Abruptly laid off after 25 years at the same company, a desperate man goes to extreme lengths to eliminate the competition for the job he wants.
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won
Release Date: December 25, 2025
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content.
Runtime: 2h 19m
Review:
Park Chan-wook’s latest film is a stylish dark comedy satire that provides some laugh out loud moments with its over-the-top dissection of the rat race and its dehumanizing effects on people. Chan-wook film is visually striking, leaving a series of indelible images etched on your memory once the film wraps up. He switches between tones fairly effortlessly as the film starts more pensive and reflective about the level of humiliation that Lee Byung-hun’s, Yoo Man-soo suffers through after being fired from his job after more than two decades of service. There’s plenty of subtext that can be mined from his career in the paper industry which can be seen as a dying, archaic product that doesn’t require the talents of specified careermen any longer. There’s something incredibly relatable to anyone who’s suffered through a layoff as we get a clear sense that Yoo Man-soo’s mooring has been untethered as his career was something he took pride in and made up a large part of his sense of self. Lee Byung-hun delivers a wonderfully nuanced turn by giving his characters a real sense of desperation which takes him to extremes measures to achieve his goals. He manages to keep his character empathic through most of it as you never get a sense that he’s actually a bad guy just in a horrible situation which he can’t seem to find his way out of. It leads to a series of misadventures which boils to a madcap bit of insanity halfway through the film during a murder gone hilariously wrong. His desperation seeps into his marriage with his emasculation damaging his relationship with his wife played impressive ease by Son Ye-jin. They have wonderful chemistry together as they play off each other with a live in authenticity that makes their moments work far more realistically even as things get more outlandish. Ye-jin initially comes off as affluent and aloof, but she slowly reveals her smarts and knowledge of her husband and his strange behavior. It’s a fascinating dance to watch, especially as she comes to the revelation of the extent of her husband’s actions to get a new job. There are a few moments where the film meanders a bit, leaving you with the feeling that there’s a tighter more streamlined version in there somewhere as its methodical pacing takes small amount of shine off the central conceit. That being said, No Other Choice, still manages to leave a lasting impression over the course of its runtime thanks to its strong direction and performances.
A-
