With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
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A private user reviewed Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook is Hitchcock and Tarantino's love shild
Oldboy is a brilliant showcase of South korean director Park Chan-wook's genius. Based on the japanese manga, Oldboy is breathtaking tale of vengeance.
The films plot and character is easily its strongest points with an ending that deserves to be in the top 10 twists of all time (sorry about that). This film is stylish, surreal and very powerful. It'll knock you to the ground, pick you up, slap you about and leave you gasping and giddy for more. Just as well Oldboy is the second installment of Park's acclaimed Vengeance Trilogy.
Nate H. reviewed Oldboy (2003)
Review from the comment
There are just not enough movies out there like Oldboy. The story of a drunk who is kidnapped on his daughter’s birthday and locked in a room for 15 years and then released with no explanation still holds strong upon repeated watches. It’s a crackerjack box of a movie, with a prize of a twist at its bottom that literally will not leave viewer’s minds for some time, if ever. The hero here is as flawed as they come, a classic antihero who you can’t help but root for no matter how unlikable he is. Upon his release, he lurches in a daze through the city, seeking clues to his captors motives and identity. He is no Philip Marlowe though. His wife is dead, his daughter gone to adoption many years before. He is thrust back into a world where few remember him or care to as why he has been gone. And the effect on this captivity is profound and apparent. He is broken: one part detective and ten parts head case, seeking only to find revenge on his nemesis whoever it may be. Oldboy should be recognized for all its achievements, including a vicious hand to hand fight scene shot in one take that is beautiful chaos. I find it distasteful that a coming US remake is what it will probably take for it to finally get it the recognition it so deserves.
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