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Old Boy (2003)

Oldeuboi (original title)
R | | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 29 September 2004 (France)
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1:36 | Trailer

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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.

Director:

Writers:

(story), (comic) | 4 more credits »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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Top Rated Movies #66 | 26 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Dae-han Ji ...
...
...
...
Yoo Hyung-ja (as Seung-Shin Lee)
...
Dae-yeon Lee ...
Kwang-rok Oh ...
Tae-kyung Oh ...
Yeon-suk Ahn ...
Il-han Oo ...
Su-hyeon Kim
Seung-jin Lee
See full cast »
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Storyline

An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, Oh Dae-Su soon finds out that his kidnapper has a greater plan for him and is set onto a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to uncover the motive of his mysterious tormentor. Written by Jacksrevenge

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

imprisonment | revenge | hypnosis | brother sister relationship | love | See All (279) »

Taglines:

End of confrontation, one must die. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 September 2004 (France)  »

Also Known As:

Old Boy  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$44,465 (Hong Kong) (15 October 2004)

Gross:

$2,181,290 (USA) (20 December 2013)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The line on the painting of Dae Su's cell reads "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone." These are the first lines of Ella Wheeler Wilcox's famous poem, "Solitude". See more »

Goofs

There seems to be a mistranslation regarding one Chinese character. Dae Su and Mido go to several Blue Dragon restaurants to test-taste the dumplings. The Chinese characters actually translate to Green Dragon. See more »

Quotes

Dae-su Oh: The TV is both a clock and a calendar. It's your school, your home, your church, your friend...
[Dae-su masturbates to a pop star onscreen]
Dae-su Oh: ... and your lover. But... my lover's song is too short.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in MADtv: Episode #12.2 (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

Winter
from "The Four Seasons"
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Q: Is "Oldboy" based on a novel?
Q: Is the movie ending the same as in the manga?
See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

One step ahead of America
7 March 2007 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

Oldboy takes a hammer and "batters" its American equivalents, leaving them as pulped as a chewed up squid. Park Chan Wook displays what America misses with his ultra-stylish, ultra-violent thriller. Why watch Ben Affleck fail spectacularly to summon any displayable talent, when Min sik Choi serves up a memorable role as the disturbed, vengeful Dae Su Oh, in the second of the Vengeance trilogy. Park skillfully creates a compelling plot that will have you guessing through the entire film, up until the final shocking revelation. The Cinematography expertly done by Jeong-hun Jeong, who also worked on the follow up to this film, Chinjeolhan geumjassi. Everything about this film is done in style and panache and creates a memorable experience, and has many memorable scenes.

Many people accuse this film of being "unrealistic". These people forget that this a film, not a documentary. No one complains About Star Wars being unrealistic, and rightly so. Films have a right to stretch out reality, don't forget the reason it does this is to be entertaining.

Although the film has strong violence of a graphic nature, I advise you to watch it, if only to broaden your perspectives of world and Asian cinema.
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