Though Oldboy is very loosely based on a manga of the same name, it still retains enough of the source material to be considered for inclusion on this list; a good thing, then, given that it's not only one of the best comic book movies of all time, but one of the best movies of all time period. This dark, broody, uncomfortable - and in places - patience-testing South Korean picture - directed by the legend that is Park Chan-Wook, no less - is uncompromising, violent, disturbing and perplexing; but it's also a film you'll want to revisit time and time again. Directed with the utmost precision and care, Oldboy tells the story of a man who finds himself imprisoned in a room for fifteen years without explanation. Only once he's released back into the world does the movie kick into gear, as he attempts to track down the person responsible for such an act of cruelty. Most people remember Oldboy for its mind-blowing corridor fight, rendered by Chan-Wook in a single, unbroken take, as to emphasise the beatings... but save your jaw droppage for the final revelation, which will leave you drained and shattered.
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.
