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Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice Hits U.S. Theaters as Critics Praise Craft, Question Tone

Park’s adaptation reframes Donald Westlake’s The Ax as a dark satire of layoffs with AI-era job anxiety in the foreground.

Overview

  • The film is now in U.S. release, with critics publishing fresh reviews and noting a limited rollout.
  • Reviewers widely single out Lee Byung-hun for a nuanced lead turn that balances desperation with mordant humor.
  • Park’s visual precision and Kim Woo-hyung’s cinematography draw strong acclaim for striking compositions and inventive framing.
  • Assessments diverge on tone and pacing, with praise for dark-comic energy alongside complaints about slapstick detours and an overlong runtime.
  • Critics read the story as a sharp commentary on corporate downsizing and fears of AI-driven job loss, updating Westlake’s The Ax for 2025.