After 20 Years, Insane Twist From This 94%-Rated Korean Thriller Is the Gift That Keeps on Giving
Thought the most shocking twist in the history of movies was in M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense? No, the most mind-blowing revelation came from Korean cinema.
Oldboy is one of the most important films for South Korea. After winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, it became an international hit and drew attention to the Korean cinema.
Without the success of Oldboy, the triumph of Parasite and today's fashion for Korean films might not have happened.
Oldboy Features One of the Most Shocking Plot Twists Ever Made
The last minutes of the movie are a powerful emotional shock and one of the most deafening finales in the history of world cinema. Even after more than 20 years, viewers still recognize Oldboy's main twist as the most shocking ever made.
As Reddit user The_Monarch_Lives wrote:
“I still haven't fully recovered from the stomach flip that twist gave me.”
Park Chan-wook didn't give us the switcheroo that we expected, but the one that we deserved.
What Is Oldboy About?
In 1988, an unknown person imprisoned Oh Dae-su, a small businessman and drunkard, for 15 years. The prisoner eats only dumplings, stares at the TV or the wall, and gradually loses his human form.
When Oh is unexpectedly released in 2003, the former businessman wants to take revenge on the unknown perpetrator and also get to the bottom of the reasons for his imprisonment. But the truth turns out to be the most terrible thing.
So What Was the Oldboy Twist All About?
Throughout the movie, the main character desperately searches for his criminals. We see how he overcomes himself and determines the address of the prison by the taste of dumplings from a nearby shop.
The more sympathy the viewer feels for Oh Dae-su, the more painful the final twist becomes, which completely changes the entire context of the movie's events.
The following text contains spoilers for Oldboy!
Oh Dae-su was imprisoned by Lee Woo-jin because he revealed the secret of his relationship with his own sister, after which she committed suicide.
Both the imprisonment, release as well as Oh Dae-su's meeting with a woman named Mi-do were a well thought out, cold-blooded revenge plan of Lee Woo-jin. Gradually, Oh and Mi-do fall in love, but they don't know that they are father and daughter.
Oldboy Doesn't Lose Any of Its Intensity and Value if You Watch It Knowing What the Twist Is
Park Chan-wook's movie is an explosive genre mix that contains sentimental, gruesome and shocking scenes.
But first and foremost it is a gripping work in which Oh Dae-su has to face his own demons and his long forgotten past in order to get to the culprit.
Oldboy is rightfully regarded as one of the best thrillers of the 21st century and a proven hit that is still interesting to watch a second and third time even if you already know the shocking final twist.
