Why Oldboy is more than an action film

Action films often are presented with a sense of predictability; they are expected to include violence in the form of fighting, fiery explosions, heart-racing car chases, badass men with muscles and a damsel in distress. These tropes are the DNA of the action genre, which for many is exactly what they want from a movie, however, within all genres of film there is an opportunity to create something that diverges from the norm in order to leave the viewer astonished by what they’ve just seen. Park Chan Wook’s 2003 film Oldboy intends to do exactly that and with inventive storytelling, stylistic fighting sequences and shocking twists that leave the audience reeling, Chan Wook’s movie became a masterpiece for the genre.

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