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Oldboy

Oldboy

15 years of imprisonment, five days of vengeance.

2003120 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Park Chan-wook
Starring
Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok

With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Oldboy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Oldboy on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Oldboy?

Oldboy earns 15 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Modern classic.

Show 7 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Oldboy worth watching?

Oldboy's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 2.5M ratings across 5 sources. 90% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

84 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s

Critics 78 · Audience 84

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

90% liked it

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2000s
90% rated it 7–1010% rated it 1–6

Critics 82% · Audience 94%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 39 wins / 26 noms overall

99th percentile

2.5M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3M
Opening weekend$69K
Domestic gross$2.5M
Worldwide gross$18M

Returned 5.9× its budget — 66th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually stylish, brutally violent revenge thriller driven by a shocking taboo twist.

Fans praised

  • brilliant plot twist that recontextualizes the entire film
  • Choi Min-sik's raw, emotionally devastating performance
  • stunning cinematography and visual style, especially the corridor fight

Detractors panned

  • contrived, preposterous revenge plot that defies logic
  • gratuitous violence and torture porn with no meaningful purpose
  • hypnosis as a lazy deus ex machina to force the plot

What stands out

ActingDivisive90

Choi Min-sik's transformative, committed performance (ate live octopus); Yoo Ji-tae as chilling villain

CinematographyDivisive90

stunning color composition, inventive camera work, iconic single-take corridor fight

OriginalityDivisive88

fresh, unconventional revenge tale vs. borrowing from Oedipus and Monte Cristo

TensionDivisive85

relentless suspense and dread from first scene to last

Emotional impactDivisive75

devastating, haunting catharsis vs. hollow, emotionally empty shock

Plot and storyDivisive70

ingenious, shocking twist vs. preposterous, hole-ridden contrivance

EndingDivisive60

satisfying, mind-blowing twist vs. ridiculous, anti-climactic letdown

CharactersDivisive50

compelling anti-hero vs. cardboard, one-dimensional figures

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Oldboy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of filmsCold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its extreme material with utter seriousness and a cold, detached precision, but incorporates dark irony in the coincidences and the final twist.
The rideThe film maintains a pervasive tension and dread from the imprisonment through the violent revenge, peaking in the devastating final act.
StructureThe film opens with a scene from after the protagonist's release, then flashes back to his imprisonment and forward again, using a frame structure to build mystery.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's shocking twist and tragic consequences linger, leaving a haunting sense of devastation and moral unease.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeThe film follows a man released after 15 years of imprisonment who seeks revenge against his captor, only to uncover a devastating truth that transforms his quest into a tragic unraveling of obsession and guilt.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRevengeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Revenge · 4% of filmsTrauma · 7% of filmsMemory · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA revenge narrative that examines how past actions, even casual ones, can echo into devastating trauma and the manipulation of memory.
StanceThe film questions the morality and cost of revenge, showing how a quest for vengeance can destroy the avenger.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalForeground music · hybrid · Cho Young-wuk
SettingA private prison in Seoul and the city streets during Dae-su's revenge quest in 2003.
MusicThe soundtrack features prominent classical pieces like Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' alongside an original score that heightens the tension.

Content guide

Is Oldboy okay for kids?

R

Oldboy is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language” (MPAA). As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (95/100), sexual content at severe (85/100), language at intense (69/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (38/100) and frightening material at severe (94/100). Overall it is heavier than 96% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina18
  • BelgiumKNT/ENA
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary18
  • IS16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesR-18
  • PortugalM/18
  • PRR
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • TaiwanR-18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 97% of all filmsHeavier than 96% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 96%
Sex & Nudity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 55%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 98%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, sexual content, and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Oldboy have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Oldboy?

Cast

Choi Min-sik
as Dae-su Oh
Yoo Ji-tae
as Lee Woo-jin
Kang Hye-jeong
as Mi-do
Kim Byeong-Ok
as Mr. Han
Ji Dae-han
as No Joo-hwan
Oh Dal-su
as Park Cheol-woong
Lee Seung-shin
as Yoo Hyung-ja
Yoon Jin-seo
as Lee Soo-ah
Oh Tae-kyung
as Young Dae-su
Yoo Yeon-seok
as Young Woo-Jin

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Oldboy?

Movies like Oldboy include Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), I Saw the Devil (2010) and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002). Of the 12 closest matches, most are revenge thrillers, and most are crime films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Park Chan-wook wrote and directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Oldboy?

966 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: prisoner. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.