Director Park Chan-wook’s latest film “No Other Choice” has hit the ground running by attracting an drawing 330,000 viewers on its opening day, setting the stage for what could become a box office sensation.
CJ ENM, the film’s distributor, reported on Thursday that “No Other Choice” has already outperformed the opening day figures of both “12.12: The Day” (2023) and “Exhuma” (2024), marking the strongest debut for any Park Chan-wook film to date.
The Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network confirmed that “No Other Choice” dominated the box office on its first day, drawing 331,518 viewers. This figure not only surpasses Park’s previous works – including the critically acclaimed “Decision to Leave” (with 114,589 opening day viewers in 2022), his highest-grossing film “The Handmaiden” (290,024), and “Lady Vengeance” (279,413) – but also sets a new personal record for the director.
Moreover, the film has exceeded the opening day numbers of last year’s blockbuster “Exhuma” (330,118 viewers) and 2023’s crowd-pleaser “12.12: The Day” (203,813 viewers).
“No Other Choice” follows Mansu (portrayed by Lee Byung-hun), a dedicated office worker whose life is upended when he is unexpectedly dismissed. Determined to protect his wife, two children, and hard-earned home, Mansu embarks on a personal quest to secure new employment.
The combination of Park’s unique directorial style and the powerful performances from an all-star cast including Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won, is generating an enthusiastic response from audiences.
Viewers have been flooding social media with praise: “Park Chan-wook has done it again!” (CGV_30****), “The chemistry between the actors is off the charts!” (CGV_19****), “A captivating blend of pain, sorrow, humor, and irony” (CGV_Pasi****), and “Hands down, the movie of the year!” (CGV_11****).
