Oldboy - Movie Review

Oldboy Review

Chris Stuckmann reviews Oldboy after seeing its 20th-anniversary 4K remaster in theaters. He jokes that telling film fans you haven’t seen it can make them freeze and insist you watch it immediately.

He praises the film’s unusual blend of bleak drama, dark humor, horror, and inventive action. While the famous hallway fight is spectacular, he says the film’s greatest strength is Park Chan-wook’s handling of its shifting tones. The story is devastating but compelling, without leaving Stuckmann feeling simply depressed.

He also highlights the striking editing, carefully composed shots, and visual details he noticed on this viewing. Although he considers the chain of events behind the final revelations implausible, he says the characters and storytelling make it work.

Stuckmann gives the film an A+ and calls it one of his all-time favorite Korean films.

Sponsorship and Q&A

The video includes a BetterHelp sponsorship, followed by Stuckmann’s account of a prerecorded Q&A with Park Chan-wook, hosted by Nicolas Winding Refn. Stuckmann found it amusing that the director’s main regrets involved things he couldn’t do because of budget limitations.

Personalities Mentioned or Appearing

• Chris Stuckmann
• Park Chan-wook
• Nicolas Winding Refn