On September 24, 2025, South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s long-awaited black comedy thriller, No Other Choice, finally hit theaters—and what a splash it made. In just its opening weekend, the film surged to the top of the Korean box office, drawing over 600,000 moviegoers and racking up more than $4.5 million in ticket sales from September 26 to 28, according to the Korean Film Council and multiple industry trackers. By the end of its fifth day, admissions had soared past the one-million mark, and the film’s total earnings reached a robust $7.5 million, making it the second-biggest Korean opening of the year, just behind the summer’s horror-comedy sensation, My Daughter Is a Zombie (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety).
Starring Lee Byung-hun as the beleaguered Man-su, No Other Choice is an adaptation of American author Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 satirical thriller, The Ax. The story follows Man-su, a middle-aged, seemingly ordinary breadwinner who is abruptly laid off from his long-held job as a paper manufacturing specialist. Desperate to provide for his wife and two children—and to hold onto the family home he’s worked so hard for—Man-su’s journey spirals from anxious job-hunting to a chilling, darkly comic series of decisions that lead him down a path of violence and murder. The film also features Son Ye-jin as his resilient wife, along with notable performances by Lee Sung-min, Park Hee-soon, and Yeom Hye-ran.
Park Chan-wook’s signature touch is evident throughout the film, blending brutal, sometimes bizarre imagery with a peculiar, lingering beauty. Lee Byung-hun, in a roundtable interview covered by Korea JoongAng Daily, reflected on his approach to portraying Man-su’s descent. “I focused on how an ordinary person could end up having such terrifying thoughts,” Lee explained. “Those thoughts then lead to real decisions, and one by one, he drags himself through them, feeling as if he might die, yet he still carries them out. I think that’s the kind of transformation and the internal process I tried to reflect while working on the role.”
One of the film’s most talked-about scenes involves Man-su applying his bonsai hobby—traditionally the art of shaping miniature trees—to a person, a moment that encapsulates both the character’s ordinariness and Park’s distinctive style. “That scene shows just how much of an ordinary person Man-su truly is,” Lee said. “Although Man-su instantly shot and killed a person, his hesitation and inability to fully control the situation are very much part of his character. The scene where he ends up turning it so beautifully into a bonsai really highlights Director Park’s distinctive style.”
Despite its often grim subject matter, the film’s satirical humor has resonated with audiences worldwide. Lee noted that during recent screenings at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, overseas audiences laughed at moments the filmmakers hadn’t expected to be funny. “The Venice audience and Toronto audience were very different, but there was one part that made viewers in both countries laugh, which we couldn’t fully understand why. It was the scene when Man-su covers his opponent’s face before shooting,” Lee recalled. Director Park, after much consideration, surmised that it was Man-su’s state of mind—his awkwardness and desperation—that struck viewers as unexpectedly humorous.
No Other Choice has been on a whirlwind international tour, premiering at the Venice International Film Festival and competing for the International People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Next up is a high-profile screening at the New York Film Festival, and North American distribution is already lined up through Neon. The film also had the honor of opening this year’s Busan International Film Festival, further cementing its place as one of South Korea’s most significant cinematic exports of 2025.
Box office momentum for No Other Choice has been nothing short of remarkable. On its opening day alone, the film sold 330,000 tickets, and by the end of its first weekend, it had drawn 609,280 moviegoers nationwide. The cumulative admissions reached 1,073,656 by September 28, and the film commanded 45.2% of weekend box office sales from 1,871 screens, as reported by Variety. Its performance was especially impressive given the fierce competition from Japanese anime juggernauts like Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which took second and third place, respectively, over the same weekend.
Critically, the reception has been mixed, but the buzz remains strong. Some viewers are captivated by Park’s audacious blend of satire and violence, while others find the film’s open-ended conclusion unsettling. The ending, in particular, has sparked debate: after Man-su eliminates his rivals and secures a new job, his family greets him at home—but the moment is tinged with ambiguity. As Lee Byung-hun described, “After watching the film, some might feel a bit unsettled. It’s not the kind of ending where everything is neatly resolved or justice is fully served, leaving the audience questioning whether it’s a happy ending or a tragedy.” For Lee, the ending felt like a “disastrous tragedy.” He revealed that a scene was filmed in which Man-su’s wife, Mi-ri (played by Son Ye-jin), takes the children and leaves after he departs for work, but this was cut to keep the finale open-ended.
Beyond its gripping narrative, No Other Choice has been praised for its timely social commentary. The film skewers the indignities of modern work culture, the fragility of masculine pride, and the absurd lengths to which people will go to survive in a late-capitalist, AI-encroached society. “It’s a passion project for Park that took nearly two decades to produce,” noted The Hollywood Reporter, highlighting the director’s meticulous attention to detail and the story’s resonance in today’s economic climate.
With the Chuseok holiday period beginning September 29, industry observers expect the film’s strong box office run to continue. As of September 29, No Other Choice had been shown on over 2,000 screens, and its cumulative earnings were still climbing. For Park Chan-wook, Lee Byung-hun, and the rest of the cast, the film’s success is a testament to the enduring power of bold storytelling—and to the strange, haunting beauty that can be found even in the darkest corners of the human experience.
As the credits roll and the lights come up, audiences are left with more questions than answers—a lingering afterimage of violence, humor, and the choices we make when there seems to be no other way forward.
