Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsOldboy (2003) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 6 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 9) |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Garon Tsuchiya (story)
Nobuaki Minegishi (comic) ...
more
Release Date:
21 November 2003 (South Korea) more
Tagline:
15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance more
Plot:
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in 5 days. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
17 wins & 10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(78 articles)
Will Smith and Steven Spielberg Abandoning Oldboy Remake?
(From FilmJunk. 10 November 2009, 11:32 AM, PST)
Oldboy Remake Not Proceeding After All
(From Dread Central. 10 November 2009, 11:21 AM, PST)
User Comments:
One of most well-made films I've ever seen more (614 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Min-sik Choi | ... | Dae-su Oh | |
| Ji-tae Yu | ... | Woo-jin Lee | |
| Hye-jeong Kang | ... | Mi-do | |
| Dae-han Ji | ... | No Joo-hwan | |
| Dal-su Oh | ... | Park Cheol-woong | |
| Byeong-ok Kim | ... | Mr. Han | |
| Seung-Shin Lee | ... | Yoo Hyung-ja | |
| Jin-seo Yun | ... | Lee Soo-ah | |
| Dae-yeon Lee | ... | Beggar | |
| Kwang-rok Oh | ... | Suicidal Man | |
| Tae-kyung Oh | ... | Young Dae-su | |
| Yeon-suk Ahn | ... | Young Woo-jin | |
| Il-han Oo | ... | Young Joo-hwan | |
| Su-hyeon Kim | |||
| Seung-jin Lee |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Old Boy (International: English title) (DVD title)
Oldeuboi (South Korea)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Taiwan:R-18 | Portugal:M/18 | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (tv rating) | Brazil:18 | Italy:T | Norway:18 (unrated) | Norway:15 (DVD) | Belgium:16 | Israel:18 | Chile:18 | Belgium:KNT | Argentina:16 (DVD rating) | Mexico:C | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) | Poland:15 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:R21 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Chan-wook Park wanted a documentary feel during the police station scene by using jump cutting. As a result, most of Min-sik Choi's ad libbed lines were trimmed. The full ad libbed scenes are found on the UK Tartan DVD. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The last scene at Woo-jin's penthouse, while he is getting dressed, his shirt cuffs already have cufflinks in them; in the next shot, they are missing, and he is putting them on. more
Quotes:
Dae-su Oh: [after a huge fight] As I expected, I can't get along with anyone today either. more
Movie Connections:
References Koroshi no rakuin (1967) more
Soundtrack:
Winter more
FAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersIs "Oldboy" based on a novel?
Is the movie ending the same as in the manga?
more
more (614 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Oldboy (2003) moreRecommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Zinda | Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | V for Vendetta | The Salton Sea | The Fugitive |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Drama section |
| IMDb South Korea section | Add this title to MyMovies |








I decided to check this movie out after Ebert's 4 star rave review, and the cult status this movie has received (and was also intrigued by the sexy-looking Ultimate Edition), so I decided to rent it. I was VERY surprised at how different it was than I expected it to be - I expected a ton of violence and not much in the way of writing or acting. The first time I saw it, I wasn't blown away, just kind of like whatever.
When I watched it for the second time, however, I really started to notice how well it's made, in addition to liking it more. Every shot is bursting with background detail, a great amount of attention on the production design (the theme of a certain color in a scene was restrained, yet perfectly balanced). The actors really gave it all, especially the 2 male leads who really blew me away. The music is a varied mix of beautiful classical music and some pretty cool techno. The screenplay is brilliant; the characters are developed very well, extremely complex, and the plot is not only ingenious, but the payoff and twists are 1000x better than any Shamaylan movie.
Simply put, from a technical point of view, it's one of the best movies ever. From a critic's point of view, it is a very well-done movie that goes a little overboard in sex and violence, and is just a little strange.