NO OTHER CHOICE (2025)

Broadly speaking, I'm supportive of Park Chan-Wook's transition from a vicious enfant terrible to something more like a modern Hitchcock, turning out respectable, sturdily made, reasonably thoughtful thrillers enlivened by the occasional glimmer of nastiness. This new film is firmly in that latter mode, but it's one of the weaker entrants in his recent filmography. Part of the problem might have been the attempt to take this down a dark comedy route: at moments it feels less like a modern Hitchcock and more like a variant on Coen Brothers farce. Nothing wrong with that, except: it's not funny? Or at least I can't think of a moment the slapstick and mugging really pulled more than a chuckle out of me (didn't hear many laughs from the audience I saw it with, either). I don't know if it's just that Park doesn't have a knack for this style of farce or if it's a case of miscasting: Lee Byung-hun has a lot of gifts as an actor but maybe physical comedy isn't one of them? As the film winds along and the plot gets thicker, the comedy takes more of a backseat, and I found myself genuinely caught up in the story: by the time we got to the closing sequence (and the marvelous end credits?) I could honestly say that I enjoyed myself. But I wouldn't be eager to watch this again.

A ★★★ review of No Other Choice (2025)

Broadly speaking, I’m supportive of Park Chan-Wook’s transition from a vicious enfant terrible to something more like a modern Hitchcock, turning out respectable, sturdily made, reasonably thoughtful thrillers enlivened by the occasional glimmer of nastiness. This new film is firmly in that latter mode, but it’s one of the weaker entrants in his recent filmography. Part of the problem might have been the attempt to take this down a dark comedy route: at moments it feels less like a modern Hitchcock and more like a variant on Coen Brothers farce. Nothing wrong with that, except: it’s not funny? Or at

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