Seoul: Park Chan-wook's black comedy "No Other Choice" has been selected by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) as the country's official submission for next year's Academy Awards. KOFIC's selection committee emphasized the film's "cinematic completeness, relevant themes surrounding job termination, exceptional ensemble performances, and positive evaluations from North American distributors" as primary reasons for its selection.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the film's "humorous take on a universally relatable tragedy" positions it as a strong contender for Oscar recognition. The movie will compete in the Oscar's Best International Feature Film category, which is reserved for films produced outside the United States. Each country is allowed to submit only one film for this category.
Adapted from the mystery novel "The Ax" by American writer Donald E. Westlake, "No Other Choice" is a dark thriller that follows the story of Man-soo, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun. Man-soo is a middle-aged man who, after being suddenly dismissed from a paper company, resorts to extreme measures to secure a new job by dealing with his competitors.
The film had its international premiere last week at the Venice International Film Festival where it was met with critical acclaim and positive responses. As of Wednesday, the film boasts a perfect 100 percent rating from an initial batch of 19 reviews on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which praised the film's combination of dark humor and social commentary.