tech
January 9, 2026
‘I haven’t mellowed my violence’: Park Chan-wook on cultural dominance, the capitalist endgame and why we can’t beat AI
His brutal movies put Korean cinema on the map. Now the director of Oldboy is back with a blistering satire about a man driven to murder after redundancy
TL;DR
- Park Chan-wook's new film "No Other Choice" satirizes capitalism, depicting industrial decline and male insecurity in contemporary Korea.
- The film's themes of economic and masculine insecurity resonate with current anxieties, amplified by the looming threat of artificial intelligence.
- Park reflects on his career, including his role in popularizing Korean cinema globally and his experiences directing in Hollywood with English-language projects.
- He expresses concern about AI's potential to replace jobs in the film industry.
- Park's work, like that of Bong Joon-ho, often views economic success and capitalism with skepticism, offering a unique perspective compared to Western narratives.
- He adapts international stories, setting them in Korea, and is open to directing projects globally based on compelling narratives.
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