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Oldboy
2003
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
2h 0m
Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is an ordinary Seoul businessman with a wife and little daughter who, after a drunken night on the town, is locked up in a strange, private "prison." No one will tell him why he's there or who his jailer is. The imprisonment last for 15 years until one day when Dae-su finds himself unexpectedly deposited on a grass-covered high-rise roof, determined to discover the mysterious enemy who had him locked up. (Tartan Films)
Directed by:
Franchise:
Genres:
AKAs:
Old Boy, Oldeuboi
Country:
Language:
Your probable score
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Oldboy
2003
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
2h 0m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 73.53% from 13614 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
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Rated 24 Jun 2008
100
97th
Superbly made Korean film which is beautifully shot, acted, written and directed and contains all the elements for a masterpiece.
Stunning film
*One of my favourites*
Rated 24 Jun 2008
Rated 09 Mar 2007
80
68th
Like anime but with people.
Rated 09 Mar 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
39th
A strange, intriguing premise and some very well done sequences can be found here, but it got far too ridiculous toward the end and the big twist didn't impress me much.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 11 Dec 2007
99
99th
This film reworked The Count of Monte Christo into the framework of postmodernism--in other words, it subverted a literary masterpiece and everything it stands for... and it could not have been done more brilliantly. This is a true masterpiece of our times. Almost flawless.
Rated 11 Dec 2007
Rated 05 Feb 2007
87
95th
Visceral and thrilling. It's like an old school Greek tragedy pumped full of adrenaline and perversity, and I love every minute of it.
Rated 05 Feb 2007
Rated 04 Apr 2011
61
64th
While it does have its entertaining bits, such as a fight scene with a unique camera angle and style, the movie just fails at one thing - making me give a fuck about its story or its characters. The problem I have with this movie is that the plot and its characters are utterly ridiculous and hard to take seriously as this movie tries to pump it down your throat that you should care about these characters and their ridiculous situations in a manner they shouldn't. The plot twist was beyond silly
Rated 04 Apr 2011
Rated 04 Oct 2008
95
97th
A brutal, yet poetic epic that contains both the most ingenious action visuals since The Matrix and the most breathtaking thriller-plot since Se7en. Cuts your heart and soul wide open while makes your pulse skip several beats - truly one of the decade's gigants.
Rated 04 Oct 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
71
37th
Good sense of style but the various plot twists are way too contrived, and the violence too gratuitous.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 19 Sep 2019
64
26th
Overwrought melodrama juiced up by some kinetic action scenes; plot developments turn this into THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL with an Eastern bent. Enjoyable on those terms but, like a lot of Asian action cinema, Park's need to shove his audience's nose into grotesquely violent encounters feel like a sadistic litmus test and breaks the spell of the drama; a little more ironic distance might have helped. Has its moments, and as good an argument against octopus consumption as I've ever seen!
Rated 19 Sep 2019
Rated 28 May 2009
55
53rd
Very well executed in a variety of respects, with several excellent scenes, let down by the fact that the melodrama is so ridiculously over-the-top (and increasingly so as the story progresses) that the viewer is prevented from taking it seriously. What might have been an excellent film winds up as little more than a well-crafted diversion.
Rated 28 May 2009
Rated 04 Mar 2009
20
44th
Why fifteen years, why a matter of days, and what made him into the inexhaustible fighting machine we see before us today? The questions give the viewer more to hang on to than just the (literally) bone-crunching, tooth-pulling violence, or the carnival-sideshow spectacle of the hero wolfing down a live octopus, or the sickly, sallow color. The answers, as far as they go, seem disproportionately and disappointingly mundane.
Rated 04 Mar 2009
Rated 31 Dec 2009
89
94th
While I do have major qualms with the great lengths taken to pull off the conclusion of the film, there is no doubt that this is something special. The first 30min is so sensational it deemed up old feelings of the first time I saw the Matrix..."I don't know what the hell is going on, but I love it." The rest of the film follows suit and the peculiar violence is a perfect edition to this truly dark tale. I cannot imagine anyone other than Choi pulling this off, as he was perfectly bizarre.
Rated 31 Dec 2009
Rated 02 May 2007
100
97th
A genre pastiche, but it's all fucked to the point that it transcends its genre trappings to become something entirely different and archetypal.
