Directed by Park Chan-wook, and co written by him with Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar and Lee Ja-hye, based on Donald Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, No Other Choice arrives on the back of positive reviews following its American release last year.
Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) lives a happy and luxurious life with wife Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin) and their two children. But when he looses his job at a papermaking company following an American buyout, and he fails to get another job in the same sector, he goes to extreme lengths to eliminate his competition.
This had all the elements to make a delicious black comedy and there were some parts that were darkly amusing. However, it was very unfocused with baffling tangents involving teeth/dentistry and snakes that add nothing to the story. There is also the introduction of a potential subplot about Man-su being abusive to his stepson but that goes nowhere.
It has a reasonably satisfying conclusion but it takes a very long time getting there.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10