Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" Conquers Venice 2025 as Oscar Frontrunner Emerges
South Korean master filmmaker Park Chan-wook has delivered what critics are calling his potential masterpiece, with "No Other Choice" earning universal praise at the Venice Film Festival and positioning itself as a serious Academy Awards contender.
Perfect Critical Storm at Venice
The film achieved a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 19 critics and scored 88/100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". Critics have been effusive in their praise, with major publications calling it everything from "a masterful work of cinema" to potentially Park's career-defining film.
The premiere drew enthusiastic audience response, with standing ovations reported between 6-9 minutes by various sources, making it one of the festival's most celebrated entries.
Twenty Years in the Making
Park first announced his intention to adapt Donald Westlake's novel "The Ax" at the 2009 Busan International Film Festival, calling it a "lifetime project" he hoped would become his masterpiece. The director was characteristically blunt about the delay: "There's a very short answer, one word in fact. That's 'money.'"
Principal photography finally began in August 2024 and wrapped in January 2025, lasting five months total. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Man-su, a middle-aged paper company employee who turns to murder after losing his job, alongside Son Ye-jin as his wife.
CJ ENM's High-Stakes Gamble
For distributor CJ ENM, this represents a crucial comeback moment. The Korean entertainment giant has struggled in recent years, with their film division investing in only two Korean movies this year. Their other 2025 release flopped spectacularly, making "No Other Choice" their lifeline back to relevance.
CJ ENM executives committed to maintaining their record KRW1 trillion ($750 million) annual content investment despite industry headwinds, positioning this film as a flagship for their renewed ambitions.
Strategic Oscar Positioning
The Venice premiere wasn't accidental. Neon acquired North American rights with plans for an awards campaign, the same distributor behind "Parasite's" historic Oscar sweep. Venice's timing provides ideal momentum for Academy consideration, following the successful path of recent winners like "Joker" and "Poor Things."
Industry observers note this could finally earn Park his first Oscar nomination, with critics already calling the film an Academy contender. The director has never been nominated despite international acclaim for films like "Oldboy" and "The Handmaiden."
Critical Consensus
Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive across major outlets. Time Out awarded five stars, calling it "a masterful work of cinema which might well be Chan-wook's masterpiece". IndieWire gave it an A- score, describing it as "a brilliant, bloody, and bleakly hilarious capitalism satire".
The film's exploration of unemployment and corporate brutality has resonated with critics as particularly timely. AwardsWatch noted it "feels like a quintessentially Korean movie: nervous about what happens when the family structure breaks down".
Festival Circuit and Release Strategy
The film will open the Busan International Film Festival on September 17 before its Korean theatrical release on September 24. It will also screen at the New York Film Festival in October and multiple international festivals.
Venice predictions currently favor "No Other Choice" for major awards, with critics calling it "the obvious standout contender for the Golden Lion". The festival concludes September 6 with the awards ceremony.
The Verdict
Park Chan-wook's return to Venice after 20 years has exceeded all expectations. With perfect critical reception, strategic distribution, and powerful industry backing, "No Other Choice" appears positioned not just for Venice glory but potentially Oscar history.
Whether this dark comedy about unemployment and desperation can replicate "Parasite's" Academy success remains to be seen, but early indicators suggest Korean cinema may have another global phenomenon on its hands.
