Arrow 4K Ultra HD Film Review

Oldboy (2003) • 4K Ultra HD [Arrow Video]

After being kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.

As South Korea moved from an authoritarian state to a burgeoning democracy, Korean cinema experienced a renaissance. Contemporary classics such as Shiri (1999) and Peppermint Candy (1999) injected new life into ‘New Korean Cinema’. At the turn of the millennium, a new generation of directors began exploring darker themes and genres during what became known as the ‘Korean New Wave’. Ambitious filmmakers including Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) and Kim Jae-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters) sought to bridge the gap between commerciality and aesthetics.

Korean cinema was revitalised in 2003 with Park Chan-wook’s thriller Oldboy / Oldebui / 올드보이. Receiving enthusiastic support from Quentin Tarantino, Park won the ‘Grand Jury Award’ at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Proceeded by the critically acclaimed Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002) and followed by Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005), Oldboy is the second…