Mixed Reception in Korea
Box Office and Critical Acclaim in the U.S.
Park Chanwook's Most Successful North American Release Expected
Director Park Chanwook's latest film, No Other Choice, saw somewhat disappointing box office results in Korea, but it is receiving an unexpectedly positive response in the United States. Depending on its final performance in North America, there are projections that it could become the second highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the U.S.
Director Park Chanwook's latest work, No Other Choice, is expected to become the second highest-grossing Korean film ever released in the United States.
On January 16 (local time), Hollywood industry magazine Deadline reported that No Other Choice is likely to become Park Chanwook's most successful film at the U.S. box office. According to the publication, the film has already earned about $4.2 million (approximately 6.2 billion won) from limited screenings focused on major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. This figure surpasses the North American box office results of all of Park's previous releases, including Oldboy.
If this box office momentum continues, industry insiders expect the cumulative North American revenue to exceed $10 million. Deadline analyzed that if these projections come true, the film will become the second highest-grossing Korean film in North America after Bong Joonho's Parasite. The previous second place record was held by director Shim Hyungrae's D-War.
The contrast with its performance in Korea is clear. When No Other Choice was released domestically in September last year, it attracted only 2.94 million viewers. Reviews of the film's artistic merit were mixed, and some analysts pointed out that the harshness of the narrative and the black comedy elements worked against its mainstream appeal.
In contrast, the film is enjoying both critical acclaim and commercial success in North America. It continues to draw steady audiences in locations such as Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego and Sacramento, California; and Raleigh, North Carolina. As it enters its fourth week of release, the number of theaters screening the film is expected to expand to around 700.
Its global box office revenue is also on the rise. Worldwide sales are approaching $27 million, and there is speculation that it could surpass the record set by Park's previous film, The Handmaiden.
Tom Quinn, CEO of NEON, which is distributing the film in North America, emphasized Park Chanwook's influence. He said, "Oldboy was the film that changed the course of my career," adding, "Many of today's leading directors cite Park as a source of creative inspiration."
Earlier, in an interview with The New York Times, Park revealed that he initially intended to make No Other Choice in the United States. He explained, "This film deals with the structure of capitalism, and I thought it could be conveyed most directly in America, the heart of capitalism." The original novel is set in the U.S. and depicts a character driven to an extreme decision after corporate restructuring. However, due to concerns over the film's themes of layoffs and serial killings, Hollywood investment did not materialize.
Ultimately, Park relocated the setting to Korea and cast Lee Byunghun in the lead role, creating a film that reflects the realities of Korean society. The New York Times noted that this decision ultimately made the film feel even more refreshing to American audiences.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a critic score of 98 and an audience score of 93. The New York Times described it as "a brutal yet incisive satire of a ruthless era."
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