Director Park Chan-wook's latest film “No Other Choice,” which premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Friday, is receiving rave reviews in the United States and Britain.

A total of 17 media outlets had reviewed “No Other Choice,” giving the film a perfect 100 percent rating so far, according to U.S. review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, as of noon Sunday.


The BBC, in a review describing Park’s film as “deliriously entertaining,” gave "No Other Choice" five out of five stars and praised it as being on par with Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite" (2019).

“The latest masterpiece from Park Chan-wook, who directed Oldboy [2003] and co-produced Bong's Snowpiercer [2013], it's another deliriously entertaining and continually surprising South Korean film, which rails against today's economic realities, and which boasts an imaginatively staged death or two,” the review read.

“'No Other Choice' isn't just Park's funniest film, but his most humane, too — and that's quite something for a comedy as violent as this one.”

U.S.-based entertainment outlet Variety ran a review titled “Park Chan-wook’s dazzling murder comedy is a masterclass in controlled chaos,” calling it “the latest exhibit in the mounting body of evidence suggesting Park Chan-wook may be the most elegant filmmaker alive.”

“The film is extremely amusing, certainly, but it’s simultaneously a poignant study of the desperation of the long-term jobless and the needless cruelty of the corporate world,” wrote Screen Daily. “It’s also a warning. As AI chews increasingly large chunks out of the job market, we could all be Man-su,” referring to the film’s protagonist, played by actor Lee Byung-hun.

“The question is, who will be the one holding the North Korean service revolver when the time comes?”

The film’s 100 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes is even higher than the 99 percent initially earned by “Parasite.” However, the score for “Parasite” was based on 485 reviews. As “No Other Choice” heads to theaters and more critics weigh in, its score may change.

In the United States, critics are not only expecting the film to win big at Venice but also see it as a strong contender for next year’s Oscars.

IndieWire noted, “Not only is there the sentiment that director Park is past due for an Oscar nomination, black comedy “No Other Choice” manages to stay true to his provocative nature without being as isolating as some of his past work that has been too brutal for voters — or even South Korea’s selection committee.”

"No Other Choice" received a standing ovation that lasted over nine minutes during its world premiere at the Sala Grande theater in Venice, Italy, on Friday. It is the first Korean film in 13 years to compete in the main competition section of the international film festival.

The film follows Man-su, a company employee who felt his life was complete — until he is laid off. The story unfolds as he wages his own war to get reemployed and protect his wife, played by Son Ye-jin, and two children. The film hits local theaters on Sept. 24.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]