Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's latest darkly comic thriller "No Other Choice" is generating significant buzz at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, with critics and audiences responding enthusiastically to the film's world premiere. The movie has emerged as a strong contender for the Golden Lion, potentially ending Korean cinema's 13-year drought at Venice since Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" claimed the festival's top prize in 2012.
The festival launched on Wednesday with Italian director Paolo Sorrentino's contemplative presidential drama "La Grazia," establishing high expectations for the 21 films competing for honors through September 6. By Monday morning Korean Standard Time, nine competition entries will have been screened, and early reactions suggest Park's twisted black comedy could deliver the breakthrough Korean cinema has been anticipating after years of limited festival success.
"No Other Choice" features prominent Korean stars Lee Byung-hun, known internationally for "Squid Game," and Son Ye-jin from "Crash Landing on You." The CJ ENM production follows the story of a recently laid-off manager from a paper manufacturing company who concludes that murder might be the most practical solution to his unemployment problem. This marks Park's return to mainstream commercial filmmaking three years after "Decision to Leave," which earned him the best director award at Cannes in 2022, and represents his first Venice competition entry in two decades since "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" screened in 2005.
Friday evening's premiere generated considerable excitement, with the audience delivering an eight-and-a-half-minute standing ovation—one of the festival's longest responses to date. According to Variety's coverage, Park thoroughly enjoyed the extended applause, acknowledging the crowd with waves and embracing each cast member present on the red carpet, including Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, and Lee Sung-min.
Critical reception has been overwhelmingly favorable, with reviewers highlighting Park's skillful combination of brutal comedy and relevant social commentary. The Guardian proclaimed it "the best film in the Venice competition so far," while the BBC characterized it as "this year's 'Parasite,'" drawing parallels between both films' sharp examinations of class conflict within capitalist systems. The film currently maintains a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though this is based on 17 reviews as of Sunday press time, indicating strong early momentum.
The significance of this reception cannot be understated for Korean cinema, which has experienced a declining international presence since reaching its pinnacle in 2020. Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" dominated the Academy Awards that year with four victories including Best Picture, but Korean films have struggled to achieve similar recognition at major festivals since then. This year proved particularly challenging—Hong Sang-soo, who has virtually dominated the Berlin International Film Festival with four awards in five years, left empty-handed in February with "What Does That Nature Say to You," while Cannes failed to invite any Korean films to its main competition lineup in May.
Park faces formidable competition from several acclaimed filmmakers, including three previous Golden Lion winners seeking repeat victories. Yorgos Lanthimos's "Bugonia," which screened Thursday, offers an unexpected Korean connection—it serves as a remake of Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 cult classic "Save the Green Planet!" Starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, the film maintains a solid 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Guillermo del Toro's Netflix-supported "Frankenstein" premiered Saturday to a respectable 77 percent approval rating. The streaming platform's involvement highlights Venice's openness to films regardless of distribution method, contrasting with Cannes' notorious exclusion of Netflix originals from competition. Venice previously awarded Alfonso Cuaron's Netflix-produced "Roma" the Golden Lion in 2018. Additionally, Gianfranco Rosi, who captured the festival's top honor in 2013 for "Sacro GRA," returned Friday with the documentary "Below the Clouds," receiving positive reviews for its apocalyptic portrayal of Naples.
Several wildcards remain in the competition's final days. Two-time Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow returns September 2 with the nuclear thriller "A House of Dynamite," marking her first feature film in eight years. Perhaps the festival's most audacious selection screens September 3: "The Voice of Hind Rajab," Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania's drama about a six-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. The film generated early attention when Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Alfonso Cuaron signed on as executive producers. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have already occurred across the Lido during the festival's opening days, and a potential victory for this film would represent one of the most politically significant statements in Venice Film Festival history.
