The Movies: Oldboy (2003) Korean director Park Chan-wook probably isn't the first person you think of when somebody says "comic book movie director" (or the second or the third or the fourth...), but this guy has proven himself to be one of the best and most creatively impressive comic book directors with just a single film. That's to say, the pieces should fall into place as soon as you realise that Oldboy, one of South Korea's most famous flicks, was actually based on a Japanese manga of the same name, albeit somewhat loosely. Whatever. An adaptation is an adaptation, right? Oldboy is a masterclass in tone and visual stylings, and showcases Park Chan-wook as an extraordinary talent capable of maximising tension and drama at every moment by way of his careful staging and immaculate framing. It might seem strange to hail the man as one of the greatest comic book movie directors of all-time on the strength of a single film, but when your film is this good - and indeed, it transcends the already great material on which it was based - it seems a bit futile to leave him off. Here's hoping Chan-wook adapts another comic soon.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
