Park Chan-wook’s latest film, ‘No Other Choice,’ has premiered at the Venice Film Festival, garnering significant attention from critics. Here’s what they are saying about this intriguing black comedy.
‘No Other Choice’: Critics’ Reactions to Park Chan-Wook’s Black Comedy
The reviews are rolling in for Park Chan-wook‘s latest film, No Other Choice, which premiered this evening at the Venice Film Festival.
Plot Overview
Loosely based on the novel The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, No Other Choice follows a middle-aged man named Man-su who embarks on a determined job hunt after being unexpectedly fired from the paper company where he worked for 25 years. Neon holds the domestic rights, while Mubi covers various international territories.
Creative Team and Cast
Park directed the film from a script co-written with Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee. The cast features Lee Byung-hun (I Saw the Devil) and Son Yejin (The Last Princess), along with Park Hee-soon (My Name), Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North), Yeom Hye-ran (The Glory), Cha Seung-won (Believer), and Yoo Yeon-seok (Mr. Sunshine).
Critical Reception
The film has emerged as one of the best-reviewed movies of the festival, with most critics expressing admiration.
Deadline’s Damon Wise describes the film as a “jet-black comedy” that showcases Lee Byung-hun “in his most revelatory role to date,” noting his surprising talent for slapstick comedy, merging elements of Mads Mikkelsen and Buster Keaton.
However, he mentions that it loses some momentum towards the end, indulging in the trend of multiple endings that Korean cinema often struggles with, and while it may not be as satisfying as his previous work, Decision to Leave, it remains an enjoyable and surprising ensemble piece.
Time Out awarded the film five stars, declaring it a “masterful work of cinema” that could be Chan-wook’s masterpiece, especially given his previous acclaimed films like The Handmaiden and Snowpiercer.
The Guardian rated it four out of five stars, labeling it a “sensational state-of-the-nation satire” that is “continually surprising.”
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Awardswatch gave it a B+, highlighting Park Chan-wook’s status as one of the best in the industry, with No Other Choice reflecting quintessentially Korean themes of family structure breakdown and skepticism towards American dominance.
Screen International referred to the film as “a darkly comic treat,” while Indiewire awarded it an A-, describing it as a “brilliant, bloody, and bleakly hilarious capitalism satire.”
Next Best Picture praised Park Chan-wook as a master filmmaker, stating that No Other Choice defends his title as the most creative filmmaker alive, showcasing his unique ability to blend mismatched tones and genre elements.
Fickfeast described the film as “hilarious, heartfelt, and horrifying in equal measure,” leaving audiences with no choice but to catch Park Chan-wook’s latest magnum opus.
The producers include Park and Back Jisun of Moho Film, along with Michèle Ray Gavras and Alexandre Gavras of KG Productions. Miky Lee served as executive producer for CJ Group, with CJ ENM financing the project, which is currently in post-production.
