Oldboy (2003)

Oldboy plot summary (no spoilers)

Oh Dae-su is an ordinary man until the day he is taken. He wakes up in a locked room with no idea who put him there or why, and he stays there for fifteen years. He is drugged and tortured, and he lives with nothing but his own anger and the passing of time. He fills notebooks and turns his rage into a long, private preparation.

Then, just as suddenly, he is let go. Back in a South Korean city that has moved on without him, Dae-su has one goal: find out who imprisoned him and make them pay. The film’s tagline sums up the stakes: fifteen years of captivity followed by five days of vengeance. With help from a young woman named Mi-do, he follows fragments of memory and scattered clues toward the people responsible. Each answer he uncovers raises harder questions about the past.

The story is told through flashbacks and a tightening mystery. Oldboy is a revenge thriller that cares as much about why something happened as about who did it.

What makes Oldboy notable

• Director: Park Chan-wook directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Hwang Jo-yoon and Im Joon-hyung. The film is based on a manga.
• Cast: Choi Min-sik leads as Oh Dae-su. Yoo Ji-tae plays Lee Woo-jin and Kang Hye-jung plays Mi-do. The supporting cast includes Kim Byeong-ok as Mr. Han, Ji Dae-han as No Joo-hwan and Oh Dal-su as Park Cheol-woong. Oh Tae-kyung and Yoo Yeon-seok play the younger versions of Dae-su and Woo-jin.
• Genre and tone: It is a neo-noir thriller and mystery. It mixes raw martial-arts violence and dark comedy with philosophical questions about sin, guilt, loneliness and time.
• Origin: This is a South Korean production in Korean, from Show East, Egg Film and Cineclick Asia. It was first released on 21 November 2003.
• Legacy: Oldboy has since been remade, a sign of how widely its story has travelled beyond Korea.
• Review note: This page does not offer a personal review. The Drama4U Score is shown separately on this page.

Who will enjoy Oldboy

• Fans of dark, uncompromising revenge thrillers
• Viewers who like mysteries that unfold through flashbacks and slowly revealed motives
• Anyone exploring Korean cinema or the films of Park Chan-wook
• Neo-noir lovers who appreciate bleak humour alongside intense drama
• Adult audiences comfortable with violence, torture and disturbing themes

Oldboy release date & where to watch (US)

Oldboy premiered worldwide on 21 November 2003. In the United States, it screened at the Sundance Film Festival on 26 January 2005 and at the Cleveland International Film Festival on 11 March 2005. A 4K restoration was released digitally in the US on 5 September 2023, rated R.

US viewers can currently watch it here:

• Free: Kanopy, and Plex Channel (free with ads)
• Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home

The film runs 120 minutes and is in Korean.

Trailer

Cast

• Choi Min-sikas Oh Dae-suSee credits →
• Yoo Ji-taeas Lee Woo-jin
• Kang Hye-jungas Mi-do
• Kim Byeong-okas Mr. Han
• Ji Dae-hanas No Joo-hwan
• Oh Dal-suas Park Cheol-woong
• Lee Seung-shinas Yoo Hyung-ja
• Yoon Jin-seoas Lee Soo-ah

Photo: TMDB

FAQ

When was Oldboy released?

Oldboy was first released on 21 November 2003. In the US, it screened at the Sundance Film Festival on 26 January 2005. A 4K restoration was released digitally on 5 September 2023.

Where can I watch Oldboy in the US?

You can stream it free on Kanopy or on Plex Channel with ads. It is also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home.

Who is in the cast of Oldboy?

Choi Min-sik stars as Oh Dae-su, with Yoo Ji-tae as Lee Woo-jin and Kang Hye-jung as Mi-do. Kim Byeong-ok, Ji Dae-han and Oh Dal-su are also in the cast.

What is Oldboy about?

A man is locked away for fifteen years without explanation and then suddenly released. He sets out to discover who imprisoned him and why, and to take revenge.

How long is Oldboy and what is it rated?

Oldboy runs 120 minutes. The 4K restoration is rated R in the US.

Sources

1. TMDB
2. IMDb