Park Chan-wook Returns With His Dream Project — And the Trailer Drops a Chilling Hint
Years in the making and one unexpected reunion along the way.
After a detour into television with HBO’s The Sympathizer, acclaimed director Park Chan-wook is back with his first feature since 2022’s Decision to Leave. The trailer for his new film, No Other Choice, has just landed. It offers a sharp, unsettling glimpse into what might be his darkest narrative yet.
Based on Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, the story follows a laid-off executive. He decides the most effective route to re-employment is to systematically remove his rivals — not from the hiring pool, but from existence.
It’s grim satire, no doubt, but with Park at the helm, expect something far more intricate than a simple descent into madness. The moral rot beneath corporate competition? A theme he seems uniquely suited to dissect.
The cast includes Cha Seung-won, Park Hee-soon, Yoon Ga-yi, and Son Ye-jin, with a notable return from Lee Byung-hun. Actor reuniting with Park on screen for the first time since Joint Security Area and Three… Extremes over two decades ago.
Reportedly in development for more than ten years, No Other Choice is said to be a long-held passion project for Park. Judging by the tone of the trailer, the result may be as morally sharp as it is cinematically precise. With a Venice premiere likely on the horizon, the countdown has officially begun.