Rated 02 May 2007
Rated 22 Feb 2014
90
80th
Undoubtedly one of the most original and memorable films of the decade. Oldboy is as dark as it believes the human condition can be and it conveys this notion through brutal video game-like action sequences and outrageous anime melodrama making it hard to watch without a dropped jaw. I felt this movie in the depths of my soul.
Rated 22 Feb 2014
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
99th
It's brutal and stylish with brilliant directing, great story, top notch acting and very fitting music. What more can you ask?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Moving, violent, funny and hautning. A movie that has it all and sticks with you weeks after the credits roll.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 13 Nov 2014
85
91st
Fantastic modern twist on the well worn revenge story. Technically almost flawless and acting is great throughout. The operatic comic-book aesthetic is brilliantly realised as a cinematic style. Impressive how sick and twisted you can get with ideas alone (and the film is absolutely about the idea of vengeance), the physical violence being more like something that relieves the oppressive tension in the drama.
Rated 13 Nov 2014
Rated 13 Jun 2008
83
81st
This was a very unique film, it makes you think of whats the limits of a mans mind. The twist was truely interesting aswell as the whole atmostphere of the movie.
Rated 13 Jun 2008
Rated 25 Jun 2012
95
99th
This is just an amazing movie. I sat spellbound watching in awe the entire time.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
Rated 28 Nov 2006
80
68th
If Mr. Vengeance was the "underwhelming" one of the trilogy, this is the "overwhelming" one. It's got some great thrills, and one of the best twist endings I've ever seen, but it all feels sort of forced and even melodramatic at times. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great modern thriller, but it's not the orgasm it's claimed to be.
Rated 28 Nov 2006
Rated 30 Nov 2013
20
10th
The most overrated film ever made.
Rated 30 Nov 2013
Rated 01 Feb 2011
88
87th
This is a mind-blowing, psychological and very personal tale of isolation, personal evolution and suppression, all set to an overarching theme of vengeance. I love how, in sense of social commentary, it is almost the exact opposite to its predecessor yet they still have so much in common. Choi Min-Sik does an outstanding acting job and when flanked by Yu Ji-Tae it sparks absolute magic. It drags a bit in the middle but a gripping start and a awe-striking ending makes up for it ten times over.
Rated 01 Feb 2011
Rated 25 Oct 2008
87
99th
(on a rewatch) Park Chan-wook messes audiences brain in oh so elegant way. Cinematography, soundtrack and style has the touch of a true master. Story is very interesting and complex, sometimes it even feels that there is a bit too much packed in. Quite possible best revenge movie ever made.
Rated 25 Oct 2008
Rated 16 Jul 2008
2
5th
I don't mind unpleasant movies if there's a point to the unpleasantness. Can't quite figure out the point to all this. It also didn't help that my warped mind saw the trick ending a mile away.
Rated 16 Jul 2008
Rated 10 May 2008
71
52nd
Some really well done scenes can be found in this and most of it's pretty entertaining. However, the twisting and turning plot is just ridiculous rather than interesting.
Rated 10 May 2008
Rated 25 Mar 2017
50
24th
I didn't feel engaged in anything happening. Maybe it's the protagonist of the film, or the overall feeling that it gave me. I don't plan on watching it again.
Rated 25 Mar 2017
Rated 11 Feb 2007
95
95th
25 Kasim 07 - saat: 00:39'da bitti.ikinci izleyisimde daha iyi anladim.cok iyi bir intikam filmi!
Rated 11 Feb 2007
Rated 27 Feb 2007
88
94th
Thoroughly fucked up and thoroughly entrancing. Besides, even if it were a bad movie, that Hammer scene would still make it worth a watch.
Rated 27 Feb 2007
Rated 10 Mar 2009
94
99th
In the beginning I have to say Chan-wook Park's stories are filled with multiple subplots. It's his stronges point, but it can also be his weakest one. During film I was hesitating can he build a good story with this one or not. But against all odds the end clicks all pieces magically in their places and tops all my expectations. Magnificent score, directing, acting and the story. I'm impressed.
Rated 10 Mar 2009
Rated 02 Mar 2007
80
95th
Amazing film.
Rated 02 Mar 2007
Rated 05 Mar 2007
71
53rd
The 5 minute long uncut fight scene is damn amazing and there are some great parts throughout but the movie becomes absolutely absurd by the end.
Rated 05 Mar 2007
Rated 28 May 2013
82
93rd
Thrilling, violent, gory, good concept. Just made me lose my appetite for octopus...
