Oldboy
Director Spike Lee's remake of Park Chan-wook's 2003 South Korean mystery-thriller, itself based on a Japanese manga. Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson star.
Follows the story of an advertising exec (Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor's motive. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre punishment. His quest for revenge leads him into a relationship with a young social worker (Olsen) and ultimately to an elusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.
2013Rating: R18USA
ActionDramaMysteryThriller
- Director:
- Spike Lee ('Inside Man', 'Malcolm X', 'Do the Right Thing', '25th Hour')
- Writer:
- Mark Protosevich
- Cast:
- Josh BrolinElizabeth OlsenSamuel L. JacksonSharlto CopleyLance ReddickMichael Imperioli
Oldboy / Reviews
Rolling Stone
It's got no kick to it... Oldboy just lies there like old news that's not worth a second thought.
Full review
The New Yorker
Hollywood's wildest cinematic freakout since Shutter Island is a remake of - and an improvement on - the Korean original from 2003.
Full review
The Irish Times
The facsimile is pointless but dependable until Lee and his screenwriter add increasingly ludicrous embellishments.
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Variety
Revenge, like octopus, is a dish best served cold, but Spike Lee's disappointingly straight remake is a lukewarm meal at best.
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Total Film
To its credit, Spike Lee's remake isn't a slavish imitation. On the other hand, its grit is a grey substitute for the original's vision and verve.
Full review
The New York Times
If you have seen the earlier version, you can occupy yourself with point-by-point comparisons. If not, you may find yourself swerving between bafflement and mild astonishment.
Full review
The Dissolve
Joe walks out of his prison cell with a singular sense of focus; Lee's Oldboy never achieves anything like that kind of clarity.
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Hollywood Reporter
Dark, violent thriller stands on its own despite its revered predecessor.
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