A bitter laugh Director Park Chan-wook carried for 17 years, and the harsh, merciless world it reflects.
Director Park Chan-wook’s 2025 film No Other Choice (Korean title: 어쩔수가없다) took 17 years from conception to release. Based on the American novel The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, the screenplay was first written in English for a U.S. production, then relocated to Korea, and went through many twists. Life Pattern Korea. Despite the frequent failures of such long-gestating projects, Park’s persistent devotion to this story resulted in its creation after over a decade.
Like the novel, the film depicts a fired worker who, desperate to get re-hired, murders those evaluated as his competition—an allegorical indictment of capitalist society. Satire, thriller, and black comedy blend here, and Park opted primarily for black comedy. Life Pattern Korea. While the film is packed with comedic moments—from slapstick to wordplay—the characters themselves never appear to enjoy their actions. That’s the hallmark of memorable comedy-thrillers: no forced jokes, only characters trapped in absurdity who blunder under fear and urgency, making the audience laugh while feeling unease or sorrow.
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Author: 박찬욱, 이경미, 돈 맥켈러, 이자혜
Publisher: 을유문화사 Eulyoo (2025)
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