Rated 28 May 2013
Rated 26 Nov 2010
90
97th
Wow. When i finished this one, first thing that came to mind was : i need to see this again. A masterpiece in many ways. Advised viewing many times , to be sure nothing is missed.
Rated 26 Nov 2010
Rated 01 Aug 2009
91
97th
The most famed member of the Vengeance Trilogy, "Oldboy" for me personally comes in a close second to "Lady Vengeance". None the less this is still a fantastic movie. Absolutely brutal, completely compelling, totally unpredictable and aesthetically mindblowing, "Oldboy" is an savage fusion of violence, action and thrills. On top of this the performances are brilliant and the ending just perfect.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
Rated 27 Mar 2007
75
90th
Styling up a very simple and simple minded story doesn't get any better, very memorable.
Rated 27 Mar 2007
Rated 30 Jun 2014
3
38th
I'm not sure if it just kind of dragged towards the end or if knowing the big revelation made it feel like it did; still, the preceding 90 or so minutes make this a hell of an experience. Alternately gritty and operatic, shifting gears between genre schlock (albeit unique, even visionary schlock) and heightened melodrama, few movies I've seen have kept me on my toes throughout to the extent of this one.
Rated 30 Jun 2014
Rated 06 Apr 2016
80
79th
Superbly acted and strikingly written, but its development is uneven and occasionally muddled.
Rated 06 Apr 2016
Rated 20 Jul 2014
55
53rd
This really wasn't that good. Actually it was pretty stupid. The premise is something out of a B movie. The action is terribly choreographed. The effects are just meh. The soundtrack is boring. The dialogue is often tedious and the movie itself relies on being unconventional while running for about an hour too long. I am now convinced I could eat Korean take out then take a shit and American fanboys would probably think its cool.
Rated 20 Jul 2014
Rated 31 May 2007
55
31st
A well thought out plot with mediocre acting, an overly severe attempt to be "cool", and a strange sense of something just being "off" about the presentation.
Rated 31 May 2007
Rated 17 Jan 2014
1
0th
Just awful. So much hype, so little on screen to care about. A couple of stylish shots doesn't make a movie great, or even decent for that matter. People who like Coen brothers and Tarantino films will probably like this too. I don't, so I don't.
Rated 17 Jan 2014
Rated 31 Jan 2018
90
93rd
The ridiculousness throughout the movie all makes sense and comes crashing down in the end. A wonderful tragedy.
Rated 31 Jan 2018
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
52nd
Disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, but memorable and effective.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 08 Jul 2008
75
14th
when i was going to the theater to see this movie i've almost be robbed. i'ts a dangerous movie to watch with angry.
Rated 08 Jul 2008
Rated 25 Feb 2008
90
83rd
wow. a fine scripted, very unusual movie with many (more or less) suprisings in it.
Rated 25 Feb 2008
Rated 28 Mar 2013
75
56th
It used to be one of my favourites. There's certainly a lot I still love. I love its almost operatic heights, I love its boundless energy, its excellent musical score, its plot, though flawed, is still in many ways brilliant. But I'm not so convinced by it as a whole any more. At times it becomes absurd, there are many things that are hard to buy into or that look silly, it tries so hard to be cool and edgy and the whole effect of it is just so much less than I remember.
Rated 28 Mar 2013
Rated 25 Sep 2010
60
35th
I don't know, it's a good movie but I just couldn't get into the story at all.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
81
76th
This is a really weird movie. With a sick script, very realistic bloody violence, and insane characters, this makes for a very interesting viewing and the ending will have you talking and thinking after you come out of the theater. Unfortunately the talking lasts very little, and the story is not as deep as you thought. However, the amazing style of the movie and the best fighting scenes of the year, bring the score up. See it if you don't mind violence and "questionable" morals.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 25 Mar 2024
99
99th
Every bit as good as I was lead to believe. Some of the last act is kind of implausible when you think hard about it, but it’s done so unapologetically and with such creative skill that it didn’t matter. Wook’s directing and pacing are simply phenomenal, and the reveals toward the end are repulsive but so original. It’s also darkly comedic at times and just super fun to watch despite it being a pretty depressing story. The performances are all firing on 11. It’s pretty much a perfect movie.
Rated 25 Mar 2024
Rated 08 Sep 2008
87
85th
Deftly written, superbly acted and definitely created by artisans. The problem is, it's so hellish in its moral (and plays so against type in the revenge genre) that what is enjoyable becomes that much more disturbing. I have a love-hate opinion of that. As an aside, watching it with my wife, she guessed the ending as soon as Miko showed up. So apparently it's not as surprising as it might seem, and actually kind of callous.
