The Conjuring: Last Rites is easily one of the best of the entire franchise. Not only is it terrifying, it isn’t afraid to get emotional while wrapping up.

The Conjuring franchise is pretty terrifying overall. To say that it is filled with iconic moments is a bit of an understatement. Even though the third Conjuring film left quite a bit to be desired, the trailers alone proved that The Conjuring: Last Rites was going all out to wrap up the franchise, and it did just that.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return as Lorraine and Ed Warren, but it has been made pretty clear this is the final time we will see them in these roles. Honestly, this is quite sad. As someone who only recently dove headfirst into this franchise and fell in love with it, I would be thrilled to see it continue. But all good things must come to an end, and thankfully, The Conjuring: Last Rites assures the franchise goes out with a blood-curdling scream.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Surprisingly Gets Emotional

While we have gotten to know Ed and Lorraine Warren over the years, this film does focus its opening on the past. Madison Lawlor and Orion Smith play younger versions of the beloved characters, and do so brilliantly. Not only do they somehow look exactly like Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, but they also perfectly embody the mannerisms of the characters.

As viewers learn more about the Warrens’ past, it becomes clear that this movie is not just going to be scary, but it is going to be an emotional roller coaster. As a parent of two daughters, it was easy to connect with the storyline surrounding the Warrens and their daughter, Judy. She has been a part of past films as well, but this time around, things were centered around her even more.

I cannot believe I cried (multiple times) during a horror movie, but here we are. There are several moments that really got me in my feels. All happening between absolutely terrifying scares, so it is safe to say my feelings were all over the place while watching The Conjuring: Last Rites.

The Conjuring: Last Rites Goes Back To What Works

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was not the best of the franchise. In fact, it was probably the worst. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its moments, because it does, but overall, it sort of fell flat. The film focused more on an individual and a court trial rather than a haunted house, which is what makes the franchise so scary and entertaining.

The Conjuring: Last Rites goes back to the roots of what makes this franchise so good. While there are a lot of emotional aspects, especially when it comes to the Warrens, there is still a family being tormented by a demonic force. This is something that the previous film severely lacked.

Is The Conjuring: Last Rites Scary?

I wouldn’t say I get scared easily, but when I do, I become a baby. That said, I love to be scared. Nothing makes me happier than watching a movie through my fingers as I push my body as far away from the screen as humanly possible. And I admit that is how I watched the majority of this film.

There are brilliantly placed jump scares, as well as several creatures, demons, monsters (whatever you want to call them) that are terrifying to look at. The Conjuring: Last Rites goes all out, knowing it is the end of the franchise. The third act is epic, to say the least, throwing scare after scare at the audience, while weaving in just enough of an emotional arc to have fans holding back tears, all while their hearts are pounding out of their chests.

Overall Thoughts On The Conjuring: Last Rites

The Conuring: Last Rites probably isn’t the scariest of the franchise, and it might not be the best either, but it is easily towards the top of both of these lists. Knowing this is the end of the Warrens’ on-screen journey is sad, but at least they are going out with a bang.

I never thought I would cry at a Conjuring movie, and yet, I cried several times during this final film. This is the perfect way to wrap things up. The blend of horror and heart is something I never expected this franchise to be able to pull off, and I am so happy they did.

NEXT: The Conjuring: Last Rites Interview: A Terrifying Look Behind the Curtain with Madison Lawlor and Orion Smith

About The Conjuring: Last Rites

The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers another thrilling chapter of the iconic Conjuring cinematic universe, based on real events. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return as Lorraine and Ed Warren in a powerful and spine-chilling addition to the global box office-breaking franchise.

The Conjuring: Last Rites comes to theaters on September 5th.

The Long Walk boasts incredible performances all around, but is an extremely difficult watch even for those who know what they are getting into.

If you know the premise of The Long Walk, it should come as no surprise to learn that it is one of the most difficult watches of the year, without a doubt. In a post-war dystopian world, a teenage boy from each state volunteers to walk until there is only one of them left. The winner will receive enough money to never have to worry about a thing for the rest of his life, and one wish. And when I say until one of them is left, I mean if they slow down too much, or veer off the pavement, they will be killed.

