Oldboy

This is an amazing korean movie that came out a few years ago which I had never heard of until I saw a random clip of it on YouTube being used as visuals for somebodys music. I looked up the movie on Amazon, saw all the great reviews, and bought it. It is the most disturbing movie I've ever seen. More disturbing than 'Requiem for a Dream', which scared the shit out of me, and yet not as frightening. I figured I'd post here on the off chance that I was not the only person to never see it before.

If you've already heard of/about the movie or considered watching it before, stop reading, and buy/borrow/steal/rent this movie immediately.

The movie is about a guy who is kidnapped one night while talking to his family from a pay phone out on a street corner. He wakes up to find himself locked in a hotel room with no explaination and no way out.

Can't really go further without revealing too much information, so, SPOILERS BELOW!!@@ I strongly suggest not reading them if you have any intention of watching the movie.


*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Oh Dae-su (the main character) is held in the hotel room for 15 years, with only a television for company. He picks up a few skills, trains himself in martial arts, and keeps up on current events. He learns that his daughter was adopted by foster parents, his wife murdered, and he is the prime suspect.

He is released from the hotel prison, again with no explaination, and begins the work of tracking down his captor while being taunted by him via cell phone. While talking with a pretty young chef named Mi-do at a restaurant, he passes out, and she takes him back to her apartment. She lets him stay there, and they become romantically involved.

Oh Dae-su's captor reveals himself to be a man named Woo-jin, and gives him an ultimatum: discover why Woo-jin kept him locked up for 15 years, or Mi-do will die. Oh Dae-su eventually remembers accidentally starting a rumor about Woo-jin impregnating his own sister, which led to her suicide. When he presents the information to Woo-jin, he is given a photo album, showing his daughter growing up over the last 15 years, into a pretty young chef named Mi-do...

The movie goes on to get even more disturbing, impossible as that may seem.

As sick and twisted this movie was, I enjoyed watching it, and highly recommend it to anybody who doesn't mind foreign films and can handle depressing/disturbing movies (whereas I regret watching 'Requiem' and wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy).