‘No Other Choice' teaser: Park Chan-wook's Venice-premiering thriller drops first look
Starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, the film is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax, previously adapted by Costa-Gavras. The South Korean version has been long in development, with Park initially announcing the project in 2009. Co-written with Don McKellar, No Other Choice explores themes of unemployment and class anxiety, following Man-soo (Lee), a laid-off worker who hatches a drastic plan to eliminate his job competition.
Official teaser poster for NO OTHER CHOICE, the new film from master filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/wSDXhSHkbW — NEON (@neonrated) July 23, 2025
The teaser reveals Park's signature visual styles that have earned him international acclaim with films like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Stoker. The cast also includes Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won.
Neon, which is handling U.S. distribution, is expected to position No Other Choice for awards contention later this year. The film could mark Park's first major breakthrough with the Academy. Despite high expectations, his previous film Decision to Leave missed out on an Oscar nomination, even after strong festival reception.
Following its Venice premiere, No Other Choice will release in South Korean theaters and later in other territories, including North America. No exact release date has been announced yet.
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