Oldboy

R

Released Nov 27, 2013

1 hr. 43 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

39%

151 Reviews

Tomatometer

37%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Although his life is already in a downward spiral, things get much worse for advertising executive Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) ; while drunk one night, Joe is kidnapped and thrown into solitary confinement in a bizarre, hotellike room. For the next 20 years, Joe suffers unimaginable torment, but the motive and identity of his captor remain unknown. When he is inexplicably set free, Joe emerges with one goal: to find the person who stole two decades of his life.

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Critics Consensus

Suitably grim and bloody yet disappointingly safe and shallow, Spike Lee's Oldboy remake neither surpasses the original nor adds anything new to its impressive legacy.

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Takiela B

Very weird movie , but the plot twist kept me engaged!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/28/23

Full Review

The H

Didn't try hard enough to be different than the original

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/04/23

Full Review

Karl O

What was Spike Lee thinking? I'm not sure what is more offensive, the changes to the original masterful screenplay or is it Copley's ridiculous cartoon villain. Spike panders to the dumbest members of the audience and really just chickens out with his ending. I tried. A cowardly remake.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

Red T

2 Major Strikes against this right from the start. The plot is so farfetched and makes no sense and is so over the top it is ridiculous. Second the incest elements give this such a bad taste watching this and feels so unneeded. The music is is boring and generic. The cinematography is terrible not because of poor camerawork or set design which is actually good. The scenes themselves are so bizarre, unintentionally funny like the son unzipping his pants before his Dad kills him and a few others. The plot twists make no sense, why would he not run out when the gas is being released into the room, he really went through all that trouble for 20 years to kill himself, and a crap ton of others. The fight scenes also are so over the top and out of place they feel like they belong in a Kill Bill/John Wick Movie. Not a thriller like this. The editing isn't good and neither is the pacing. The action scenes could've been cut entirely, the first ten minutes of backstory feel pointless and could've been cut also, and this moves a bit too fast at points also in the second half throwing too many farfetched plot elements like the academy, his daughter, the villain motivations all at you in a rapid period of time without building a large amount of suspense. The acting is a mess also but is tolerable. Olsen & Brolin are ok but everyone else is terrible and out of place especially any villains because of how over the top and ridiculous the motivations and backstory is. Not to meantion Brolins acting is good but his character is so unlikeable and a terrible person overall that you never really care for him and the mystery isn't strong enough to make up for it. This is just a bad idea and terribly executed with certain elements as well. Stay away from this at all cost.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Aidan C

Awful attempt at remaking an amazing Korean film. Considering Spike Lee's other work, this is shocking

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/19/23

Full Review

noah c

Elizabeth olsen stole the show. Very exciting American thriller. Definitely a must see, family movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

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Spike Lee

Director

Josh Brolin

Joe Doucett

Elizabeth Olsen

Marie Sebastian

Sharlto Copley

Adrian

Michael Imperioli

Chucky

Linda Emond

Edwina Burke

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

The first hour or so of Lee's 'Oldboy' is so gripping that it's dispiriting to watch the wheels fall off the wagon so spectacularly in the third act.

Jun 18, 2016

Full Review

Wesley Morris

Grantland

Everything is wrong with [Spike] Lee's version of Park Chan-wook's notorious, super-violent super-action-thriller. For one thing, it's far from super. Not the quality, per se (although, for Lee, that's off, too), but the energy.

Dec 10, 2013

Full Review

Jonathan Robbins

Film Comment Magazine

Viewers new to Oldboy will appreciate Lee's affecting and entertaining tale of a man unjustly imprisoned. Fans of Park's film-and there are many wildly loyal ones-will likely be far less impressed.

Dec 9, 2013

Full Review

Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

An undisputed reference when it comes to exploring new forms of auteurial expression within the framework of genre and spectacular cinema. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4.5/5

Nov 28, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Lee’s not-inconsiderable talent makes a fine attempt to interpret the story with two or three unique touches, but he doesn’t make it vital or offer a fresh take.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

As a collection of red herrings and mumbo jumbo about "faceless corporations" it's an incoherent mess of information searching for a form.

Rated: 1/5

Feb 1, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Although his life is already in a downward spiral, things get much worse for advertising executive Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) ; while drunk one night, Joe is kidnapped and thrown into solitary confinement in a bizarre, hotellike room. For the next 20 years, Joe suffers unimaginable torment, but the motive and identity of his captor remain unknown. When he is inexplicably set free, Joe emerges with one goal: to find the person who stole two decades of his life.

Director: Spike Lee
Executive Producer: Joseph Drake, John Powers Middleton, Peter Schlessel
Screenwriter: Mark Protosevich
Distributor: FilmDistrict
Production Co: Vertigo, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Nudity|Some Graphic Sexuality|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 27, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.2M

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