No Other Way (Film)

No Other Way (original title: Eojjeolsuga eobsda) is a 2025 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-Wook. The production blends elements of drama thriller crime and black comedy and is adapted from a work by Donald E. Westlake. It explores the extraordinary measures taken by a middle-class father who loses his job and seeks to preserve his social status.

The film centers on Yoo Man-su who has worked faithfully for twenty-five years at a paper factory. When he is laid off as part of the company’s cost-cutting measures Man-su faces economic and social collapse. Accumulating bills the threat of the bank seizing the home he and his family have always dreamed of and the fear of losing his place in society push the character to a psychological breaking point.

Convinced that he has no other way out and that his only obstacle is competition in the job market Man-su devises an absurd plan to eliminate his potential rivals physically. The film examines this spiral of violence through social satire and dark humor.

Park Chan-Wook directs the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Kyoung-mi Lee and Donald E. Westlake. The writing team also includes Don McKellar and Jahye Lee. The production is a collaboration between CJ ENM Co. CJ Entertainment and KG Productions.

• Cinematography: Kim Woo-hyung’s visual language is crafted to support the atmosphere of tension and black comedy.
• Editing: The film’s dynamic structure was shaped by Kim Ho-bin and Kim Sang-beom.
• Music: The score was composed by Cho Young-wuk who has frequently collaborated with director Park Chan-Wook on multiple projects.

The film brings together some of South Korea’s most renowned actors:

• Lee Byung-hun: Yoo Man-su (the protagonist who is laid off and plots to eliminate his rivals)
• Son Ye-jin: Miri (Man-su’s wife)
• Park Hee-soon: Choi Seon-chool
• Lee Sung-min: Bummo
• Yoo Yeon-seok: Chin-ho
• Woo Seung Kim: Si-one
• Choi So-yul: Ri-one

The film premiered internationally at film festivals and was screened in the Limelight section of the 2026 Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR). In Türkiye it was released on 9 January 2026 with the following distribution details:

• Release Date: 9 January 2026
• Importer: MUBI
• Distributor: CGV Mars D.
• Runtime: 139 minutes (2 hours 19 minutes)
• Audience Rating: 16 and over

No Other Way has grossed a total of $40,222,395 worldwide. In Türkiye it was watched by 14,971 viewers during its opening weekend generating 1,304,408 TL in revenue. By the end of its nine-week theatrical run the film reached a total of 24,118 viewers and 3,736,425 TL in cumulative earnings in Türkiye.

Critically acclaimed the film received high ratings across multiple platforms. It holds a 7.5/10 on IMDb and a 4.0/5 from the Beyazperde review platform. The film has won a total of 21 awards and received 104 nominations across various categories.

The South Korean Academy of Cinema has selected the film as Türkiye’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars) in 2026 in the Best International Feature Film category. It was also recognized among the standout entries at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film and Best Musical or Comedy Film.