A man is locked in a windowless room for 15 years, then released without warning. He looks to punish those responsible.

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2006)

Oldboy is a powerful, intense story of vengeance, love and redemption. The story follows Oh Dae Su closely as he works to understand the thinking behind his imprisonment. Characters are strong and well developed, and the director holds nothing back, it may be too raw for some tastes, but it's this very shocking intensity that will draw you into the world of pain that the various characters inhabit. The soundtrack is phenomenal, I knew I was onto a winner here when I heard Vivaldi's "Winter" playing over a torture scene. The emphasis is firmly on story, above action, but it does contain one of the most original and well shot action scenes of recent years, anyone that's seen it will know what I'm referring to. It's not an easy watch, but the themes explored in this film will ring in your ears for weeks.