With the buzz around No Other Choice (2025) – Park Chan-wook’s latest film that just premiered at the Venice Film Festival to glowing reviews – we decided to look back at his career and revisit the movies that established him as one of the most visionary directors in world cinema. I must say he’s one of my favourite directors of all time, for obvious reasons, so this time I will leave my opinion out of it.
Below you’ll find a selection of his most acclaimed works, based on critic scores, audience reception, and their lasting cultural impact.
The Handmaiden (2016)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
- Metacritic: 84/100
Adapted from Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, this erotic psychological thriller is often considered Park’s masterpiece. Set in 1930s Korea under Japanese occupation, the film follows a conman, his female accomplice, and a wealthy heiress in a twisted game of love, betrayal, and deception.
Cast: Kim Min Hee, Kim Tae Ri, Ha Jung Woo, Cho Jin Woong.
Visually stunning and narratively complex, The Handmaiden dazzles with its layered storytelling, sensual imagery, and masterful use of perspective shifts. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and cemented Park’s international reputation.
Decision to Leave (2022)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Metacritic: 84/100
A sophisticated neo-noir that earned Park the Best Director Award at Cannes, Decision to Leave blends a police procedural with a forbidden romance. The story follows a detective investigating a mysterious widow whose husband has fallen to his death. As suspicion grows, so does his obsession with her.
Cast: Tang Wei, Park Hae Il.
Praised for its restrained elegance and emotional depth, the film is a slow-burning love story as much as it is a mystery, showing Park’s evolution into a more subtle but equally captivating filmmaker.
Old Boy (2003)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Metacritic: 78/100
Perhaps his most iconic film, Oldboy is the centerpiece of Park’s Vengeance Trilogy. It tells the story of Oh Dae-su, a man inexplicably imprisoned for 15 years, who is suddenly released and given five days to discover his captor’s motives.
Cast: Choi Min Sik, Yoo Ji Tae, Kang Hye Jung.
The film is legendary for its visceral hallway fight sequence, shocking plot twists, and raw emotional power. Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, it remains a cult classic that influenced a generation of filmmakers worldwide.
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%/100
- Metacritic: 61/100
- Google: 8.7/10
A whimsical romantic dramedy set in a mental institution, this film follows a young woman who believes she is a cyborg and refuses to eat real food. There, she meets an eccentric fellow patient who convinces her that she can learn how to survive and embrace life.
Cast: Im Soo Jung, Rain (Jung Ji Hoon), Choi Hee Jin.
Unlike Park’s vengeance-driven thrillers, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK is colorful, tender, and quirky, balancing comedy with heartfelt romance. While not a critical smash internationally, it won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and has since gained a cult following for its originality and charm.
Thirst (2009)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Metacritic: 73/100
- IMDb: 7.1/10
- Letterboxd: 3.8/5
- Google: 4.0/5.0
This bold and unconventional vampire story follows a Catholic priest who becomes infected with vampirism after a failed medical experiment. Torn between his moral duty and newfound desires, he begins a forbidden affair.
Cast: Song Kang Ho, Kim Ok Bin.
Thirst blends horror, dark comedy, and sensual melodrama, creating a unique take on the vampire genre. It won the Jury Prize at Cannes and is celebrated for its mix of grotesque imagery and tragic romance.
Joint Security Area (2000)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Google: 4.7/5
Before the Vengeance Trilogy, Park Chan Wook gained widespread recognition with this politically charged mystery drama. Set in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the film follows an investigation into a deadly incident involving soldiers from both North and South Korea.
Cast: Lee Byung Hun, Song Kang Ho, Lee Young Ae, Shin Ha Kyun.
Blending thriller elements with human drama, Joint Security Area explores themes of friendship, division, and mistrust in one of the world’s most tense borders. It became one of the highest-grossing films in Korean cinema at the time and established Park as a director capable of combining entertainment with deep political resonance.
Lady Vengeance (2005)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
- Metacritic: 75/100
The final installment of Park’s Vengeance Trilogy tells the story of Geum-ja, a woman wrongfully imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. After her release, she meticulously plots revenge against the real culprit.
Cast: Lee Young Ae, Choi Min Sik.
Stylish, poetic, and emotionally powerful, Lady Vengeance closes the trilogy with a haunting meditation on justice, morality, and redemption. Its use of striking visuals and shifting color palettes make it one of Park’s most visually daring films.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
- IMDb: 7.5/10
- Google: 4.3/5
- Metacritic: 59%/100
While not as highly rated by critics as his later films, this is the first part of the Vengeance Trilogy and deserves mention. It follows a deaf-mute man’s desperate attempt to save his sister, which spirals into a tragic cycle of violence and retribution.
Cast: Shin Ha Kyun, Song Kang Ho, Bae Doona.
Brutal, uncompromising, and tragic, it showcases Park’s fascination with the thin line between justice and cruelty. Though divisive upon release, it has since gained cult status.
Conclusion
From the shocking brutality of Oldboy to the refined elegance of Decision to Leave, Park Chan Wook’s cinema is as diverse as it is unforgettable. His films explore obsession, morality, love, and revenge with a style that is uniquely his own.
With No Other Choice already generating critical acclaim, it’s clear that Park’s journey as a filmmaker is far from over — and cinephiles around the world are eager to see where he takes us next.
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