Oldboy

In the psychological thriller Oldboy, directed by Chan-wook Park, a middle-aged man named Oh Dae-su (played by Choi Min-sik) lives a comfortable but mundane life. He spends his days eating, drinking, and hanging out with his colleagues at work, but on one fateful night, his life takes a drastic turn. Dae-su disappears during a business meeting, only to wake up in a nondescript, windowless room. He has no recollection of how he got there or why he was imprisoned. The room is a bare, dingy space with a single toilet and a sink, and Dae-su is left with only his wits to survive. He is fed a few cans of tuna, given a bottle of water, and left to ponder his fate. Time becomes his enemy as he struggles to keep his sanity and piece together what has happened to him. As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into years, Dae-su grows weary and desperate. The room is his entire world for 20 arduous years, a seemingly endless stretch of time where Dae-su faces isolation, boredom, and emotional decay. His only companions are the memories of his past, the few books he managed to get his hands on, and his own imagination. His once-sturdy physique begins to wilt, and his mind grows increasingly fragile. Despite his best efforts to maintain a sense of hope, the weight of his confinement slowly chips away at his sanity. However, Dae-su's life is not without its moments of levity. His imagination often takes him back to his life before his imprisonment, and we see glimpses of his loving relationship with his wife, Myung-hyun (played by Kang Hye-jeong). Their love is genuine and all-consuming, and Dae-su is convinced that Myung-hyun would not give up on him. Dae-su's liberation comes unexpectedly in the form of a small, intricately carved wooden box. After discovering a note in the box that reads "Find me," Dae-su sets out to unravel the mystery behind his imprisonment. With only three and a half days to spare, he must navigate a labyrinthine world filled with secrets, lies, and deceit. He must track down Myung-hyun, who has remarried, and find the truth behind his captivity. Dae-su's investigation into his past leads him down a perilous path where nothing is as it seems. He meets an enigmatic young woman named Mi-do (played by Kang Hye-jeong) who claims to be his wife, but Dae-su is torn between his love for Myung-hyun and his growing feelings for Mi-do. As the truth begins to unravel, Dae-su finds himself entangled in a complex web of corruption and betrayal. Through his desperate search for answers, Dae-su encounters a cast of characters who are equally complex and troubled. His journey takes him into the heart of Seoul, where neon-lit nightclubs, cramped alleys, and squalid bars provide a stark contrast to his bleak and unforgiving prison cell. Each character he meets brings him closer to the truth, but also draws him deeper into the abyss of corruption and deceit. As the days tick away, Dae-su's resolve is tested, and his grip on reality begins to slip. His obsession with uncovering the truth behind his imprisonment clouds his judgment, and he becomes increasingly reckless. His pursuit of justice is driven by a fierce determination, but it also puts him at risk of self-destruction. Finally, after two decades of suffering, Dae-su uncovers the shocking truth behind his imprisonment. His captor, a ruthless and cunning man named Lee Woo-jin (played by Yoo Ji-tae), was once best friends with Dae-su. Woo-jin had a deep-seated grudge against Dae-su and orchestrated his imprisonment as a twisted form of revenge. Dae-su's world is turned upside down as he grapples with the revelation. His love for Myung-hyun had blinded him to the brutal truth, and he realizes that he had lost sight of his own humanity during his 20-year ordeal. As he sets out to confront Woo-jin, Dae-su is forced to confront the darkest aspects of his own psyche and the depths of human depravity. Oldboy's climactic showdown between Dae-su and Woo-jin serves as a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature of violence and the devastating consequences of unchecked aggression. The film reaches a heart-stopping conclusion as Dae-su confronts his tormentor, driven by a burning desire for revenge and a desperate need for closure. In the end, Dae-su's quest for truth and justice is resolved, but at what cost? His journey leaves him forever changed, a shattered reminder of the horrors he endured and the scars that will never fully heal.