Neon plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary ofPark Chan-wook’s South Korean action masterpieceOldboy. For a theatrical anniversary release, the distributor acquired domestic rights for the classic 2003 film and now Neon has released a trailer in anticipation of the forthcoming announcement. Praised by many quarters for its quality with outlets like Bloomberg calling it “an incredible piece of cinematic storytelling”,Oldboyis viewed as one of theclassic and essential Asian moviesone should see.
The story follows an ordinary businessman and father who is inadvertently caught up in a far-reaching conspiracy in this gritty revenge action feature.Oldboysees Oh Dae-su portrayed byChoi Min-sik, kidnapped and imprisoned on a rainy night in 1988, only to be released 15 years later with the hope of finding his captor, understanding the reason for his captivity while also ensuring the safety of his daughter. Thisdark, disturbing, and twist-filled filmfollows Oh in his pursuit while also being caught up in an intense romance with Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), the woman who took him in. There is a relentless amount of brutality in the film’s action which perhaps is the reason why it resonates, the highlight of which is the now infamous corridor fight where Dae-su squares up to a large group of hostiles armed only with a hammer. Dae-su will hunt until he discovers that the person who has plagued his life with such misfortune is Lee Woo-jin (Yoo Ji-tae), who isbent on getting revengeas he blames him for his sister’s demise. A deed from his past has come to hunt him.
The entirety of the nearly two-minute trailer does not have a single word spoken, but it effectively conveys the intensity of the passion forvengeance that drives the main character. It opens with Dae-su emerging from a box in a lush green field when next we see him, a manfalls to his death onto the roof of a caras Dae-su walks away. The disturbing scene of him eating an octopus is then followed by clips of the infamous corridor fight. All that would follow is carnage, tears, and blood.
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The Trio BehindOldboy
Oldboyis the second part of Park’s Vengeance Trilogy which also includedSympathy for Mr. VengeanceandLady Vengeance.The film’s screenplay was co-written by Park alongsideHwang Jo-yunandLim Joon-hyung. Similarities can be drawn betweenOldboyand the more recent gritty action franchiseJohn Wickled byKeanu Reeves. Park’s career continues to thrive with the recent release ofDecision to Leavewhich became the director’sbest-performing film at the domestic box office.
Oldboywill return to theaters for a limited 20th Anniversary run on August 16. Watch the trailer below:
