Review of Oldboy (2003) by Mike K — 26 May 2015
I love what this director did here. I can see how his camerawork developed well and later influenced the beautiful piece of work that is "Snowpiercer," which he produced. Both films seem to run like clockwork, with very few unnecessary parts, "everything in its right place" (itself a theme of "Snowpiercer").
The endings are almost identical, in terms of the setting and visuals. I also love how in both films, the tonal shifts are stark but the viewer is taken along for the ride. I think it has aged very well since it came out for the most part.
This is the first film in a while where I've literally squirmed in my seat while watching it. If there's a classy way to make a movie about torture, imprisonment, and incest, this is it. Oddly beautiful and darkly compelling.
This review of Oldboy (2003) was written by Mike K on 26 May 2015.
Oldboy has generally received very positive reviews.
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