< Back to main Festival page

A man in a red apron peers cautiously around a doorway, his expression tense.

No Other Choice Eojjeolsugaeopda

  Park Chan-wook  |  South Korea

Dark comedy meets despair in Park Chan-wook’s latest thriller satirizing the social pressure and shrinking industries facing today’s workers in South Korea and beyond. Squid Game’s Lee Byung-hun stars as Man-soo, a long-time Solar Paper employee whose sense of self is imperiled after he abruptly loses his job.

Terrified that the trappings of success—professional recognition, handsome home, loving family—will slip from his grasp, he searches for a new role as bills begin piling up. At his wit’s end, he hatches a scheme to identify, then eliminate, his competition for the last remaining position in specialty papers. With mounting absurdity and desperation, Man-soo lures his rivals into his deadly trap using the empty promise of employment in their all-but-obsolete industry, convincing himself at every turn of the truth behind the film’s title: that he has no other choice.

Brought to life by Park’s singular talent for masterfully depicting the bleakest situations, the director’s latest is further animated by a compelling turn from his leading man that is equal parts heartbreaking and unhinged.

 Korean 

 139 minutes

Screenings & Events

There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.

Film Credits

  •   Park Chan-wook, Back Jisun, Michèle Ray, Gavras Alexandre Gavras
  •   Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, Lee Kyoung-mi, Lee Ja-hye
  •   Kim Sang-beom, Kim Ho-bin
  •   Kim Woo-hyung
  •   Lee Byung Hun, Son Yejin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yeom Hye Ran, Cha Seung Won

You might also enjoy...

A man stands on stage in green light, holding a microphone to his mouth with a smug expression on his face.

Is This Thing On?

Bradley Cooper | U.S.

As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while …

A man and a woman closely stand face to face in a deeply wooded area.

Hamnet

Chloé Zhao | U.K.

From Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet.

The Testament of Ann Lee

Mona Fastvold | U.K.

From award winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes a speculative retelling of the extraordinary story of Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), …

Tickets on sale now!

See your most-anticipated screenings at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.

GET YOUR TICKETS
close-link

Save $10 on memberships with code 26MEM10

Members get the best price and earliest access to
tickets at the 62nd Festival!

BECOME A MEMBER
close-link
Scroll to Top