Korean cinema has been getting more interesting recently (or maybe it’s just getting more attention). Oldboy continues the trend of minimal dialogue, highly stylised Asian cinema with something to say.
The story is decent: a man is kidnapped and left in solitary imprisonment for 15 years. Waking up on a rooftop, he begins the search for revenge and the reasons behind his incarceration.
It’s got the style, it’s got a fairly solid plot, direction is not at fault. There are faults though. The hypnosis sub-plot was entirely unnecessary and could have been handled through less jarring means. The pacing was sloppy towards the end; the film should have ended before the final scene (cutting out when the elevator doors close). Apart from that though, a good film. Certainly worth your time.