2. Oldboy
When I first watched Oldboy back in 2003 it definitely made an impact on how bizarre and yet powerful films can be. The constant suspense of not knowing or even at times what is going on keeps you on the edge your seat. Chan-wook Park creates an atmosphere of the unknown and with the protagonist Dae-su Oh (Min-sik Choi) we embark on a journey of discovering something we could never of guessed or comprehend. Although there is so much happening in this film, Oldboy can still be described in one sentence. A man is kidnaped and imprisoned for fifteen years, without knowing why. Just like how he was imprisoned he is released without any warning. A man on a mission, Dae-su Oh now only has five days to discover his captures and find their motives of his imprisonment. Whenever I think about Oldboy I always remember what Dae-su Ohs question If they had told me it was going to be fifteen years, would it have been easier to endure? The same question always goes through my mind but even after ten years I still cannot answer it. To be locked up and imprisoned for fifteen years is a heavy price to pay. But to be caged in a room for fifteen years without even knowing why is honestly indescribable. It is a question of Why? that would drive me insane not the prison itself. This is what makes Oldboy such a compelling film to watch. In the film we see the mystery of Dae-su Oh's imprisonment unfold, the intensely dark visceral acts of revenge he embarks on and in the end we are left with a devastating experience.