I have watched hundreds of films – this is the best I’ve seen all year | Films | Entertainment

As a self-proclaimed film lover, I keep myself very up-to-date with the latest upcoming and talked-about releases. I have an ever-growing watchlist that I am forever trying to reach the bottom of.

Which brings me to one of my recent watches that could be a contender for my favourite film of the year so far. Released last year, I had my eye on this film for a while, and it exceeded my expectations.

No Other Choice is a South Korean black comedy thriller film co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook.

The film is based on The Ax by Donald Westlake, and is the second film adaptation of the movie after the 2005 French-language feature The Axe, directed by Costa-Gavras, to whom No Other Choice is dedicated in the closing credits.

It stars Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won.

The film takes a look at the rat race and focuses on the extremities that people come to when put in a tough spot. No Other Choice follows a paper industry expert who makes a life-changing decision after he is fired from his job.

The film had first premiered in the main competition of the Venice International Film Festival in 2025, where it garnered critical acclaim.

I thought the film was incredible and super impressive. The storyline was impactful and one that many could relate to, though perhaps not quite to such an extreme, and the ending provided the perfect twist that tied everything up nicely. One effect it used was merging scenes to portray the emotions of different characters in periods of shift; it was a nice touch that I’ve never seen done so well.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so; the film has amassed an impressive rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus said: “Directed with pristine precision by Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice is a wickedly clever takedown of the corporate rat race that finds a perfect avatar in Lee Byung-Hun’s skillfully hapless performance.”

No Other Choice is available to stream now on Mubi and Apple TV.