‘No Other Choice’: Park Chan-wook’s Elegant Murder Spree Brilliantly Speaks to Uncertain Times 

Alci Rengifo

You Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) is a true symbol of his time in Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.” He feels secure in suburban bliss with a stable corporate job. That sense of security is suddenly pulled out from under him, and the real story of this master Korean filmmaker’s latest offering begins. With his unique blend of eloquence and blunt force, Park delivers an immersive character study that doubles as a devilish thriller. On a cosmetic level it is another addition to recent cinematic critiques of late stage capitalist culture, where people are disposable within a cruel economic system. The director focuses so well on the psychology at play that it works as a critique and engrossing portrait of a life going haywire.

When we meet Man-su he enjoys autumnal breezes outside his impressive home, grilling an eel. Nearby are his attractive wife Miri (Son Ye-jin) and their two kids (Kim Woo Seung, Choi So Yul). They have not one, but two golden retrievers. Back at the paper mill where he has a well-paying managerial job, Man-su is surprised to learn that large layoffs are on the way. He pleads pitifully with the company’s American owners. Returning in shame to his family, Man-su and Miri realize they need to make serious adjustments. The dogs are given away. Netflix is cancelled. They might have to sell the house. Instead of looking at new career paths, Man-su decides he will seek out another paper mill managerial job. To raise his chances, he posts a fake job listing to attract applicants. In this way he can find out who are the better qualified candidates around. After finding a good crop of names, Man-su decides to kill them.

Park rarely makes “simple” films. He likes to build puzzles or intricate set ups. His last film, the masterful “Decision to Leave,” began as a noir in the classic tradition before weaving itself into an arcane mystery kept together by poetic images and language. His most famous film, “Oldboy,” begins with a man mysteriously kept prisoner for 15 years, later seeking answers that turn into puzzles within puzzles. “No Other Choice” is almost Hitchockian in its structure. The source material is the 1997 novel “The Axe” by Donald Westlake, which was adapted by Costa-Gavras (to whom Park dedicates this movie) in 2005, though never receiving a proper U.S. release. Park seamlessly translates the setting to South Korea. Like Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” this is a tale with particular cultural features but which can take place anywhere. 

Shot by cinematographer Kim Woo-hyung in rich images filled with the director’s trademark use of color and inventive shots, Man-su’s crucible becomes morbidly addictive. With meticulous detail we see him build a web around himself. He goes to absurd lengths to seek out his competition. Not a natural born killer, the former paper mill manager grabs an old gun his father used when fighting in Vietnam and clumsily goes after his prey. In classic Park fashion, this leads to what could almost be short stories within the larger narrative. One target is Goo Beom-mo (Lee Sung-min ), an unemployed alcoholic living with an assertive wife, Lee A-ra (Yeom Hye-ran). When Goo sees Man-su’s fake job listing, he instantly dumps his booze down the kitchen sink. The section turns into violent slapstick, showing off Park’s capacity for suspense mingled with gut-busting laughs. Just watch a standoff where everyone needs to speak extra loud because of a blaring stereo. Another target is certainly qualified, but we suspect Man-su also wants revenge for a cruel slight from the recent past. 

The great subtext of this whole murder spree is how unemployment in a world where humans are disposable can have serious repercussions. An individual’s sense of worth and dignity is suddenly stripped away. Miri is supportive of her husband, despite his woe-is-me spiral into low self-esteem. He is so tragic others, including Miri, have to remind him he’s a handsome man when he starts hating everything about himself. His intended victims turn out to be trapped in the same situation. Beom-mo’s wife, Lee A-ra, is frustrated by her husband’s unemployment and her own frustrations as a former actor. She slightly deals with it by having an affair with a local younger man. There’s also Ko Si-jo (Cha Seung-won), another former paper mill manager now reduced to selling shoes to provide for his family. In an American movie Man-su might see how his targets are actually quite relatable and have second thoughts. Park has him force away any doubts. The lesson society has taught him is not mutual aid, but a social Darwinist code of survival. Man-su’s young daughter is a cello prodigy, but sending her to a proper school requires money. It’s kill or be killed out there.

Man-su’s murders are acts of buffoonish violence, with the final one having the calculation of what you would find an episode of “Dexter.” Park is not interested in exploitation, elegantly pacing the film with a score featuring an evocative use of classical music. He is challenging us as viewers with capitalist conditioning to question Man-su. With a great house and picture perfect family, how could this man ever accept being downgraded? Park intentionally makes the environment so picturesque, like Man-su’s gorgeous greenhouse where he tends to bonsai trees. When possessions define a person, having them taken away threatens to leave an empty shell. Man-su will first endure the embarrassment of awkward job interviews. Then he will try to bend fate to his will. “No Other Choice” would be right at home in Los Angeles or any other major city. The awards circuit is already taking notice and the film is nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Lee Byung-hun). It strikes an instant chord. Park has no time as well for a morality lesson ending, even nodding at the way AI will make industrial work even less human-friendly. Man-su may be a fictional character, but he’s walking amongst us all. 

“No Other Choice” releases Dec. 25 in Los Angeles and New York, Jan. 9 in select theaters.