Rated 08 Sep 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
83rd
Don't stop... hammertime!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
95th
that nigga
he want revenge
nigga want revenge
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
98th
Should be renamed "Did I Just See That Guy Eat an Octopus?: The Movie". But seriously, folks, this flick is nothing short of brilliance.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
58
48th
Pretty intense. The story overall is standard beat-em-up revenge fare, and the ending is a bit silly, but it's well shot and played and the entertainment value is high for fans of action/suspense.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 17 Sep 2009
80
48th
If you can look past the incessant sado-masochism in this picture (or enjoy it, you sicko) and do not mind the implausibility of some of the plot twists, Oldboy should at least pique your interest. The cinematography is excellent throughout and the editing impeccable, with frequent temporal jumps that are always stimulating and never confusing. Most of the performances are very intense with purposeful overacting in many cases, which seems to be a typical trait of Asian cinema. A classic drama.
Rated 17 Sep 2009
Rated 14 Aug 2007
97
99th
I wasn't too impressed with JSA, but this is an excellent film. A mystery that did keep me guessing. Filled with surprisingly good ideas and humor. I've also watched this with the dubbing, and was rather disappointed with how bad it was. It felt like a typical anime dubbing and fell short of capturing the excellent performances of the original cast.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 18 Oct 2018
75
78th
visually arresting, creative take on noir, leaves me feeling strangely hollow.
Rated 18 Oct 2018
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
92nd
Flawless.
It's a crime against humanity to make a remake. Damn you, ambitious asian directors!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 01 Jun 2012
92
85th
En film som blåste meg av banen. Nyskapende sørkoreansk film, som har overaskelsesmomenter og masse spenning. Bra soundtrack i tillegg.
Rated 01 Jun 2012
Rated 01 Nov 2008
40
33rd
Basically a pretty evil (or just po-mo) film, that is rather tedious all the same. Draws on a peculiar immoral solipsism, although artfully filmed with decent acting. Things just happen inexplicably, brutally, to people acting as if they were in a cartoon, with none of the consequences or frames of reference of the real world. Scene after scene, that might have been interesting if not contentless, and full of pointless rhetorical questions. I gave up before half-way, but the ending didn't help.
Rated 01 Nov 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
92nd
This is one of the most kick-ass revenge movies available, and Min-sik Choi turns in an amazing acting performance as the main character. Oldboy also features a scene in a corridor that is probably the best choreographed fight scene so far in movies.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 07 May 2020
70
59th
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #73: There is no doubt that this is a very well made film with extremely intense moments with a good mystery. It does, however, fall prey to the intense internet hype it generated, especially considering the entire film leans on a plot twist that is always brought up when discussing Oldboy. As a result, its impact didn't hit me as hard as I would have liked, considering I saw it coming a mile away. Even so, it's definitely worth a watch.
Rated 07 May 2020
Rated 19 Nov 2012
84
90th
I sadly guessed most of the twists that'd make this movie surprising and it lost a lot of its impact. Still, very good.
Rated 19 Nov 2012
Rated 24 Jul 2010
100
97th
If I told you something so ridiculously sick, something so brutal and so violent, and yet so completely devoid of any moral values and societal restrictions could pass as sheer undeniable movie masterpiece, you would point a gun at my head and shoot me. But before you pull that trigger, you've got to watch Oldboy. You'll probably buy me a drink after.
Rated 24 Jul 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
71
57th
It's a pretty good movie. Though I thought it was a little long (and that may be understating it). I think they probably could've cut out a good chunk of it and the movie wouldn't have suffered at all. Nevertheless it had an excellent beginning and a good twist at the end (and I hate that term a lot).
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 07 Nov 2012
75
15th
Really great directing, especially during the corridor scene. Too bad for the horrible twist.
Rated 07 Nov 2012
Rated 14 Aug 2007
98
96th
A propulsive, new millenium classic, with a twist so shocking it feels near archetypal.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 25 May 2015
65
37th
Unique I'll give it that, but leant on some weak plot devices (ie hypnosis) and strayed from its story line at random to add little meat to the bone. And seemingly for what? The pay-off felt superficial for mine. Experimental camera angles, sporadic violence, Min-sik gives it everything though.
Rated 25 May 2015
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
91st
Love this film. Love it.
