Park Chan-wook's dark social satire "No Other Choice" has earned three nominations at the 35th Gotham Awards, marking a significant achievement for Korean cinema as awards season begins. The Korean-language film received nominations for best international feature, adapted screenplay, and outstanding lead performance for star Lee Byung-hun, positioning it prominently in the competitive North American campaign ahead of Oscar season.
Lee Byung-hun stands as the sole Korean performer nominated in this year's acting categories at the Gothams. He will compete in the outstanding lead performance category, a gender-neutral field that combines both male and female actors. His fellow nominees include Ethan Hawke for "Blue Moon," Jennifer Lawrence for "Die My Love," Amanda Seyfried for "The Testament of Ann Lee," and Josh O'Connor for "The Mastermind." This nomination marks a significant milestone for Lee's international recognition.
The adapted screenplay nomination is shared by Park Chan-wook with his co-writers Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar. The film is based on Donald Westlake's 1997 novel "The Ax" and follows the story of a laid-off paper mill worker who takes extreme measures by eliminating his competitors in the job market. The cast features Lee Byung-hun alongside Son Ye-jin, with supporting performances from Lee Sung-min and Yeom Hye-ran.
This nomination continues a notable trend for Korean actors at the Gothams. The last Korean performer to receive recognition at the awards was Youn Yuh-jung in 2020 for her role in "Minari." Youn's Gotham nomination proved to be a predictor of greater success, as she went on to win the Academy Award for best supporting actress several months later, highlighting the potential significance of Lee's current nomination.
"No Other Choice" represents a passion project for director Park Chan-wook, who has described the film as remaining in development for more than two decades. Park, whose acclaimed filmography includes internationally recognized works such as "Oldboy" (2003) and "The Handmaiden" (2016), has yet to receive an Academy Award nomination despite his significant contributions to cinema. His previous film "Decision to Leave" was nominated for best international feature at the 2022 Gotham Awards.
The Gotham Awards, widely considered the opening salvo of major awards season, have expanded their best feature category to include 10 nominees this year. Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" led all films with six nominations, including best feature, director, and adapted screenplay. The awards have historically served as a strong predictor for Academy Award success, with past winners of the best feature category including "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022), "Nomadland" (2020), and "Moonlight" (2016), all of which subsequently won the Academy Award for best picture.
Distributor Neon has strategically scheduled the North American theatrical release of "No Other Choice" for December 25 as part of its comprehensive awards season campaign. The winners of the 35th Gotham Awards will be announced on December 1 at Cipriani Wall Street, making this a crucial stepping stone in the film's journey toward potential Oscar recognition.
