Overview

• At a Busan press conference, Park said the film explicitly raises the question of artificial intelligence in its final act and reflects shared uncertainty about its rapid development.
• He cautioned that Korean theatrical exhibition is under greater strain than filmmaking itself and urged audiences to experience the movie on the big screen.
• Adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, the dark satire follows a laid-off paper worker driven to extremes, reframed through Korean social dynamics.
• Park said he localized the story with themes such as a fixation on home and the lingering effects of a patriarchal system to resonate with domestic viewers.
• After a Venice premiere and a Toronto stop where it won an international audience award, the film opened the 30th Busan International Film Festival with the cast echoing calls for theatrical viewing.