Love it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 20 Jul 2008
100
98th
Hard to watch at times, but still a classic!
Rated 20 Jul 2008
Rated 05 May 2012
71
56th
Great fight scene in basement dungeon. A bit hackneyed plot
Rated 05 May 2012
Rated 03 Sep 2011
85
77th
Overrated, but with an amazing action sequence. Intense and worth a watch.
Rated 03 Sep 2011
Rated 23 Feb 2015
86
88th
Go watch this because if I have to be haunted by it you should be as well.
Rated 23 Feb 2015
Rated 28 May 2010
16
45th
Not recommended for anyone for has a daughter or a father.
Rated 28 May 2010
Rated 05 Dec 2008
85
80th
A very "fun" movie with incredibly brutal fight scenes.
Rated 05 Dec 2008
Rated 07 Jan 2010
75
79th
hideously violent, yet beautiful, with a dark storyline
Rated 07 Jan 2010
Rated 19 Jul 2011
100
94th
because he fucks her daughter..
Rated 19 Jul 2011
Rated 28 Aug 2024
70
56th
Rewatch 20 years later, one of those movies that seemed so badass and fresh as a teenager. Was disappointed today by the ridiculous plot and all the melodrama. The corridor fight scene which was soooo cool back in the day doesn't hold up well either, there's a buttload of clearly visible fake kicking and punching going on. I probably shouldn't have been watching YouTube videos about stunt fighting earlier this month.
Rated 28 Aug 2024
Rated 02 May 2007
100
98th
The best of Chan Wook Park's Vengeance trilogy has Choi Min-Sik at his hangdog best not to mention a twist ending that may hit you seconds before the reveal. The very fact that the film went there is just one of many gratifying things about it.
Rated 02 May 2007
Rated 01 Aug 2008
100
98th
One of the most memboralbe, mesmorising, exciting and disturbing movies of the last decade. Extremly original, this is Asian cinema at its best.
Rated 01 Aug 2008
Rated 28 Jun 2007
92
96th
anyone that liked Ong-Bak will love this one...only no Tony Ja
Rated 28 Jun 2007
Rated 31 Jul 2009
74
59th
I don't go quite as apeshit as some do for this film, but one thing I will say is that it has the craziest, trippiest, best twist ever in motion pictures, or at least close to it.
Rated 31 Jul 2009
Rated 01 Oct 2008
90
95th
So "wrong", so well made, so intriguing. So badly remade as "Zinda" a few years later
Rated 01 Oct 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
One of the greatest psycho-revenge thrillers ever, even if the explanation slightly stretches credulity. HAMMERFIGHT!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
30th
It's extremely well-made and has a ton of great elements, like acting, art direction, cinematography, and choreography. The problem is the writing. The plot is pretty ridiculous when you look at it, and gets far too contrived toward the end. All that most people remember seems to be the big twist, which is memorable, but the explanation for it afterward falls apart quickly.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
97
97th
Absolutely brutal - this incredible moebius-strip of a movie is an unrelenting examination of the depths of revenge/karma/love will leave a lasting impression.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
91st
Amazing fight scenes in a brutal yet sensitive story of love and revenge .
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 03 Feb 2009
90
70th
Very disturbing but ultimately rewarding drama/thriller with a powerful and unforgettable ending. Highly recommended.
Rated 03 Feb 2009
Rated 11 Jan 2008
85
88th
Excellent unpredictable story. A modern masterpiece created from a real and disturbing situation.
Rated 11 Jan 2008
Rated 14 Aug 2007
9
98th
This movie has got one of the most beautifully fucked up plots ever. I'm pretty unflappable, but at the end of this I was stunned. It's gorgeously shot and has a hell of an awesome fight scene on top of all that. Even if it's not your cup of tea, you have to at least admit that there is NOTHING conventional about it. A movie to watch more than once.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 20 Apr 2009
100
90th
One sick and twisted story, but it is so damn good and shot so beautifully.
Rated 20 Apr 2009
Rated 17 Sep 2007
89
76th
The general sentiment after watching this film? "Wow. That was messed up!"
Rated 17 Sep 2007
Rated 09 Jun 2009
83
95th
One of the best Asian films I've ever seen. Too bad they're thinking of making a Hollywood-version. The ending is superb! Note to self: get around to watch mr and mrs Vengeance.
Rated 09 Jun 2009
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Directed by:
Franchise:
Genres:
AKAs:
Old Boy, Oldeuboi
Country:
Language:
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