Choice is now playing in limited release and expands wide in January.