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No Other Choice AI simulator
(@No Other Choice_simulator)
Hub AI
No Other Choice AI simulator
(@No Other Choice_simulator)
No Other Choice
No Other Choice (Korean: 어쩔수가없다) is a 2025 South Korean black comedy thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook. Based on The Ax by Donald Westlake, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, after the 2005 French-language feature The Axe directed by Costa-Gavras, to whom No Other Choice is dedicated in the closing credits. The film follows a desperate paper industry expert who decides to kill off his competition to be assured of the job he seeks to maintain his way of life.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 29 August 2025, where it garnered critical acclaim. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Lee Byung-hun). It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist, but was not nominated.
No Other Choice had its domestic premiere as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival on 17 September, followed by its theatrical release in South Korea on 24 September by CJ Entertainment. It grossed a total of $19,881,918 in South Korea becoming the third highest-grossing film in the country in 2025.
Man-su, an award-winning veteran employee of papermaking company Solar Paper, lives happily in luxury with his wife Mi-ri and their two children: Si-one, Mi-ri's teenage son from a previous marriage, and Ri-one, an autistic cello prodigy who won’t play in front of her family. However, Solar Paper is bought out by an American company who lay off a number of staff, including a devastated Man-su after he objects to the treatment his subordinates would face. After informing his family, he vows to resume papermaking within three months.
Thirteen months later, Man-su is doing low-paid retail work, having found no success applying for jobs in the papermaking industry. His family is forced to minimize their spending, including rehoming their two dogs to Mi-ri's parents, which causes Ri-one to become distressed and withdrawn. Ri-one's cello teacher recommends her for expensive advanced classes. Unable to pay the mortgage, the family risks having to sell Man-su's beloved childhood home, likely to the parents of Si-one's friend Dong-ho. Mi-ri takes a part-time job as a dental assistant to suave male dentist Jin-ho, who attends the same dance classes Man-su and Miri had to quit in order to save money. Man-su suffers a toothache that he ignores, unable to afford the dental bills.
Man-su attempts to join the successful company Moon Paper, but is humiliated by manager Seon-chul. Wanting his job, Man-su nearly kills Seon-chul using a potted plant but abandons the attempt when he realises killing Seon-chul will not matter unless he is the best candidate to replace him, instead buying a fake job advertisement to identify his competitors. From the applications he receives, Man-su identifies two men whose credentials exceed his own: Beom-mo and Si-jo. Man-su retrieves his father's Vietnam War gun, deciding to kill Seon-chul, Beom-mo, and Si-jo to eliminate the competition.
Man-su first plans to murder the unemployed drunkard Beom-mo. Whilst spying on his house from the woods, he is bitten by a snake and is treated by Beom-mo's dissatisfied wife, A-ra. Man-su and Beom-mo separately discover A-ra's infidelity. Man-su confronts Beom-mo at gunpoint, with Beom-mo mistaking Man-su as A-ra's lover. Man-su, Beom-mo, and A-ra struggle over Man-su's gun. A-ra shoots Beom-mo dead, and Man-su narrowly escapes.
Man-su arrives late to a costumed dance party, where he watches Mi-ri dance with Jin-ho as Man-su was late. Angered, Man-su returns to Beom-mo's residence, where A-ra and her lover have buried Beom-mo and the gun. Man-su retrieves the gun. Back home, Man-su and Mi-ri accuse each other of infidelity before reconciling.
No Other Choice
No Other Choice (Korean: 어쩔수가없다) is a 2025 South Korean black comedy thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook. Based on The Ax by Donald Westlake, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won. It is the second film adaptation of the novel, after the 2005 French-language feature The Axe directed by Costa-Gavras, to whom No Other Choice is dedicated in the closing credits. The film follows a desperate paper industry expert who decides to kill off his competition to be assured of the job he seeks to maintain his way of life.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 29 August 2025, where it garnered critical acclaim. At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Lee Byung-hun). It was also selected as the South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist, but was not nominated.
No Other Choice had its domestic premiere as the opening film of the 30th Busan International Film Festival on 17 September, followed by its theatrical release in South Korea on 24 September by CJ Entertainment. It grossed a total of $19,881,918 in South Korea becoming the third highest-grossing film in the country in 2025.
Man-su, an award-winning veteran employee of papermaking company Solar Paper, lives happily in luxury with his wife Mi-ri and their two children: Si-one, Mi-ri's teenage son from a previous marriage, and Ri-one, an autistic cello prodigy who won’t play in front of her family. However, Solar Paper is bought out by an American company who lay off a number of staff, including a devastated Man-su after he objects to the treatment his subordinates would face. After informing his family, he vows to resume papermaking within three months.
Thirteen months later, Man-su is doing low-paid retail work, having found no success applying for jobs in the papermaking industry. His family is forced to minimize their spending, including rehoming their two dogs to Mi-ri's parents, which causes Ri-one to become distressed and withdrawn. Ri-one's cello teacher recommends her for expensive advanced classes. Unable to pay the mortgage, the family risks having to sell Man-su's beloved childhood home, likely to the parents of Si-one's friend Dong-ho. Mi-ri takes a part-time job as a dental assistant to suave male dentist Jin-ho, who attends the same dance classes Man-su and Miri had to quit in order to save money. Man-su suffers a toothache that he ignores, unable to afford the dental bills.
Man-su attempts to join the successful company Moon Paper, but is humiliated by manager Seon-chul. Wanting his job, Man-su nearly kills Seon-chul using a potted plant but abandons the attempt when he realises killing Seon-chul will not matter unless he is the best candidate to replace him, instead buying a fake job advertisement to identify his competitors. From the applications he receives, Man-su identifies two men whose credentials exceed his own: Beom-mo and Si-jo. Man-su retrieves his father's Vietnam War gun, deciding to kill Seon-chul, Beom-mo, and Si-jo to eliminate the competition.
Man-su first plans to murder the unemployed drunkard Beom-mo. Whilst spying on his house from the woods, he is bitten by a snake and is treated by Beom-mo's dissatisfied wife, A-ra. Man-su and Beom-mo separately discover A-ra's infidelity. Man-su confronts Beom-mo at gunpoint, with Beom-mo mistaking Man-su as A-ra's lover. Man-su, Beom-mo, and A-ra struggle over Man-su's gun. A-ra shoots Beom-mo dead, and Man-su narrowly escapes.
Man-su arrives late to a costumed dance party, where he watches Mi-ri dance with Jin-ho as Man-su was late. Angered, Man-su returns to Beom-mo's residence, where A-ra and her lover have buried Beom-mo and the gun. Man-su retrieves the gun. Back home, Man-su and Mi-ri accuse each other of infidelity before reconciling.