Old Boy New Audience: The 2003 Korean thriller Oldboy finally debuts in the U.S.

Revenge is a dish that is best served cold, especially in the freeze of a movie theater. When it comes to South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 revenge-thriller “Oldboy,” there’s no colder place to feast. 

The re-release of “Oldboy” debuted in the U.S. for its 20th anniversary with additional special features and English subtitles on August 16. Now that “Oldboy” can be legally viewed in the U.S., it’s been met with nothing but positive reviews — from both critics and viewers — and sold out theaters. I thoroughly enjoyed “Oldboy” and love nearly every aspect of the film.

I spend countless hours watching movies from all over the world, so I was thrilled to learn that “Oldboy” was coming to the U.S.. These films are a personal interest of mine, however, the addition of subtitles and the need for undivided attention while watching causes the loss of mass viewership among the general public. 

For the last 20 years, the only way to watch “Oldboy” was by illegally downloading it. Pirating films is always a challenging task that is not very pleasant for the viewer — with low quality and small screens, it doesn’t compare to the experience of a large screen theater — which makes the film’s return much more impactful. 

Yet this re-release of “Oldboy” isn’t its first time in the U.S. — it had an American version made in 2013 directed by Spike Lee. However, its immediate reception was quite negative — both critics and viewers disliked it, and was quickly buried in the vast ongoing avalanche of the modern film industry.  

The movie features protagonist Oh Dae-su, played by Korean actor Choi Min-sik, as a man who has been held captive for 15 years, with no clue as to why. The man has only one goal — to get revenge on his captors and unravel the mystery of his own life. The premise is simple, yet captivating and extremely enjoyable, with overarching themes of revenge and passion that go beyond the burden of a language barrier, making a recipe for a stellar film that I adore. 

The witty delivery of lines like “Revenge is good for your health, but pain will find you again,” and modern aesthetic make for a relatable film as well, placing the viewer in the perspective of Dae-su, creating character depth and a relation of vengeful rage. 

As the film continues on, the more dense and thick the plot gets. The cinematography creates incredible tension between characters with long one-take fight scenes and emotional character interactions that left me dazed. These characteristics of constant action and suspense display the deep and motivated tone of the writing accurately, with Dae-su’s need for justice being twisted and accompanied by dark humor throughout.  

Possibly the most iconic part of the movie is its twist ending, something that is so demented and unpredictable, it stays in the viewer’s head for days after exiting the theater, as it did for me.  

Foreign films are not as popular in the U.S. as Hollywood produced films, “Oldboy” navigates these issues by keeping the viewer engaged with fast pacing and lots of emotional action as well as an overall stylistic tone. My favorite aspect has to be the personal character development of Dae-su and his transformation over the 15 years he is held captive. 

“Oldboy” is a rewatchable film, too, making its value increase tenfold. Due to its expeditious and high-octane nature, the film creates an atmosphere of destruction. With the combination of well-choreographed fight scenes of flying fists (or hammers) and utter destruction — once you start, you won’t want to stop, as I didn’t. 

The film is also a loose adaptation of a manga by the same name, though there are many significant differences throughout the film — the tone is much darker and story elements have more depth and overall development with Dae-su’s relations between characters, such as Dae-su’s relationship with his family due to his 15-year absence, as well as the motives of his captors and the malice behind it. 

The experience of going to a theater is something that continuously brings people together, and with the international aspect of foreign films, cinema can bring nations together. It’s important to not let “Oldboy” be overshadowed by blockbuster films like “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer” — it’s a once-in-twenty-years special that shouldn’t be missed.