Oldboy

83%

Tomatometer

160 Reviews

94%

Audience Score

100,000+ Ratings

Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he's abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company. And then, suddenly released, he is invited to track down his jailor with a denouement that is simply stunning. Read More Read Less

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Oldboy

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Violent and definitely not for the squeamish, Park Chan-Wook's visceral Oldboy is a strange, powerful tale of revenge.

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Critics Reviews

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David Sims

The Atlantic

There’s a core element of emotional realism that accentuates Park’s brutal narrative beats, leaving us to ponder something more than a bloody body.

Aug 22, 2023

Full Review

Kambole Campbell

Little White Lies

A lurid, complex, introspective beast, enacting astonishing cruelty on its protagonist like a slow-acting poison.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 29, 2019

Full Review

Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

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.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 15, 2013

Full Review

Anushka Halve

Film Companion

The messy, imperfect and chaotic nature of the action belies the precise choreography and consideration behind it.

Dec 11, 2023

Full Review

Armond White

National Review

Oldboy is flashy, but there’s a moral and social disconnect between showing off Park’s undeniable chops and Choi Min-sik’s wild-haired, wild-eyed, poignant descent into madness.

Sep 6, 2023

Full Review

David Lynch

KENS 5 TV (San Antonio)

It’s hard to think of any movie that's come out since (outside Park’s own oeuvre, at least) that so directly challenges audience’s expectations about revenge stories, and the value we expect them to carry.

Aug 19, 2023

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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Len great movie but ending is......ick Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/09/23 Full Review Karina I was taken way far aback with this one but my god what a master class in filmmaking and payoff that leaves you revolted and amazed. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/23 Full Review Frank classic movie still holds up to this day one of my favorite Korean films of all time and it was good to see it in the movie theater cuz the last time I seen this movie was on TV back in the day when I was in high school Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Kennath If you’re less than an hour away from a showing and you have never seen? GO Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/27/23 Full Review Mr. Hollywood One of the best films ever made! Great story, great cinematography, great acting, great editing, great sound design. Great great great! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/23 Full Review Carolyn D Wholly original, visually stunning and masterfully acted and directed! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Oldboy

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Cast & Crew

Park Chan-wook Director Choi Min-sik Dae-su Oh Yoo Ji-tae Woo-jin Lee Kang Hye-jung Mi-do Ji Dae-han No Joo-hwan Oh Dal-su Park Cheol-woong

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Oldboy

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Synopsis Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he's abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company. And then, suddenly released, he is invited to track down his jailor with a denouement that is simply stunning.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Kim Dong-ju
Screenwriter: Im Jun-hyeong, Hwang Jo-Yoon
Distributor: Tartan Films USA
Production Co: Egg Films, Show East
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2005, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)