This is the first story that Stephen King ever wrote. He considers it one of his darkest, which says something. Though there is the occasional joke, The Long Walk is dark, depressing, and honestly, quite devastating. While there are good messages and lessons sprinkled throughout the story, overall, it is a difficult watch, to say the least.

Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson lead the film, as Garraty and McVries, respectively. Both are incredible actors, with unforgettable past roles, but it is in The Long Walk that they prove they have what it takes to bring home awards. I would be shocked if they both do not end up nominated when awards season rolls around. That said, the entire cast is incredible, really giving their all each and every time they are on screen.

It is hard to make a movie that is mostly comprised of talking entertaining. Especially when you consider that on top of that, it really is just a bunch of boys walking and getting to know one another. While there is the occasional argument, The Long Walk could have easily been extremely boring. But because of the high stakes and stellar performances, it is impossible to look away, even when you want to.

As a mother, I found myself instantly resonating with Judy Greer’s character, Ginny Garraty. To have to see your child go through this would be devastating, to say the least. She is not on screen much, but when she is, she shines. In fact, it is one scene with her, towards the end, that affected me so much that I had tears streaming down my face.

Mark Hamill plays The Major, the villain, so to speak. He is the one who leads the charge of these boys, constantly reminding them that only one of them is going to make it to the end. Hamill is always fantastic, so it should come as no surprise to know he once again delivers a great performance.

Overall Thoughts on The Long Walk

The Long Walk is one of those movies that will likely stick with viewers for a long time. It has its moments of comedy, which are woven in so that audiences can take a break from the depressing scenes, but overall it is something that is difficult to watch, no matter how prepared you think you are.

There is not a lot of action at all, but rather deep, meaningful conversations that may help viewers sort some of their own things out in their head. It is a good movie. No, a great movie. With incredible, award-worthy performances, it is still hard to say it is an enjoyable watch, simply because of the events that unfold.

The Long Walk comes to theaters everywhere on September 12th.

NEXT: Nobody 2 Director Timo Tjahjanto Talks Bob Odenkirk & The Future Of The Franchise

The Smashing Machine is an authentically raw sports biopic on the gritty & brutal, real & emotional fights we face in & out of the ring.

After years of generating blockbuster after blockbuster, to increasingly diminishing returns, it seems Dwayne Johnson is FINALLY attempting something new in his acting career: an Oscar contender film and performance. Where the wrestler turned actor turned media mogul carries a bit of his comfort zone while simultaneously stepping out of it to bring us The Smashing Machine. The biographical story of mixed martial arts and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) between the years 1997 and 2000, following his struggles in & out the ring and the octagon.

Johnson is someone very familiar with playing tough, macho men full of bravado, where his famous charisma fill every frame but in The Smashing Machine Johnson displays raw vulnerability unlike we’ve ever seen from him, in the single greatest performance from a wrestler turned actor; Kerr’s dominant raw power when fighting struggles to translate when trying to open up about his complex emotions outside the ring, particularly in his relationship with his girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt), and Blunt’s tour-de-force perfectly matches Johnson’s.

Kerr feels like he’s constantly on the run from something, whether it is himself, his addiction or even his relationship, except when he is in the ring, the only place where he actively runs towards something. The relationship between Kerr and Staples is the constant fight he seems to seek refuge from one, as it is one of volatile fragility, the two constantly walking on eggshells around one another afraid to say the wrong thing and quite finding the right moment to confront Kerr’s addiction, whose reactions are as overblown as Dawn’s.

Despite their constant being at odds, the two are cut from the same cloth; showcasing self-destructive tendencies that are augmented by their presence in each other’s lives; Kerr is never comfortable opening up with Dawn, only his “boys” and fellow fighters around him such as his trainer and friend Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader) or Bas Rutten (as himself), they are the only people who see Kerr in his most unguarded state; the only person to ever see Kerr sobbing in the film being Coleman.

But despite Dawn’s pleads to Kerr about letting her in, we never see her doing the same for him, it’s either attempts at seeing him with his shields down or becoming angry and volatile when she isn’t successful; in fairness, the way director Ben Sadfie captures these sequences that verge on the self-parodying repletion, but Johnson and Blunt’s undisputed chemistry and the strong writing just about save it, bringing it home as an absolute knockout.

