Park Chan‑wook’s twelfth feature, No Other Choice, took a decisive step toward release this week as its first trailer dropped online and in Korean cinemas, confirming a September domestic bow, an anticipated Venice competition slot and a North‑American rollout via Neon early next year.
The 90‑second teaser introduces Man‑soo (Lee Byung‑hun), a middle‑aged paper‑mill manager who turns contract killer after losing his job, a premise lifted from Donald Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax. Set against Jo Yeong‑wook’s discordant score, the footage intercuts fluorescent office corridors with blood‑red title cards, echoing the director’s trademark collision of elegance and violence. Son Ye‑jin appears as Man‑soo’s wife Mi‑ri, foregrounding the domestic fallout that Park has said he aims to “strengthen” compared with Costa‑Gavras’s 2005 French adaptation.
Alongside Lee and Son, the ensemble features Park Hee‑soon, Lee Sung‑min, Cha Seung‑won and Yeom Hye‑ran, many of whom have collaborated with Park on previous projects. The screenplay is credited to Park, Don McKellar and frequent co‑writers Lee Kyoung‑mi and Lee Ja‑hye, while stalwart cinematographer Kim Woo‑hyung lenses in 35 mm. Principal photography wrapped late last year on locations in Incheon’s industrial port and Seoul’s Yeouido district.
CJ ENM will release the film nationwide in September, banking on Park’s strong local draw after Decision to Leave earned ₩14 billion in 2022. Neon secured North‑American rights in June, marking its third partnership with the filmmaker after Parasite’s U.S. rerelease and the 4K restoration of Oldboy. Mubi has taken several European territories, with sources indicating a coordinated Q4 awards push.
Industry trackers expect No Other Choice to premiere in competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival; Screen Daily listed the thriller among titles “locked in time for the Lido,” while World of Reel reports that programmers have reserved a slot for its world debut ahead of TIFF. If confirmed, it would mark Park’s first return to Venice since 2016’s The Handmaiden.
Box‑office analysts note that Korean titles with star pairings of Lee Byung‑hun and Son Ye‑jin have averaged ₩25 billion domestically over the past decade, a metric that positions No Other Choice for one of 2025’s stronger local openings despite its black‑comedy tone. Early online reaction has been robust: the teaser racked up more than 3 million YouTube views within 24 hours and #NoOtherChoice trended atop Korean Twitter. Critics responding to the trailer praised Park’s “elegant brutality,” with Film Stories calling the footage “bleak, tense, and beautifully framed.”
Also Read
Produced by Moho Film and KG Productions on an estimated $18 million budget, the project signals Park’s first feature since Decision to Leave and continues his exploration of moral collapse under capitalist pressure. With festival momentum building and distribution secured across key territories, the director’s corporate‑satire‑turned‑thriller appears poised to extend his global footprint while offering another visceral synthesis of style and social critique.
