Oldboy (2005)
91%RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: 4 nominations
Oldboy, the lurid and complex masterpiece from writer-director Park Chan-wook, is a film that will leave you both shaken and stirred. With its visceral brand of storytelling, rich visuals, and poetic purpose, Oldboy is a delirious and confronting ride that will have you avoiding sushi bars and badly appointed hotel rooms. While some may find fault with its outlandish morbidity, the film’s extreme violence and brutal shocks are balanced by a story that draws you in and keeps you invested with every twist and turn. Oldboy is a modern revenge masterpiece that stands the test of time and deserves its place among the top ten movies in the history of Asian cinema.
Oldboy is a wild ride that will have you questioning your sanity and your taste in movies. With scenes that will make you squirm and a story that will keep you guessing until the very end, this film is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re up for a challenge and want to experience something truly unique, then Oldboy is the movie for you. Just be prepared to avoid sushi bars and badly appointed hotel rooms for a while afterwards.
Production Company(ies)
Deblokada Produkcija Coop99 Filmproduktion, Digital Cube
Distributor
Tartan Films USA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong brutal violence, disturbing images, some graphic sexuality and nudity, and language
Year of Release
2013
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 7, 2008
Genre(s)
Mystery & Thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Ji Dae-han, Oh Dal-su, Kim Byeong-ok, directed by Park Chan-wook, written by Garon Tsuchiya, Im Jun-hyeong, mystery, thriller, Korean language, box office gross, Tartan Films USA, Kim Dong-ju, reviewed by Kambole Campbell, Jami Bernard, Joe Morgenstern, J R Jones, Trevor Johnston, Philippa Hawker, Brian Eggert, Sarah Brinks, Tony Black, Mike Massie, Michael Frank, Chris Ward, R rating, abduction, revenge, violence, imprisonment, psychological thriller, mind games, shocking twists, visceral, powerful, strange, stunning, dark, intense, disturbing, brutal, violent, complex, lyrical, existential, torture scenes, spiritual isolation, physical isolation, tragedy, cunning storytelling, emotional gut punch, impressive fight scenes, devastatingly beautiful storytelling, lead performances, plot holes, likable protagonist, Korean cinema, modern revenge masterpiece
Worldwide gross: $5,186,767
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,588,999
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,092
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 718,539
US/Canada gross: $2,193,658
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,786,709
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,956
US/Canada opening weekend: $885,382
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $1,124,743
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,265
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $30,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $38,110,441
Production budget ranking: 991
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $20,522,472
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$52,043,914
ROI to date (est.): -89%
ROI ranking: 1,952
Yoo Ji-tae – Woo-jin Lee
Kang Hye-jung – Mi-do
Ji Dae-han – No Joo-hwan
Oh Dal-su – Park Cheol-woong
Kim Byeong-ok – Mr. Han
Director(s)
Park Chan-wook
Writer(s)
Garon Tsuchiya, Im Jun-hyeong
Producer(s)
Kim Dong-ju
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (151) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (123) | Rotten (28)
A lurid, complex, introspective beast, enacting astonishing cruelty on its protagonist like a slow-acting poison.
July 29, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Kambole Campbell
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Both brutal and lyrical, writer-director Park Chan-wook’s existential nail-biter has torture scenes that will have you avoiding dentists, sushi bars and badly appointed hotel rooms.
April 15, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Shakespearean in its violence, Oldboy also calls up nightmare images of spiritual and physical isolation that are worthy of Samuel Beckett or Dostoyevsky.
April 15, 2013
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
There’s a lot less here than meets the eye.
April 17, 2007
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Quite an achievement then, and well worthy of its Cannes prize.
January 26, 2006
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Oldboy is a delirious, confronting ride, a movie full of visceral shocks and aesthetic pleasures: it has an explosive immediacy and a persistent afterlife, a lingering impact that is hard to shake.
January 17, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
A visceral brand of storytelling, told with rich visuals, impassioned functionality, and poetic purpose.
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
All of that being said, I did get through the film. [But] I had big issues with it as I was watching it…
March 29, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Hailed as one of the top ten movies in the history of Asian cinema, it’s hard to suggest Oldboy should not be on that list.
February 14, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Tony Black
Cultural Conversation
Culminates in such outlandish morbidity that it’s difficult to admire as a competent whole.
November 9, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A powerful and smart ode to tragedy, Park’s film manages to provoke you, dishearten you, and thrill you.
August 13, 2020
Michael Frank
The Spool
Oldboy still stands up as a modern revenge masterpiece, full of extreme violence and brutal shocks but with heart and a story that draws you in and keeps you invested with every twist and turn.
October 13, 2019
Chris Ward
Flickering Myth…
Plot
An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Choi Min-sik’s performance as Dae-su Oh is “impressive” according to one audience review.
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