Oldboy

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1:56

Oldboy

R

2005

2h 0m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

160 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he's abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company. And then, suddenly released, he is invited to track down his jailer with a denouement that is simply stunning.

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Critics Consensus

Violent and definitely not for the squeamish, Park Chan-Wook's visceral Oldboy is a strange, powerful tale of revenge.

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David Sims

The Atlantic

08/22/2023

There’s a core element of emotional realism that accentuates Park’s brutal narrative beats, leaving us to ponder something more than a bloody body.

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Kambole Campbell

Little White Lies

07/29/2019

4/5

A lurid, complex, introspective beast, enacting astonishing cruelty on its protagonist like a slow-acting poison.

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Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

04/15/2013

5/5

Both brutal and lyrical, writer-director Park Chan-wook's existential nail-biter has torture scenes that will have you avoiding dentists, sushi bars and badly appointed hotel rooms.

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Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

08/04/2025

4/5

Park peppers his tragedy with sumptuous production design and a lot more humor than you'd expect.

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William Schwartz

HanCinema

06/21/2025

I don't think I can write in good conscience that this is a bad movie. The camerawork is excellent, as are the performances. There's just not much of a point to it.

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Tom Spoors

Loud and Clear Reviews

01/07/2025

4.5/5

Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy may frequently shock and disgust you, but you’ll find yourself unable to look away from the excellent filmmaking on display.

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Len

09/09/2023

great movie but ending is......ick

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Karina

08/31/2023

I was taken way far aback with this one but my god what a master class in filmmaking and payoff that leaves you revolted and amazed.

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Frank

08/28/2023

classic movie still holds up to this day one of my favorite Korean films of all time and it was good to see it in the movie theater cuz the last time I seen this movie was on TV back in the day when I was in high school

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Kennath

08/27/2023

If you’re less than an hour away from a showing and you have never seen? GO

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Mr. Hollywood

08/26/2023

One of the best films ever made! Great story, great cinematography, great acting, great editing, great sound design. Great great great!

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Carolyn D

08/25/2023

Wholly original, visually stunning and masterfully acted and directed!

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Park Chan-wook

Director

Choi Min-sik

Dae-su Oh

Yoo Ji-tae

Woo-jin Lee

Kang Hye-jung

Mi-do

Ji Dae-han

No Joo-hwan

Oh Dal-su

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Synopsis

Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he's abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company. And then, suddenly released, he is invited to track down his jailer with a denouement that is simply stunning.

Director: Park Chan-wook
Producer: Kim Dong-ju
Screenwriter: Im Jun-hyeong, Hwang Jo-Yoon
Distributor: Tartan Films USA
Production Co: Egg Films, Show East
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2005, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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