Oldboy
Tartan | Release Date: March 25, 2005
8.6
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 644 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
576
Mixed:
35
Negative:
33
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
OhDaeSuOct 30, 2005
A masterpiece. One of the best ever. :)
0 of 1 users found this helpful
9
TerryOct 17, 2005
Excellent.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
MichaelH.Oct 15, 2005
It is the best revenge flm ever! Just watch it!!!
0 of 1 users found this helpful
8
JonathanZ.Oct 3, 2005
After hearing everyone talk about Oldboy in my East Asian Cinema class, I decided take the plunge and see it at the Nuart. I didn?t know what to expect, which is probably a blessing; expectations can go a long way towards ruining a film. After hearing everyone talk about Oldboy in my East Asian Cinema class, I decided take the plunge and see it at the Nuart. I didn?t know what to expect, which is probably a blessing; expectations can go a long way towards ruining a film. Dae-su, the protagonist, starts out as a useless drunk. Then, seemingly for no reason, he is held in a room for fifteen long years, left with only a television to entertain him. His meals come from a slot under his door, and every once and while he?s knocked out with sleeping gas. When he wakes up, his hair has been cut and he?s been given a shave. Through his TV, he learns that he is being charged with the murder of his wife. Someone clearly has revenge on his mind, but who? And for what purpose? Freud would approve. Since the plot hinges on a central revelation, I won't say anything else about it. Instead, I'll talk about some standout scenes. In a cinematic moment that has become infamous already, Dae-su (who looks just beastly with hair teased within an inch of it's life) walks into a sushi bar after being released and asks to eat something "alive." He chomps into a live octopus, but before he can finish, he faints, one tentacle still squirming. On a visceral level, I was repulsed. But then I remembered that this guy just missed out on more than a decade of living and just wanted to feel vital again. In some strange way, my heart went out to him. Eventually, Dae-su figures out where he was incarcerated. So great is his fury that he storms in without any forethought, armed only with a small hammer that he picks up along the way. In a long shot of a hallway, he does battle with his former jailers, displaying an emotion I can only categorize as ?primal rage." Even a knife in his back can?t do much more than slow him down. What made the scene captivating was the fact that violence was used to highlight an emotion, rather than for mere shock value. If you have a strong stomach and a taste for black humor, you'd do well to see this movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
matta.Sep 26, 2005
This movie is a unqualified classic. Cinematography, art-direction, screenplay, acting, direction--all pitch-perfect. I've seen some complaints about some of the plot twists, but really, they are so minor compared to other films of this This movie is a unqualified classic. Cinematography, art-direction, screenplay, acting, direction--all pitch-perfect. I've seen some complaints about some of the plot twists, but really, they are so minor compared to other films of this sort that are now hailed as classics that I think this film deserves to be forgiven.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
DougKAug 28, 2005
Great film, one of the greatest existential dramas in memory. BTW, when 40-year-old-virgin is given similar rating as Oldboy, one can easily voice a volume of criticism of the critics (and perhaps the mysterious rating system of this web Great film, one of the greatest existential dramas in memory. BTW, when 40-year-old-virgin is given similar rating as Oldboy, one can easily voice a volume of criticism of the critics (and perhaps the mysterious rating system of this web site). Is it possible that the last trace of intelligent thinking for the betterment of cinema are readily abandoned under the overwhelming Hollywood assault of sophomoric titles after titles ?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
AndyG.Aug 24, 2005
Dazzling and sophisticated this film may be, but the fact remains that it's built on a contrived and totally unconvincing plot.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
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