Image credit: MUBI
Arriving in UK cinemas this Friday, No Other Choice is the thriller that honestly you have no other choice than to go and see – see what I did there – very original, I know.
Directed by Park Chan-wook, the man behind Oldboy and The Handmaiden, No Other Choice stars Lee Byung-hun – the actor you’ll be familiar with as the ‘Front Man’ from Squid Game – in a genre-blending story of burden, love, and paper.
Set in modern-day South Korea, the Korean-language film follows Byung-hun’s character Yoo Man-soo, who is made redundant after 25 years of working for an industrial paper producer, following a company takeover.
Sounding relatively mundane right now – I get it. Perhaps his life was before his unemployment – you certainly can’t say that for what follows. To say it changes the trajectory of Yoo’s life would be an understatement – in fact, just like the trees he spends his time manicuring in his greenhouse, his life is utterly uprooted.
Intent on securing employment to care for his children and wife, Yoo desperately attempts to find a replacement job. The unlucky thing for him is that so too is everyone else.
This raises the question – if there are more people than available jobs, what do you do to land your spot and beat the rest? Gain some work experience? Dress smartly and learn that perfect handshake? Change industry? How best can one beat the competition…?
Ah – It’s obvious. You have to eliminate them – literally.
Unfortunately for Yoo, he’s no Agent 47. And what follows is a calamitous, somewhat eccentric, thrilling ride of humour and heartache.
And when I say humour, I mean it. The film is surprisingly very funny at points, aided by a brilliantly crafted screenplay and plot that somehow allows you to root for Yoo, despite his morally questionable actions. With paper-related flirting, some excellent tree-hiding skills, and an utterly fervent energy at points. The film has a true charm that blunts its harsh themes in the best way possible.
The film may feature violent acts, but it’s not one that’s made to scare, at least not from fear factor, but rather to invite the audience along a crazy journey of undressing moral grey areas with a lust for stability.
Full of witty reflections and double meanings, while its overall messaging about the lack of self-autonomy of workers is a bit obvious, it weaves in a plethora of clever details. From discussing a man’s place within society and family, to some super smart gags – I mean it’s about an assassin who takes notes on his hand with red ink… Bro is quite literally waiting to be caught red-handed – the film is full of amazing contrasts.
At times, the film’s flow can feel a little tainted, with some elements, such as his family dynamics, perhaps not giving the same emotional pull as would be beneficial. However, there is no denying that the film has a truly excitable and interesting atmosphere
Shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars, it’s worth catching this clumsy killer in cinemas.
Verdict:
Review allowed for by MUBI early access screener
Hi, I’m Neil Singer, Culture Editor and second year student, studying media and journalism, and social policy. In my spare time I play for Strathclyde Lacrosse and watch a lot of films. If your reading this then that probably means you’ve looked at my article, so thankyou! You must be one very cool individual.
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