No Other Choice

“They say that “Imitation is the highest form of flattery,” and, arguably, that might be true – but only when the imitation works. When it doesn’t, the result is more of a pale wannabe clone, and that’s precisely the problem with this latest release from writer-director Park Chan-wook. This dark comedy essentially seeks to be this year’s equivalent to the Oscar-winning South Korean offering “Parasite” (“Gisaengchung”) (2019) from filmmaker Bong Joon-ho. But, try as it might, “...”

“Sadly for “Man-su” (Lee Byung-hun) being pulp man of the year doesn’t guarantee your future in the paper industry, and when modernisation costs him his job he has to find another one. With a house, his wife, two children and two dogs to keep he can’t be out of work for long, but he quickly realises that nobody needs his skills anymore. He tries his hand at a few more menial jobs but when “Miri” (Son Ye-jin) announces over the dinner table that she's taken a part time job; tha...”

“This is sharp, merciless filmmaking that finds the comedy in desperation and absurdity in survival. The South Koreans understand something essential about dark comedy: the most horrifying truths become bearable only when delivered with a wink and a knife. No Other Choice takes aim at the particular hell of middle management in late stage capitalism, and the result is as savage as it is hilarious. Middle managers occupy the most absurd position in the corporate hierarch...”