Speaking of knockouts, this wouldn’t be a sports biopic worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears without capturing the raw viscerality of a mixed martial arts contest in brutally gritty action set pieces, the visual honesty of Maceo Bishop’s 35mm cinematography creates some of the best, and gnarliest, fights ever put to screen at that, to the tune of what sounds like improved jazz, a unique angle that conveys the unpredictability of what every fighter feels when stepping into the ring.

Visually authentic to the time and mood of its story; the handheld style and grainy image reflect the feel of Kerr’s inner mind, holding up walls to the world but clearly showing the cracks through which we glimpse the pain and constant sense of being overwhelmed by the dependency he has, not just professionally but his fear of disappointment if he loses, what is there for him once outside the ring besides the eruptive relationship awaiting for him at home when his friends all have families and jobs that can fall on if their opponents’ hand is ever raised.

Despite the strong performances and strong character writing, the interest of Safdie’s script isn’t at all to reinvent the wheel of the sports biopic, which may prove tricky for the films award season hopes. It’s heart is strong, and authenticity is worthy of praise, but Rocky set the bar and this is certainly not the film that will topple it. There is arguably too much of a comfort in ticking the boxes of what makes such stories of adversity work on screen, and while certainly playing to its strengths, Safdie never feels out of his comfort zone as a filmmaker at the helm of a story about a man whose victories in the squared circle are overshadowed by his fights outside of it.

The film’s real sin of the film is truly it’s ending, as the final scene plays as too rosy a conclusion for a story all about struggling, imperfect people living in an imperfect world, not helped by the fact that Safdie dares to show the classic acceptance of the need of rehabilitation, but it turns out to be no more than key jangling as the film skips right over what could be a more than compelling second act in favour of more action in the ring, no doubt to justify Johnson’s incredible workout and divine-like physique that would make the Greek pantheon hide in shame.

In truth, the film is begging for a longer runtime, something that surely couldn’t be helped without some more polish to the story structure, but while it could’ve done with some fleshing out of story elements about Kerr’s life that feel disappointingly superficial, this is a empathetic story easy to gravitate towards for many, about the real and relatable adversities we inevitably bring upon ourselves through life, evident by the performances and characters, particularly Johnson and Blunt’s, who despite the odds clearly showcase nuance and depth.

The Smashing Machine is an authentically raw sports biopic on the gritty & brutal, real & emotional fights we face in & out of the ring. Dwayne Johnson bleeds vulnerability onto the screen in an undisputed knockout performance worth every ounce of blood, sweat & tears.

Blunt is his PERFECT match.

Final Grade: B+

The Smashing Machine comes to theaters on October 3rd.

NEXT: Frankenstein Movie REVIEW [Venice Film Festival 2025]

Twinless is completely captivating from the start, exploring dark themes of grief and loneliness through comedy and heart.

Twinless is one of those movies that is really hard to talk about without giving too much away. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, as well as other touching ones that brought me to tears. This is a dark comedy, so things do get exactly that – dark – as it explores heavy themes of loss, grief, and loneliness. Something that we can all relate to on one level or another.

In Twinless, two young men meet in a twin support group and form an unlikely friendship. Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney) both search for solace and an identity without their other halves and soon become inseparable outside the group.

Although the early twist is a little bit on the predictable side, I urge the audience to go in as blind as possible to ensure the best viewing experience. You want to know the twists at the time that was intended for them to revealed, trust me.

When the writer and director of a film is also the star, that can be a bit nerve-racking. All too often they bite off more than they can sure, causing at least one of their roles to feel a bit lacking. That is not the case here at all with James Sweeney. In fact, he brilliantly succeeds at all three roles.

His on-screen chemistry with Dylan O’Brien is off the charts – no matter what emotions they are working to portray. Again, it is really hard to get into too much depth here, as I do not want to ruin what works so well about this movie, but O’Brien and Sweeney should star in everything together. They are THAT good.

When Aisling Francoisi comes into the fold, things get dialed up to eleven. This is when the drama really hits, and there are moments I found myself on the edge of my seat, just waiting to see what would happen next. At one point, early on, the audience is let in on a secret. We know that things are going to hit the fan eventually, and Twinless is entertaining as we wait, but boy oh boy does it deliver when all is ultimately exposed.

