Rent Oldboy (2003)

3.9 of 5 from 608 ratings
1h 55min
Rent Oldboy (aka Oldeuboi) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, the film tells the horrific tale of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a businessman who is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned in a grim hotel room-like cell for 15 years, without knowing his captor or the reason for his incarceration. Eventually released, he learns of his wife's murder and embarks on a quest for revenge whilst also striking up a romance with a young, attractive sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung). He eventually finds his tormentor, but their final encounter will yield yet more unimaginable horrors...
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , Yeon-suk Ahn, Il-han Oo, Young-hee Lee, Young-ae Kim, , , Jung Ae Kwak, San Kim, Chae-soo Jang, Seol-a Im,
Directors:
Producers:
Dong-Joo Kim, Syd Lim
Voiced By:
Joe Cappelletti, Mari Devon, Crispin Freeman, Steve Kramer, Sherry Lynn, Michael McConnohie, Stephanie Sheh, Kirk Thornton, Kari Wahlgren
Writers:
Garon Tsuchiya, Nobuaki Minegishi, Chan-wook Park, Joon-hyung Lim, Jo-yun Hwang
Others:
Park Chan-Wook
Aka:
Oldeuboi
Studio:
Tartan
Genres:
Action & Adventure, Thrillers
Collections:
Award Winners, BAFTA Nominations Competition 2023, New waves of Korean Cinema, Top 10 World Cinema Remakes, Top Films, What to watch by country
Countries:
Korea
Awards:

2004 Cannes Grand Prize

BBFC:
Release Date:
28/02/2005
Run Time:
115 minutes
Languages:
Korean Dolby Digital 2.0, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean DTS 6.1
Subtitles:
English
DVD Regions:
Region 0 (All)
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 2.35:1
Colour:
Colour
Bonus:
  • Director's Commentary
  • Director and Cinematographer's Commentary
  • Director and Cast Commentary
  • 5 Behind the Scenes Documentaries: Making the Film - the Cast Remembers; Production Design; The Music Score; Cgi Documentary; Flashback
  • Cast & Crew interviews
  • 10 Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
  • Featurette: 'Le Grand Prix at Cannes'
Disc 1:
This disc includes the main feature
Disc 2:
This disc includes the following special features:
- 5 Behind the Scenes Documentaries: Making the Film - the Cast Remembers; Production Design; The Music Score; Cgi Documentary; Flashback
- Cast & Crew Interviews
- 10 Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary
- Featurette: 'le Grand Prix at Cannes'
- Interview with the director
BBFC:
Release Date:
22/10/2007
Run Time:
119 minutes
Languages:
English, Korean
Subtitles:
English
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 2.35:1
Colour:
Colour
Bonus:
  • Deleted Scenes With Commentary
  • Trailer
  • 3 x Audio Commentaries
BBFC:
Release Date:
25/01/2021
Run Time:
120 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Korean Dolby Digital 2.0, Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles:
English, English Hard of Hearing
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 2.35:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Music and effects track
  • Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook
  • Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon
  • Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung
  • New audio commentary with critic Jasper Sharp and writer Simon Ward
  • Out of the Past, new video appreciation by Asian film expert Tony Rayns
  • Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
  • Behind the scenes featurettes
  • Extensive cast and crew interviews
  • Trailers and teasers
  • Image gallery
  • Old Days: An Oldboy Story, the acclaimed feature-length 2016 documentary about Park Chan-wook's masterpiece
  • Autobiography of Oldboy, a three-and-a-half-hour video diary of the making of 'Oldboy'
Disc 1:
This disc includes the main feature
- Special Features
Disc 2:
This disc includes the following:
- Old Days: An Oldboy Story (2016 Documentary)
- Special Features

More like Oldboy

Reviews (4) of Oldboy

The ultimate revenge movie. - Oldboy review by CP Customer

Spoiler Alert
21/01/2006

A drunken man named 'Dae-Su' disappears one night after being released from a police station only to be kidnapped by anonymous captors and imprisoned in a hotel room. For the next 15 years he finds himself incarcerated and has little contact with others. He obsessively watches T.V where he learns of his wife's murder and his daughters' placement with another family. Occasionally the room fills with a sedative gas and when he awakes he finds himself clean shaven and haircut. This routine continues through a 15 year period, when suddenly he is released, he then enters on a surreal and violent odyssey of revenge to discover the identity of his captors. This is an excellent film about revenge and how it can possess someone to the point of self destruction, and where Quentin Tarantino's, entertaining 'Kill Bill' is also based around the theme of revenge; 'Old Boy' is something else entirely. It's an absolutely stunning film that succeeds both as a violent action thriller and as a powerful thought provoking tragedy. There are some great fight sequences where Dae-Su's rage consumes him so fully he is able to fight off enemies with a knife sticking out of his back. There are also scenes of torture and gore that are particularly intense, although the extreme violence never overshadows the brilliance of this film. The well crafted story takes so many twists and turns that as a viewer you are almost always on edge, and just when you think you know where story is heading another there's yet another surreal twist to the tale. Be warned, this is not a film for the squeamish or easily offended, but if you can get past the violence and disturbing images, 'Old Boy' is an amazing film.

6 out of 6 members found this review helpful.

A black-hearted classic - Oldboy review by Kurtz

Spoiler Alert
18/10/2009

“Oldboy” is a riveting and totally insane slice of Korean extreme- the plot seethes with horrifying twists and turns, there is wince-inducing action and gallons of pitch-black humour; and at the film’s heart there is an outstanding bug-eyed performance from Choi min-sik as the man plucked from the street and imprisoned for fifteen years, then released without explanation. He sets off to identify his abductors and wreak revenge on them, only to find that they haven’t finished with him yet…

3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.

Like it or loathe it, it's a film you won't forget - Oldboy review by RP

Spoiler Alert
28/02/2012

I first saw the film 'Oldboy' from Korean director Park Chan-wook back in 2004, I think. But it was only a couple of months ago that I learned that it was part of a trilogy (the so-called 'Vengeance Trilogy'). The first part is 'Sympathy For Mr Vengeance' and the final part 'Sympathy For Lady Vengeance' (aka just 'Lady Vengeance').

I've now watched the complete trilogy – and I'm very impressed. There is a clear development in directing style across the films, culminating in the very stylish (even artistic) 'Lady Vengeance'. And while the first two films are more straightforward, each tells its story in a complex fashion which unfolds slowly. The films can be watched standalone.

The storyline in 'Oldboy' is complex – until you have watched to the end and all is revealed. Suffice to say that the film title itself is revealing. As part of the 'Revenge Trilogy' the film is most definitely about revenge. The central character is a businessman Oh Dae-su who is held prisoner for 15 years and then suddenly released. As he attempts to find and seek revenge, it becomes clear that it is he who is the target for revenge by someone he wronged in the past. And that revenge on Dae-Su is terrible, from his imprisonment, the killing of his wife, and the events which befall his daughter. The film is both violent and emotional – and has a nice, confusing, ambiguous ending. Like it or loathe it, it's a film you won't forget. 4/5 stars – highly recommended.

2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.

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