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IMDbPro

Oldboy

Original title: Oldeuboi
  • 20032003
  • RR
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
569K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
338
36
Oldboy (2003)
Theatrical Trailer from Tartan Films
Play trailer1:35
3 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.
IMDb RATING
8.4/10
569K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
338
36
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Garon Tsuchiya(manga)
      • Nobuaki Minegishi(manga)
      • Park Chan-wook(character created by: Oldboy, Vengeance Trilogy)
    • Stars
      • Choi Min-sik
      • Yoo Ji-tae
      • Kang Hye-jeong
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Park Chan-wook
    • Writers
      • Garon Tsuchiya(manga)
      • Nobuaki Minegishi(manga)
      • Park Chan-wook(character created by: Oldboy, Vengeance Trilogy)
    • Stars
      • Choi Min-sik
      • Yoo Ji-tae
      • Kang Hye-jeong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.1KUser reviews
    • 338Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
    Top rated movie #71
    • Awards
      • 40 wins & 21 nominations

    Videos3

    Oldboy (2003)
    Trailer 1:35
    Oldboy (2003)
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Clip 2:56
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
    Clip 3:59
    IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History

    Photos172

    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(manga)
      • Nobuaki Minegishi(manga)
      • Park Chan-wook(character created by: Oldboy, Vengeance Trilogy) (screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      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
      When Woo-jin Lee 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 reviews1.1K

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Excellent in it's sickness
    I looked at program for today and I saw movie "Oldboy". I read plot and I liked it. What I expected is decent thriller from very good South Korean cinematography,something like "Salinui chueok ". But once again I was wrong. "Oldboy" is masterpiece, so unusual from all other movies. I've seen lots of violence on screen and to me this isn't nothing new but I think that people under 18 really shouldn't watch this one. It's because movie is brutal and I don't think that younger ones would fully understand this one.

    To say something about plot is quite impossible because I don't know where to begin. If I start talking about the movie I could tell few important things and I know that people often read other comments because they didn't watch that movie. So,I'm going to say only what I read before watching this movie.

    On his daughter's birthday, Oh Dae-su gets drunk and soon he's arrested by the police. His best friend No Joo-hwan somehow manages to get him out of jail and when No Joo-hwan is making a phone call Oh Dae-su disappears. Someone kidnap's him and puts him into room during 15 long years.But one day he's released.

    That's the plot. Very interesting, you should watch this movie and then judge it. By the rating on IMDb this movie is in top 250 movies. Now I can understand why. This plot that I wrote doesn't reveal the greatness of the people who wrote the script. I bow to them because this movie is so good, with all those twists and it really represents a whole new wave of making a movie, of writing a script and of acting in it. About direction and actors I can say only good things. Director Park Chan-wook won prize Grand Jury at Cannes. That's enough about direction part. About actors. I can say that I'm impressed by one actor:Choi Min-sik. He's amazing in major role and he showed great potential. I hope I will see him again in some good movie.

    I cannot say anything more because I could reveal some secret and I don't wanna do that to all new viewers. Only a recommendation. Beautiful, intelligent masterpiece of movie that I highly recommend for everyone with strong stomach and too all of you who want to see one excellent, but sick story. 10/10
    helpful•322
    167
    • johnny-08
    • Jul 22, 2007

    FAQ3

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

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 2003 (South Korea)
    • 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
      • $707,481
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $68,957
      • Mar 27, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $15,255,474
    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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