As the 98th Academy Awards draw closer next March, Korean audiences are closely watching the International Feature Film race, where Park Chan Wooks No Other Choice is considered a major contender. The film, produced by Moho Film, has been selected as Koreas official submission and is currently competing for a nomination.
Recent coverage from The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire predicts that Park Chan Wooks film will likely be nominated alongside Joachim Triers The Worst Person in the World, Jafar Panahis No Bears, Kleber Mendonca Filhos Portraits of a Lady on Fire, and Kaouther Ben Hanias The Man Who Sold His Skin. Among these titles, all except The Man Who Sold His Skin are distributed by the American company Neon, which previously handled Bong Joon Hos Parasite, the 2019 Cannes Palme dOr winner and the 2020 Academy Award winner for Best Picture.
Founded in 2017, Neon is relatively young but has rapidly built an impressive track record, distributing Cannes Palme dOr winners such as Titane, Triangle of Sadness, and Anatomy of a Fall. Its marketing strategy was widely credited as a decisive factor in the historic awards success of Parasite. With several projected nominees in next years International Feature Film category tied to Neon, the company is once again drawing industry attention. Even if No Other Choice does not win, Neon is strongly positioned for awards season success.
No Other Choice will premiere for North American audiences on December 25, opening in select theaters across the United States and Canada before expanding in January. The film follows the desperate struggle of a jobless family man trying to regain employment and stars Lee Byung Hun, Son Ye Jin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, and Yum Hye Ran. This marks Park Chan Wooks first feature in three years since No Other Choice in 2022 and is adapted from the American novel Ax.