Twinless is sure to tug at your heartstrings and mess with your emotions. While I can see why some would not be satisfied with the ending, I thought it was perfect. Delivering all that I needed, but still leaving me wanting more and wishing for the best for both main characters.

NEXT: Nobody 2 Review: An Action-Packed Adrenaline Rush

About Twinless

In Twinless, two young men meet in a twin support group and form an unlikely friendship. Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney) both search for solace and an identity without their other halves and soon become inseparable outside the group. But when Roman meets Dennis’ ebullient co-worker, Marcie (Aisling Franciosi), all is revealed to be not what it seems, as each man harbors secrets that could unravel everything.

Lionsgate & Roadside Attractions will release TWINLESS in theaters on September 5th.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein sees the fantastical auteur’s heart poured into his trademark mesmerising craftsmanship, breathing new life into the Godfather of all monsters.

“What does it mean to be human?” is the question as the centre of Mary Shelley’s timeless gothic novel Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus. This same question has been at the heart of many of Guillermo Del Toro’s masterworks, so and adaptation of the classic by one of today’s most creative filmmakers has always felt inevitable; so it is a joy to witness an auteurs heart and soul be laid bare in a work that feels deeply personal and wholly distinct, yet entirely faithful to the deep questions of humanity, life and death, despite emerging within an ocean of already endless adaptations of Shelley’s works.

It takes no time at all for Del Toro to immerse us in the ruthless and unforgiving world of Frankenstein, where in 1857, at the frigid shores of the North Pole, the German ship Horizon finds itself stranded, trapped in a prison of ice, with Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) and his men sparring no expense in working tirelessly to free themselves from their icy shackles and finally return home.

Unexpectedly, they find a wreckage where sled dogs sit howling to the moon next to a burned down tent, eventually discovering a man seemingly only half alive, who once taken to safety aboard the ship reveals his name to be Victor Frankenstein (Oscaar Isaac), a brilliant scientist who lives his days on a hunt for his monstrous creation (Jacob Elordi). Del Toro, fully aware of how tried & true the story of Man and Monster has become on screen through the years; he imbues his version of the tale with traditional Del Toro magic, structuring the narrative as a story about stories themselves: the stories we tell, the stories we keep and the stories we ache to forget.

The director’s adulation for monsters has been no secret throughout his career, he gives a part of himself to the stories he tells, like any great artist worth their merit, and perhaps that has never been truer than with Frankenstein, his story poses the question of what it means to be human, but instead of seeking unfathomable answers, he rejects the very notion that it could ever be answer. The weight of existential dread is felt from the moment Victor begins telling his tale, or at least his version of it, and permeates throughout the film, becoming a character in it of itself.

Dragging the dagger deeper into the heart of the tale, we witness Victor’s ruthless and unnurtured upbringing under his watchful father Leopold (Charles Dance), whose professorial disposition towards his son immediately twists the question proposed in the novel into “What makes a monster?”, tragically ensuring Victor’s obsession becomes not just to best his father academically, but to outdo every man like him, Victor’s mission statement after the too early death of his mother Claire (Lauren Collins) during labour of Victor’s younger brother William (Felix Kammerer), is to conquer death.

A path that maybe could’ve been avoided after being rejected by scientific peers, if not for the intervention of Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz); an excentric, and most importantly for Victor: wealthy, arms merchant who offers himself to be Victor’s patron, providing infinite funds to support his research and experiments, after being fascinated by the idea of death no longer being an end, a worded by Victor, during a presentation at Edinburgh university.

To Victor, Harlender is the physical embodiment of salvation, an angel sent from heaven to combat the angel of death’s statue that haunts Victor’s dreams since childhood at it starred at the genius from across his room into his bed since he was a child, the angel Victor blames for taking his mother. Harlender proves himself to be a kind soul to Victor; not only is he offered a laboratory to work on freely with everything he may need provided, but Harlender also brings Victor and his brother William back together, as the merchant’s niece Elisabeth (Mia Goth) is to wed the younger Frankenstein.

