No Other Choice

Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) is a devoted family man and a paper industry veteran who believes he has "achieved it all"—a beautiful house, a loving wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), and two children. His world collapses when his company is acquired by American investors, and he is abruptly fired. After over a year of fruitless job hunting and facing the loss of his home, Man-su discovers a potential position at a rival firm, Moon Paper. Realizing the competition is fierce, he concocts a chilling plan: systematically eliminate the other qualified candidates to ensure he is the only choice left.

As Man-su executes his plan, the film oscillates between slapstick ineptitude and brutal violence. His targets include the depressed and alcoholic Goo Beom-mo (Lee Sung-min) and the charismatic influencer Choi Seon-chul (Park Hee-soon). Meanwhile, his wife Mi-ri, initially the moral anchor, becomes complicit in preserving their status, maintaining the facade of normalcy as the body count rises. The narrative spirals into a dark critique of a society where human worth is tied solely to employment, culminating in a hollow victory within a fully automated future.

At its heart, No Other Choice is a scathing indictment of late-stage capitalism and the fragility of modern masculinity. Director Park Chan-wook uses the absurdity of a "murderous job search" to expose how corporate systems pit individuals against one another, turning ordinary people into monsters to maintain their social standing. The film suggests that in a world prioritizing efficiency and profit (symbolized by the looming threat of AI), human morality becomes an unaffordable luxury. Man-su's victory is ultimately ironic; he fights to become a cog in a machine that no longer needs him.

Some critics view the film not just as a critique of capitalism, but as a deconstruction of the 'good father' archetype. Man-su can be seen as a monster created by patriarchal expectations, where his violence is an expression of his fragile ego rather than pure necessity. The ending allows for a reading where Man-su has completely lost his soul; his solitude in the factory suggests he has become a machine himself. Others interpret the complicity of the wife, Mi-ri, as the true horror, suggesting that society as a whole quietly condones ruthlessness if it preserves comfort.

No Other Choice arrived at a time of global economic anxiety and rising fears about AI replacing human labor. By grounding its thriller elements in the universal fear of unemployment, it struck a chord with audiences worldwide, particularly in South Korea where the pressure to maintain social status is immense. Critics hailed it as a return to form for Park Chan-wook, blending the commercial appeal of a thriller with the biting social commentary of Parasite. It sparked conversations about the ethics of survival in late-stage capitalism and redefined the 'revenge' genre—not against a villain, but against the system itself.

Audiences praised the film for its masterful blend of tension and dark humor, with Lee Byung-hun's performance receiving universal acclaim for its range—from pathetic desperation to terrifying resolve. Viewers found the premise relatable yet horrifying, often laughing at the absurdity before being hit by the grim reality. Some criticism was directed at the pacing in the second act and the extreme cynicism of the ending, which offered no easy redemption. However, the chemistry between the leads and the visual style were widely celebrated highlights.