#TIFF 2025 # ParkChan-wook. No Other Choice, #International Peoples Choice Award # Toronto International Film Festival # Man-Soo, #South Korea Cinema #Donald E Westlake, #Oscar Race 2025 # festivalWinners, #Mi-ri
Toronto/CMEDIA: ‘No other Choice’ filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s adaptation of a novel by Donald E. Westlake (The Ax), has reportedly garnered TIFF 2025 International People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025).
‘I believe this is a story that must be seen, and I hope to continue greeting audiences with films that you will have no other choice but to watch…I humbly accept it not just as an award for myself, but as recognition of the proud achievement and growth Korean culture has made throughout the world’, Lee has said in his acceptance speech.
A Satirical Take on Capitalism
Set in South Korea, starring Lee Byung-hun as Man-Soo TIFF 2025 film ‘No other Choice’ was one of TIFF’s Gala presentations that soon gained International popularity. The award, presented by Rogers, is considered a key indicator for the upcoming awards season with the hope of an Oscar recognition.
‘No other Choice’ a Satirical Thriller on the capitalist agenda is about Man-Soo, a desperate man turned merciless by unemployment devising a plan to eliminate his competition.
Plot of the the film
The plot of story follows Mon-Soo with a loving wife, Son Yejin as Mi-ri, two talented children, and two happy dogs. He even bought the beautiful forest-enclosed house where he grew up. Then, after 25 years of dedicated work for Solar Paper, where he was awarded Pulp Man of the Year in 2019, Man-soo is suddenly laid off. Soon he is falling behind on his mortgage payments. So he devises a plan to invent a phony paper company, reach out to each of his rivals and to eliminate any other unemployed men with the necessary qualifications
When asked if he might try employment outside the paper industry, Man-su stubbornly says he has “no other choice” and he says he had “no other choice” but to eliminate his competitors to get the job.
Script and Direction
The screenplay was co-written by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Toronto’s Don McKellar. Critics praised the film’s sharp direction, layered symbolism, and its blend of satire and thriller, calling it a timely commentary on workplace politics, unemployment, and status anxiety.
The narrative shifts as Mi-ri intervenes to correct Man-soo’s misguided efforts, grounding the story in themes of family and resilience.
Man-Soo remains firmly planted in the middle-ground between self-preservation and murderous intent since he has “no other choice.” The film gets back on track with decisive intervention from Miri to fix Man-su’s flawed efforts.
Dedication and Legacy
Park dedicated the film to Costa-Gavras, who held the rights to the novel and worked with the Korean director in the initial development stages, when it was planned as an English-language remake.
Born in Seoul, Park Chan-wook studied philosophy at Sogang University and later worked as a film critic while pursuing a career as a writer-director. His works include The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (92), Joint Security Area (00), I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (06), Thirst (09), Stoker (13), and the Festival Official Selections Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (02), Oldboy (03), Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (05), The Handmaiden (16), and Decision to Leave (22). No Other Choice (25) is his latest film.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
