Min-sik Choi, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong

An ordinary man named Oh Dae-su, who lives with his wife and adorable daughter, is kidnapped and later wakes up to find himself in a private makeshift prison. Dae-su makes numerous attempts to escape ...( read more  read more... )and to commit suicide, but they all end up in failure. All the while Dae-su asks himself what made a man hate him so much enough to imprison him without any reason. While suffering from his debacle, Dae-su becomes shocked when he watches the news and hears that his beloved wife was brutally murdered. At this very moment, Dae-su swears to take revenge on the man who destroyed his happy life. Fifteen years later Dae-su is released with a wallet filled with money and a mobile phone. An unknown man calls Dae-su and asks him to figure out why he was imprisoned.

Flixster Users

95% liked it

37,978 ratings

Critics

81% liked it

118 critics

R, 1 hr. 59 min.

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Release Date: March 25, 2005

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DVD Release Date: August 23, 2005

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Stats: 10,701 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (10,701)


  • October 31, 2009
    Incredible film, brilliant story, brilliant twist, brilliant action.
  • October 27, 2009
    I felt as if the film needed to watched while on mind-altering drugs. I may have enjoyed it a bit more. It wasn't bad to watch, but just a little out there for me. It was alright with an interesting story.
  • September 16, 2009
    The second film in Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy is an explosive one. There are so many layers to pull back in this one that you'd be excused if you feel a little dizzy before the end. Hollywood wishes it was this good, so they will remake it and pass it off as their idea no...( read more) doubt!
  • September 9, 2009
    Review coming soon.
  • September 2, 2009
    A good Korean film, if quite odd at times. However it is a great tale of revenge with some surprising twists. Well worth checking out.
  • November 2, 2009
    Gran pelicula, increible historia, toca mas profundas emociones con violencia pero con la naturalidad, me encanto.
  • October 30, 2009
    nuts, twisted and a little bit sick. Great story, fantastic acting and the mother of all fight scences - with a hammer! what more could you ask for
  • October 26, 2009
    Incredible story.. who could think of such a thing.. definitly the best of the three
  • October 22, 2009
    Everything I would expect from an asian thriller. It was confusing at times, morbid, violent, and sexually disturbing, but utterly brilliant! The cinematography is amazing, its as if Fight Club and Audition had a child - its right up my alley. Do not watch it with English dubbing...( read more) if you have the option - its awful - stick with subtitles (you should always when watching foreign). Also, it did have its cheesy moments, but I personally thought they were intentional. The main character, Oh Dae-Su, will enthrall you from the moment you meet him. He is funny, but he is deadly!
  • October 20, 2009
    I saw Zinda, which is pretty much the same film.

Critic Reviews


May 9, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Argues for its own pointlessness. full review

April 15, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

For a while, though, this is as invigorating -- and as darkly funny -- as modern rogue moviemaking gets. full review

March 26, 2005
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

It's a grand, gritty, indelible experience. full review

March 25, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Oldboy is a powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare. full review

March 24, 2005
David Edelstein, Slate

Oldboy is a movie where you think you're in hell from the first frame -- but have no inkling of the infernal circles to come. full review

March 24, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

An explosively exciting psychosexual revenge drama from Korean powerhouse Park Chanwook that makes movies feel alive again. full review

March 22, 2005
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

Oldboy has the fatal air of wanting so desperately to be a cult movie that it forgets to present itself as a coherent one. full review

View more Oldboy reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • itbegins2005
    April 1, 2009
    ... I knew it was his daughter the moment he walked into that g@#damned sushi bar.
  • crimsonangel236
    March 19, 2009
    the cinematography was insane! every frame was a work of art, the actors were perfect for the film, soundtrack fit so well...definitely a fave...also, i don't think anyone could pull off a remake. I highly doubt stephen spielberg can pull out a respectable remake out of his ass even if he tried and I like will smith but hell no! Everyone should just leave this movie alone and appreciate it and everything that comes with it.
  • ekaniki
    February 18, 2009
    Brilliant!!!
    One of the best movies about incest...
    ...and the last soundtrack is so cool!!!
    The Last Waltz:)))

    I recommend this movie to everyone
  • 115b
    November 7, 2008
    I hear they're making a remake where Will Smith is involved. Perhaps an americanized version? Either way I think the original is going to be better. I personally don't see Will Smith cutting out his own tongue.
  • showbiz101
    February 11, 2008
    i'm not usually one to agree when feminists cry misogyny ... but i thought the way that women were depicted in this movie was really disturbing

    obviously its not the only fkked up thing about the film, but disregarding the purposely disturbing stuff ... it still left a sick feeling in my stomach because of this

    anyone else agree?
  • waynechriss
    June 25, 2007
    It wasn't the trapping of the man that excecuted brilliances, it was the events following that, especially the end.

    But I thought the movie was deftly prepared, and I was "wowed" at the end. It the movie is a tad slow paced, but I kept watching because I was trying to dicern the wacky scenes and parts of the film.
  • mjgildea
    May 13, 2007
    Oldboy is one of the most overrated pieces of crap I've ever seen and I hate it more than life itself. Taking up a heroin habit would actually be more constructive than watching this movie. I won't dispute that it started off strong enough and had me intrigued for the first hour, but once the hammer came down it didn't even make a dent for me.

    I don't know if there were some cultural differences that didn't translate well ot what, but it started off brilliantly and ended in the most pathetic of ways. And I understand and appreciate that it didn't follow a formula, but you've got to understand as a filmmaker that if you lock someone in a room for 14 years there won't be a reason on earth that's going to leave an audience paralyzed with brilliance.

    And this is all just my opinion. I say this because everyone on this site seems to have a boner for this movie and I can't understand why.
  • ThaSoulSurvivor
    May 2, 2007
    The second film in the Revenge Trilogy, Olboy pacts a punch! The key is identifying the actual protagonist... only then will you understand the meaning of vengeance in this movie. A must see!!!
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    January 31, 2007
    So far the only review of the film i had read that sums up everything about it:

    http://www.thegline.com/dvd-of-the-week/2004/05-24-2004.htm

    Must read, for both fans and detractors of the film.
  • ozarksavage1977
    January 25, 2007
    my wifey got me the 3 disc set for Xmas. Color me overjoyed. Best movie of 2005.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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