A dark and uncompromising tale that seeks to prove that when seeking vengeance, you should dig at least two graves.

Rating: 9/10 (16 April 2018)

Vengeance - whether it be cold, calculating and entirely unnecessary or passionate, angry and ultimately fruitless - is depicted as an all-encompassing, life-ruining reflection of one's own inner emotions in this disturbing South Korean revenge thriller that pulls no punches and is vehement in its core ideology that when seeking retribution, you must first dig two graves. No-one escapes unscathed in 'Oldboy (2003)' and the so-called 'crimes' for which penance is being sought are so petty that when they're revealed you realise that the villain's motivations were actually to simply avoid placing the guilt upon himself (the only reasonable party). When the film reaches its heart-breaking, tragic finale it will leave you as devastated as the protagonist, before it all ends on one of the most deceivingly dark notes of the last few years. Yet, besides the fantastically well thought-out plot that's told with some brilliantly intelligent writing, the feature also relies on it's stand-out powerhouse performances and unflinching violence that, while certainly not as graphic as its reputation would have you believe, serves the dark and uncompromising story well. Dark, unflinching stuff that isn't for the faint of heart. 8/10