Oldboy

Oldboy (올드보이) is a South Korean neo-noir Action Thriller film based on the Japanese manga of the same name. It is the second installment of the Vengeance Trilogy and is Directed by Park Chan-wook.

Plot
In 1988, a businessman named Oh Dae-su is arrested for drunkenness, missing his daughter's fourth birthday. After his friend Joo-hwan picks him up from the police station, Dae-su is kidnapped and wakes up in a sealed hotel room, where food is delivered through a trap-door. Watching TV, Dae-su learns that his wife has been murdered and he is the prime suspect. He passes the time shadowboxing, planning revenge and attempting to dig a tunnel to escape. Fifteen years pass since he was imprisoned. It is now 2003, a new millennium. Just before digging himself to freedom, Dae-su is sedated and hypnotized. He wakes up on a rooftop and sees a man on the ledge ready to jump to his death. The man asks him, "Even though I am no better than a beast, don't I have the right to live?" Dae-su leaves the man and tests his fighting skills on a group of thugs.

Why it Rocks

 * 1) This film along with Parasite offers the perfect introduction to Korean Cinema.
 * 2) Excellent Premise about a man kept in prison in one room for 15 years and have to gather evidence between those behind it.
 * 3) The Iconic Fight Scene with Dae Su holding a hammer was shot in one take. It took them 17 tries and 3 days to make it perfect.
 * 4) Speaking on the Subject of the Hallway fight scene, it is intense due to the claustrophobia implied with it's tight space.
 * 5) It took only 4 tries for the iconic octopus eating scene and the amazing feats Choi Min-sik would go to make this shot perfect.
 * 6) It does not hold back on the brutal atmosphere this movie provides.
 * 7) The iconic scene where Dae-su goes under the door hatch to ask a man for information before showing the scene on where his captive gives off a good amount of suspense.
 * 8) The Ending turns this revenge thriller on it's head.

Bad Qualities
Although there are no true flaws in the film, not everyone is gonna enjoy it.
 * 1) The Remake by Spike Lee isn't good.
 * 2) Some scenes can be too violent for some.
 * 3) This movie can give anxiety among many people.

Critical Reception
Oldboy was praised by critics and audiences alike. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 82% based on 147 reviews with an average rating of 7.38/10. It has an 8.4 Rating on IMDb and is #69 in the top 250 as of January 4, 2022.