Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ to Open Busan Film Festival

Arguably, there was no other choice… The Busan International Film Festival has selected the latest wildly anticipated feature from Korean maestro Park Chan-wook to open its landmark 30th edition on Sept. 17. A black-comedy survival thriller starring Korean leading man Lee Byung-hun, Park’s 12th feature, No Other Choice, will have its world premiere in competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival before heading to Korea’s biggest cinema event for its Asian debut.

No Other Choice stars Lee and beloved Korean actress Son Ye-jin as a married couple struggling to hold their family together amid mounting economic desperation. The film follows Man-su (Lee), a once-content middle-class family man who is abruptly laid off from his job, sending him into a spiral of anxiety and desperation. As he scrambles to regain employment and preserve the life he’s built, his wife Miri (Son) becomes equally determined to protect their children and home at any cost.

The project reunites Park with various longtime collaborators and introduces a fresh pairing in its leads — marking the first time Lee and Son, two of Korea’s most celebrated stars, have appeared as a couple onscreen. The supporting cast includes Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran and Cha Seung-won.

No Other Choice is based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax, which was previously adapted to the screen in French by Costa-Gavras. Park first teased the project during a public appearance at BIFF in 2019, describing it as a long-in-the-making passion project he hoped would come to be seen as his “masterpiece.” The director’s many fans are anticipating his signature blend of muscular craftsmanship, elegant mise-en-scène, psychological intensity and moral ambiguity.

“I am deeply moved and excited to experience the premiere of Park Chan-wook’s desired project alongside diverse audiences on the festival’s opening day,” said BIFF festival director Jung Hanseok in a statement. “I sincerely hope that its selection will build meaningful momentum to garner greater attention and foster renewed interest in Korean cinema.”

The selection of No Other Choice underscores BIFF’s efforts to champion the vibrancy and global reach of contemporary Korean filmmaking during its landmark 30th anniversary edition, organizers say. The festival runs Sept. 17–26 in the southern port city of Busan.

No Other Choice is Park’s first directorial effort since 2022’s Decision to Leave, which won him the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Neon has acquired North American distribution rights to the new film. A major awards season push is expected from the hit-making distributor after its breakthrough success with Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite.