If you intend to watch this, do not by any means watch any trailers or lengthy filmbro analysis on YouTube beforehand. Significantly better when going into it without any prior knowledge, since it is one of these films the first viewing is intense.

Our lead is presented as an initially incompetent drunk, who is imprisoned by a shadowy organisation in a dingy, custom-made prison for 15 years. This is all you have to know really. If this sparks your curiosity, you are in for a treat.

The 2 hour runtime really seems like a lifetime- but in a good way. Twists and turns of the plot are so masterfully pulled off that I'm starting to sound like a broken record at this point when talking about Asian cinema. Great pacing, great cinematography, great music, you know the drill.

What I really like about this, is that it truly stands out in blending romance, drama, mystery and action. No small feat to fit 4 distinct genres in one movie, especially considering it all organically flows together and excels at each one. Simultaneously nailing both drama and action scenes - and I mean really nailing action scenes - for example, is insane to the degree it happens here. It makes you raise standards for other things you watch and at the same time crafts the unique character of Oldboy.