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Oldboy

Original title: Oldeuboi
  • 2003
  • 16
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
611K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
191
19
Oldboy (2003)
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
Play trailer1:58
6 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionDramaMystery

After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.

  • Director
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Writers
    • Garon Tsuchiya
    • Nobuaki Minegishi
    • Park Chan-wook
  • Stars
    • Choi Min-sik
    • Yoo Ji-tae
    • Kang Hye-jeong
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.4/10
    611K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    191
    19
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Garon Tsuchiya
      • Nobuaki Minegishi
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Stars
      • Choi Min-sik
      • Yoo Ji-tae
      • Kang Hye-jeong
    • 1.2KUser reviews
    • 352Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #73
    • Awards
      • 40 wins & 27 nominations

    Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:58
    Watch Official Trailer
    Oldboy
    Trailer 1:57
    Watch Oldboy
    Oldboy (2003)
    Trailer 1:35
    Watch Oldboy (2003)
    Director Park Chan-wook on Weaving Violent and Erotic Themes into 'Oldboy'
    Clip 4:33
    Watch Director Park Chan-wook on Weaving Violent and Erotic Themes into 'Oldboy'
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Clip 2:56
    Watch The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
    Clip 3:59
    Watch IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History

    Photos204

    Choi Min-sik and Kang Hye-jeong in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)
    Kang Hye-jeong in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kim Byeong-Ok in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik and Seung-shin Lee in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik and Kang Hye-jeong in Oldboy (2003)
    Kim Byeong-Ok in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik and Kang Hye-jeong in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)
    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Choi Min-sik
    Choi Min-sik
    • Dae-su Oh
    Yoo Ji-tae
    Yoo Ji-tae
    • Woo-jin Lee
    Kang Hye-jeong
    Kang Hye-jeong
    • Mi-do
    Kim Byeong-Ok
    Kim Byeong-Ok
    • Mr. Han
    Dae-han Ji
    • No Joo-hwan
    Dal-su Oh
    Dal-su Oh
    • Park Cheol-woong
    Seung-shin Lee
    Seung-shin Lee
    • Yoo Hyung-ja
    • (as Seung-Shin Lee)
    Jin-Seo Yoon
    Jin-Seo Yoon
    • Lee Soo-ah
    Tae-kyung Oh
    • Young Dae-su
    Yoo Yeon-Seok
    Yoo Yeon-Seok
    • Young Woo-Jin
    • (as Ahn Yeon-Seok)
    Il-han Oo
    • Young Joo-hwan
    Young-hee Lee
    • Clock Store Lady
    Young-ae Kim
    • Elevator Lady
    Mi Mi Lee
    • Dental Nurse
    Jae-Duk Han
    • Night Teacher
    Jung Ae Kwak
    • Nun Teacher
    San Kim
    • Electronics Store Owner
    Chae-soo Jang
    • Woo-jin's Doctor
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Garon Tsuchiya
      • Nobuaki Minegishi
      • Park Chan-wook
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      (at around 27 mins) Four live octopodes were eaten for the scene with Dae-su in the sushi bar, a scene which provoked some controversy abroad. Eating live octopus in Korea is commonplace although it is usually sliced first. When the film won the Grand Prix at Cannes, the director thanked the octopodes along with the cast and crew.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 7 mins) When Mi-do is searching through the Internet for the word "Evergreen", you can see that the high school website already has been visited on that computer because the link is highlighted in purple colors.
    • Quotes

      Dae-su Oh: Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.

    • Alternate versions
      Park Chan-wook stated on his solo DVD commentary that there is an edited version for television broadcast. It omits some of the more extreme violence and the love scene between Oh Dae Su and Mi-do.
    • Connections
      Edited into 365 days, also known as a Year (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      Bring My Love
      by Starsailor

    User reviews1.2K

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    A masterpiece for the cinema fanatics.
    The first time I watched "Old-boy", I was half-amazed, half-disgusted. I wasn't quite sure how to rate the movie in general. I knew 2 things: 1. From a visual point of view, it's one of the best movies I have ever seen. Cinematography & scenography are nothing short of perfection. 2. I had problems with the plot, some holes in it, and a general feeling of injustice, as crime seemed to be pretty lightweight compared with the punishment.

    2nd time was a weird situation. A girl I knew tried to get into the film school, and the day before her exam she asked me to supply her with some movies that were interesting visually. 2 films we watched were "Natural Born Killers" and "Old-boy", and, especially the 2nd 1 was a revelation.

    Knowing the plot, it was easy for me to concentrate on the visual side, and my friend always consumes the movies this way. Results of paying attention to the tiniest of details were stunning. I don't think there's 1 scene in there shot without an idea, without something happening in the background, or without an image responding to the theme of the scene.

    Don't be a baby crying about violence - camera turns away in key moments. Don't be a smartarse, picking on the shortcomings of the plot - think about Hitchcock or Chaplin and how they gave a flying f... about plot. Appreciate the work of the whole crew, and for best effects watch it a couple of times. It's worth it.
    helpful•74
    46
    • maciusp
    • Feb 19, 2008

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    Reboots & Remakes

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    Production art
    Photos

    FAQ2

    • Is "Oldboy" based on a novel?
    • Is the movie ending the same as in the manga?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 11, 2004 (Netherlands)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official site
      • Official site (Russia)
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Old Boy
    • Filming locations
      • Busan, South Korea
    • Production companies
      • Show East
      • Egg Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,427,598
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $68,957
      • Mar 27, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $17,141,343
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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