Oldboy
Forget everything you know about revenge films. No matter how good Kill Bill, Bull or Revenge is, they are a grain of sand compared to Oldboy, which is the ultimate revenge thriller, in every shape and form.
The plot of Oldboy is so special, and so unique because it actually takes time to set not just the characters up, but the story itself up as well. There isn’t one key detail missing from the montage of Oh Dae-Su’s 15-year imprisonment, since the film is effortlessly able to show us everything in such quick motion. Oh Dae-Su’s painstaking effort is also fully shown in all its glory, as he seeks to find the ones who imprisoned him. It’s one of only the few films that are able to present you with so much content so quickly. While that sounds daunting at first, don’t be fooled; Oldboy successfully manages to accelerate the pace to a constant point that delivers you with everything you want, maybe not want, and more.
This film contains not only the best and most brutal twist of any film, but probably one of the darkest fates in film. The last 20 minutes, as we watch Oh Dae-Su completely lose it and break down upon learning the truth, it is both horrifying and spectacular. On the rewatch it’s arguably darker. Seeing the scenes of them together is so awkward, once you know the truth. And even then, the reveal scene is still a masterpiece, down to the acting and the terrific score that combines both classical and modern music. I think the reason why the twist is so disgusting is because there’s two bad sides. Lee Woo-Jin is not only a twisted, broken man bent on revenge, but he is also someone who got caught doing unspeakable things with his sister. On the other side, you have Oh Dae-Su, who spread the rumours, was locked up for it, and ended up not only unknowingly fell in love with his own daughter through hypnosis, but also hypnotised himself to forget, so he could live out his life of love. With his own daughter.
Oldboy is one of those films that I know will just get better and better the more times I watch it. It’s not only the best Korean film ever made, but definitely one of the best films ever made. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.