Lee Byung-hun plays Man-soo in ‘No Other Choice.’ Photo: courtesy of Han Cinema.
Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice will have its first public screening in the main competition section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (August 27 – September 6, 2025), where it is competing for the prestigious Golden Lion award.
Well ahead of its theatrical release this September, there’s been a lot of hype about the film. It makes sense given it’s a Park Chan-wook movie starring two of the biggest heavyweights in Korean cinema, Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin.
If Park Chan-wook’s films offer a window into society and human nature, the view is anything but comforting—filled with dark impulses, unpredictable twists, and moral grey zones that challenge your perception at every turn. From Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Oldboy (2003) to Thirst (2009), The Handmaiden (2016), and Decision to Leave (2022), his body of work cements his status as one of Korea’s most acclaimed and imaginative directors.
Park’s upcoming film, No Other Choice, is based on The Ax, a 1997 horror-thriller novel by American writer Donald Edwin Westlake. The story had previously been adapted into a 2005 film of the same name by Greek-French director Costa-Gavras. Speaking about his thoughts on how he envisions his adaptation of the narrative at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, Park said, “I wish to make this film as my masterpiece,” as reported by Variety.
No Other Choice is a high-stakes drama with dark humor that follows the desperation of a man pushed to the edge after an unexpected job loss, which drives him to take extreme measures in a bid to resolve his situation. Lee Byung-hun plays Man-soo, a middle-aged family man and a loyal and dedicated employee for over two decades. In a sudden twist of fate, he’s fired from his position, leaving him to hunt for a new and equivalent job to provide for his family. What initially seems like a new but achievable challenge for him gradually turns into major frustration, to the point that he resorts to aberrant and very dangerous behavior—he starts tracking down his competitors and killing them so that he’s the only suitable candidate left for the job he’s applied for, and in the process, becomes a ruthless murderer.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Park Chan-wook revealed his intention to further explore the moral complexity of the story, specifically focusing on Man-soo’s wife, Mi-ri, played by Son Ye-jin, and enhancing her role in the film. According to Chosun Biz, Son drew inspiration from Mi-ri’s optimistic character, imagining how she would react in the film’s situation. “Mi-ri has an optimistic character and never loses her smile,” the actor expressed, as she prepares for the role in No Other Choice.
The movie also boasts a stellar ensemble, including Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, and Yoo Yeon-seok in key roles.
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