Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy continues to captivate viewers with its striking impact even after two decades.
This article contains spoilers for the ending of
Oldboy.
Movies with twist endings often lose their impact upon repeat viewings. The suspense of the finale diminishes as viewers are already aware of what’s to come. When news of a re-release of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy surfaced, I questioned whether it would face the same challenge. The ending of Oldboy is one of the most shocking and gut-wrenching in cinematic history. Would it still hold up after twenty years?
In the early 2000s, Korean cinema experienced a renaissance led by directors like Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, and Kim Ki-duk. While Park’s previous film, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, had a limited release in North America, Oldboy gained more attention after winning the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, generating praise for its intense storytelling.
Initially, the appeal of Oldboy lay in its extreme and shocking moments, such as the protagonist eating a live octopus or fighting a hallway full of people with only a hammer. However, if shock value were the sole driving force, the film wouldn’t be considered a masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences two decades later.
The gripping narrative of Oldboy follows Oh Dae-su, a businessman who is mysteriously kidnapped and held captive for 15 years. Upon his release, he embarks on a vengeful quest to discover the truth behind his imprisonment. Along the way, he forms a bond with Mi-do, a chef who is inexplicably drawn to him. Together, they uncover the dark secrets of a wealthy and deranged individual named Lee Woo-jin.
The plot of Oldboy is overshadowed by the captivating and peculiar character of Dae-su. The film’s power lies in Park’s ability to convey obsession and immerse the audience in a world where one’s sense of self is lost. While Oldboy is part of the Vengeance Trilogy, the common thread among the three films is the disorienting nature of revenge and the twisted paths it leads characters down.
Park’s early career marked him as a provocateur, pushing boundaries of violence and taboos often avoided by Western cinema. However, his more recent works, like The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, blend provocation with intricate storytelling and design, earning critical acclaim.
Rewatching Oldboy in a theater is a reminder of the raw power that Park’s earlier films possessed. Unlike other extreme films from that era that feel dated on repeat viewings, Oldboy transcends mere shock value. Its devastating twist revealing the incestuous relationship between Dae-su and Mi-do fundamentally transforms the viewing experience, turning an exciting odyssey into something hauntingly tragic. Very few movies today can elicit such deep emotional responses, making the re-release of Oldboy a must-see for those seeking a truly intense cinematic journey.
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