If you know anything about South Korean media, it’s that the majority of the region’s most popular projects typically fall into two distinct camps: the brutal, bloody action thrillers, or the chaste, slice-of-life dramedies. Oldboy is one of the defining entries of the former, and one of the strongest explorations of corruption and violence in the criminal underworld. It also signaled international success for its star, Choi Min-sik, who’s been a constant in conspiracy thrillers and gangster dramas ever since.
