I thought No Other Choice would finally break Park Chan-wook's Oscars snub

No Other Choice, Park Chan‑wook's pitch‑black comedy thriller that follows Lee Byung‑hun's Yoo Man‑su — a laid‑off paper‑factory worker who stages a fake job opening and kills off his competition — was notably absent from the 2026 Oscars nominations. The film, more palatable to mainstream audiences than Park's Vengeance Trilogy, is anchored by a praised performance from Lee Byung‑hun and features the director's signature camerawork.

The omission continues a disappointing pattern. The Handmaiden, widely regarded as a masterpiece and a BAFTA winner, was not submitted by Korea for Best International Feature Film — the country selected Kim Jee‑woon's The Age of Shadows instead — and Decision to Leave made the shortlist but secured no nominations.

Korea

park chan-wook, lee byung-hun, oscars snub, no other, yoo man-su, the handmaiden, bafta, kim jee-woon, vengeance trilogy, korea