Park Chan-Wook, the acclaimed auteur behind Oldboy and Decision to Leave; returns with his latest thriller No Other Choice. Starring Lee Byung-hun (I Saw The Devil) as a man pushed to the brink. NEON has released the first trailer ahead of the film’s limited theatrical run this holiday season.
The film also stars Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won. Park Chan-Wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee wrote the screenplay, adapting Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax. The same author behind the Parker series, which inspired Point Blank and Payback.
A Darkly Comic Twist on Survival
In No Other Choice, Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), a veteran paper manufacturing specialist; sees his life spiral after his company abruptly lays him off. Struggling to provide for his family and haunted by his failure. Man-su’s desperation evolves into something far more dangerous as he decides the only way to get a new job… is to create an opening himself.
Described as a blackly comic, blood-soaked reflection on capitalism and identity, the film marks Park’s return to more grounded, morally complex storytelling. Following its successful festival run at Venice, Toronto, and New York, No Other Choice currently holds a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Park Chan-Wook’s Latest Vision
“We wanted to explore the quiet horror of losing your place in the world,” Park said in a statement. “Man-su is not a villain—he’s someone who can no longer accept that the system decides his worth.”
The project continues Park’s collaboration with NEON, which previously distributed Decision to Leave in North America. Blending sharp social satire, psychological tension, and Park’s trademark visual precision, No Other Choice stands to be one of the year’s most talked-about international releases.
No Other Choice opens in limited release on Christmas Day before expanding nationwide in January 2026.
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