Director Park Chan-wook's latest film "No Other Choice" has claimed the top position at the South Korean box office during its opening weekend, attracting more than 600,000 moviegoers according to official data released on Monday. The black comedy thriller demonstrated strong audience appeal in its first few days of release, establishing itself as the weekend's most popular film.
The movie, which hit theaters on Wednesday, drew exactly 609,274 viewers from Friday through Sunday during its opening weekend. When combined with earlier weekday screenings, "No Other Choice" has accumulated a total of 1.73 million admissions since its release, according to data from the Korean Film Council. These impressive numbers reflect the continued draw of Park Chan-wook's distinctive filmmaking style among Korean audiences.
"No Other Choice" is based on "The Ax," a 1997 satirical thriller novel by acclaimed American novelist Donald E. Westlake. The film adaptation follows the story of Man-soo, portrayed by renowned actor Lee Byung-hun, who plays a desperate father of two children. After losing his long-term employment, Man-soo finds himself waging a personal war for survival, highlighting themes of economic desperation and family responsibility in contemporary society.
The weekend box office competition featured strong international content, with two Japanese animated films securing the second and third positions. "Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc" captured second place with 311,706 moviegoers during the weekend period. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc" rounded out the top three with 116,881 viewers, demonstrating the continued popularity of Japanese anime adaptations in the Korean market.
Director Yeon Sang-ho's mystery drama "The Ugly" maintained its presence in the top rankings, securing fourth place with 90,000 weekend admissions. The film, which originally premiered on September 11, has shown remarkable staying power and has accumulated a total of 907,387 viewers since its release. This performance underscores the strength of domestic Korean cinema in maintaining audience interest over extended periods.
