by Anthony Frajman
Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon
Intro:
… a compelling, eerily relevant film about the consequences of downsizing in the face of AI, and the lengths one will go for their family.
How far would you go to provide for your family? This is the question at the centre of No Other Choice, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s black comedy about downsizing.
A blend of social commentary, comedy and drama, No Other Choice follows Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun), an employee at a paper company, who is laid off after 25 years of service. Struggling to provide for his family after months of unemployment, Man-su is desperate to return to the lifestyle his family enjoyed and a job worthy of his experience. Tired of his situation, Man-su devises a plan to apply for a new role, and get rid of his competitors for the job.
One of the most striking aspects of No Other Choice is its stark depiction of what people will do when they’re desperate. No Other Choice begins in a light and comedic style. After its protagonist Man-su loses his job, he considers the idea of murder, at first with a pot plant. Yet, the bumbling Man-su never actually goes through with the idea. As he becomes more desperate, No Other Choice soon takes a much darker turn.
No Other Choice seamlessly switches between multiple genres. Many scenes in the film deftly weave comedy and drama.
Along with Bong Joon-Ho, Chan-wook is one of South Korea’s most pre-eminent filmmakers, and with the deft balancing of disparate tones in No Other Choice, he easily proves why.
No Other Choice is a compelling, eerily relevant film about the consequences of downsizing in the face of AI, and the lengths one will go for their family.
