Old Boy Review

Written by: jillybiscuit   

Wonderfully messed up, from start to finish. First when you're trapped with Oh-Dae Su in his cosy prison, wondering 'Why?' Then, upon his release, as he struggles to solve the puzzle of his bizarre incarceration.

When the answer begins to unfold it involves a bit of a stretch to get your head around the villain's motives, although I think this is partly an Asian culture thing, and after all, he is a villain, so let's not expect him to be entirely balanced. A few tasty action sequences inject the sinister storyline with some added oomf, but this is film low on gore.

The climax is perfect, giving you a strange and satisfying 'slow motion' chill as you begin to realise what has been happening all along. Too often in the horror genre we become accustomed to the short, sharp shock, which makes this reveal all the more effective. The denouement is suitably bleak.