After working in the paper industry for 15 years, Yoo Man-soo finds himself unemployed. After trying and failing to find a job after a several months, desperate to provide for his family, he places an advert for a fake job. Examining the applicants, Man-soo decides to kill those who are more qualified than he is in order secure a job opening, that he will also create for himself.
Known for his dark comedies and violent revenge filled plots, No Other Choice does, at times, feel lighter than his previous film. Though the subject is dark and the solution even worse, the snippets of charm and tenderness feel quite natural when embedded within the story. This satirical approach at the state of current situations that many face is above all, bleak. Throughout, you are meant to be hoping that Man-soo succeeds in his plan to murder people because it means he will secure a job and will be able to fix all the myriad of problems that have happened because he lost his job. But as we learn a little bit about his intended victims, there is absolutely no way to justify these crimes, yet we still hope he succeeds.
Its difficult to suspend your morals for the 2 hours 30 minutes as after each murder there is a sense of dread, not that he may get caught but that he has maybe got away with it.
Aside from these internal dilemmas that you may experience throughout, the dark comedic tone does off set most of the issues that the story brings. Man-soo and his family’s other problems that need solving; the cellist genius daughter who won’t play for her family, the son who contemplates stealing, Mi-ri (his wife) taking a job working for an attractive younger dentist. Man-soo’s previous issues are also brought to the surface, his previous drinking problem most prominent, something that could destroy him completely, if unemployment doesn’t first. There are comedic moments to be found throughout but these unfortunately don’t out-weigh the sickening violence planned and executed.
Lee Byung-hun as Man-soo gives a fantastic eclectic and emotional performance, balancing the comedic and menacing side of the character. However, as a whole, No Other Choice, feels like some other choices could have been made but discomfort and shock were more favourable.