If you haven’t seen the cult film and you didn’t realize that Spike Lee remade it, then you’re in luck. This gritty revenge movie is buried in the library of Netflix, it might not come up right away but if you search for it you’ll find it. I was one of the few who hasn’t seen it but the ending was already ruined for me. I’ll spare you all because the conclusion of the film is one of the most gut wrenching moments in cinema. Overall it holds your attention very well, it has you constantly guessing and wondering in a very rhythmic style. The movie has a very simple premise, a man gets kidnapped and held in a small room for years. This would obviously cause anyone to go crazy and want to escape. He eventually leaves his prison and we’re on a hunt with him to find his captors. The film utilizes a lot of disturbing moments and overall the film feels like a roller coaster. Oldboy has been showered in praise since it’s release in 2003,the shortcoming arises from the fact that it has little to no replay value. It’s like going through a haunted house and knowing when everyone is going to jump out at you. It isn’t horror but it still relies heavily upon it’s shock moments that once those moments are gone the film’s foundation is gone along with it. The cinematography is very stylized and the editing has a lot of a lot of brilliant cuts, but there really isn’t much depth past that. If you haven’t seen this before it’s worth a viewing, but don’t expect this movie to make you think unless it’s about how uncomfortable it makes you feel.
Entertainment Magazine
