‘No Other Choice’ teaser: Park Chan-wook’s Venice-premiering thriller drops first look

South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s new film No Other Choice is set to make its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival. Ahead of the debut, distributor Neon has unveiled the film’s first teaser trailer, offering a glimpse of Park’s return to feature filmmaking after Decision to Leave.

Starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin, the film is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, previously adapted by Costa-Gavras. The South Korean version has been long in development, with Park initially announcing the project in 2009. Co-written with Don McKellar, No Other Choice explores themes of unemployment and class anxiety, following Man-soo (Lee), a laid-off worker who hatches a drastic plan to eliminate his job competition.

The teaser reveals Park’s signature visual styles that have earned him international acclaim with films like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Stoker. The cast also includes Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won.

Neon, which is handling U.S. distribution, is expected to position No Other Choice for awards contention later this year. The film could mark Park’s first major breakthrough with the Academy. Despite high expectations, his previous film Decision to Leave missed out on an Oscar nomination, even after strong festival reception.

Following its Venice premiere, No Other Choice will release in South Korean theaters and later in other territories, including North America. No exact release date has been announced yet.