Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ tops Korea’s box office despite mixed reviews

Director Park Chan-wook’s latest feature film “No Other Choice” started its smooth ride atop the local box office with 330,000 tickets sold on the first day of its premiere on September 24, despite mixed reviews from viewers and critics.

The auteur’s new film, which hit local theaters on September 24, sold 331,000 tickets across Korea, which took up 63.1 percent of all admissions of the day, according to the Korea Box Office Information System (Kobis).

The 139-minute comedy thriller is based on American writer Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel “The Ax” and follows Man-su, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun, a middle-aged man who is abruptly laid off from his company and resorts to extreme measures in his desperate search for new employment.

Its lineup of seasoned cast members, including Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Lee Sung-min, Park Hee-soon and Yeom Hye-ran had the public hyped for another masterpiece from the director. However, there were some disappointed reviews from some viewers.

“I’ve been tricked by Park Chan-wook, who lives in his own little world, again,” read one comment posted on September 24 that gave a 6 out of 10 rating, with 1,000 likes. “I see what he’s trying to say, but I have no other choice but to be deceived.”

“This is just a massive goo of cliché satire on capitalism, whose storytelling is worsened by the director’s style,” read another, which gave a 1 out of 10 rating, with 960 likes. “Lee Byung-hun’s acting is discarded by his overly comedic portrayal, and Son Ye-jin just blends in perfectly with the background. There’s no laughter, no joy — just disappointment.”

Still, the film took up 42.3 percent of all ticket bookings for the morning of September 24.

Coming in at second in the box office was Japanese animated film “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,” followed by “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.”