Yet again Victor finds himself at a crossroads, becoming enchanted by Elisabeth after the two bond over their, very different yet similar, shared fondness for the “other”, yet again a Del Toro quality he injects into his characters and world. Visually, what started as an oppressively bleak world gains new colour once Elisabeth becomes part of Victor’s life and a romance between the two nearly blossoms into life with genuinely tender chemistry between Isaac and Goth. But Victor’s obsession is all consuming, Del Toro’s old friend & frequent collaborator Dan Lausten’s juxtaposes the beauty and tragedy with the quite literal definition of “movie magic”; every shot is transportive, it immerses us into each set and every bit of emotion captured in each character’s face.

This is the clear work of artists keenly familiar with one another sensibilities, the camera brings the horror while never failing to capture the beauty that is seen through the eyes of Victor’s creation when he’s finally brought to life in one of the best sequences of the year where a frenetic Isaac battles the elements, and seemingly the will of God, to achieve his goal and finally bring the patchwork man to life. Victor has finally conquered death, or at least that’s one half of the story…

From here on Elordi delivers the performance of his career, balancing both anguish and tenderness using only body language and facial expressions; his moves twitchy and unsure like that of a wounded animal in fear of the world he does not yet know despite his imposing frame, paired with a captivating Oscar Isaac who poetically mirrors his own creation in the film: once a kind and pure boy hurt and shunned by the world, even those who were meant to love him, now a bitter and egotistical man who despises what he brought to the world.

Chaining the Creature in the sewers below his laboratory never to be seen by others, appalled by the imperfections he sees in his deeds, and perhaps refuses to accept about himself. Victor’s frustration with the Creature grows every day, be it due to the autonomy shown or the lack of instant growth and intelligence, Victor becoming just as stern, unforgiving and ruthless as his father once was to him, and, just like Victor once chased his father, his Creature now chases him across landscapes and years.

In a story about stories, a story about monsters, it’d be disingenuous for Del Toro not to offer the Creature’s POV; and after barging into the ship, taking the lives of several of Anderson’s man who try to stop him, Victor’s son finally meets him and gets a chance to share his truth. This is where Del Toro, the lover of all monsters and myths, takes down on a surprisingly powerful heart wrenching route where we see the world through the Creature’s pure eyes, a world where cruelty and hate are a human disease, spread through the fear of the other and the unknown.

But there is endless beauty to be found in tragedy; most notably when we see Elordi flesh out his character thanks to Del Toro’s brilliant writing as Victor’s conquest, despite living in overwhelming fear travels the vast landscapes lost and lonely, taking what he can from the world but secretly watching, secretly learning and reading, and even learns to communicate, eventually connecting with a blind man (David Bradley) who bears no hate towards the complete stranger, but simply shares what little he has with this newly found kindred soul and eventual friend, despite his family unknowingly attempting to harm the Creature simply because it does not look natural or of this world.

Del Toro wisely lingers in these beautiful moments between the Creature and the blind man, the simple kindness of spending time together, sharing a roof and a meal and a walk through the forest proving themselves better and more nurturing teaching tools than those Victor ever proved to his would-be-son. The visual language of the film contrasts Adam’s tale with that of Victor, transforming from a hateful and bitter world into one that is full of kindness and empathy, a world where forgiveness and love can exist; but these are concepts that while understood by the Creature they aren’t felt, they haven’t been lived, constantly reminding him of the biggest curse… he can’t die.

Consumed by anguish, the thirst for vengeance and connection brings him to hunt down his father, continuing the endless cycle of hate that is all consuming to men and all creatures; but where there is savagery and brutality and death and pain, Del Toro, in his clear reverence and love for mystery, offers a sense of wonder amidst the tragedy and ultimately the hope that as long as we’re here, as long as we seek answers to myths and monsters and the truth of men, the sun can rise again, the day begins a new, and we can have another chance.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein sees the fantastical auteur’s heart poured into his trademark mesmerising craftsmanship, breathing new life into the Godfather of all monsters. This beautifully haunting tragic tale as old as time about monsters & men & stories is visually immaculate & thematically soulful.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein will be coming to Netflix in November 2025, after a limited theatrical release in select theaters on October 17, 2025.

NEXT: Venice Film Festival 2025: Bugonia Movie REVIEW

No Other Choice is an unhinged descent into despair as the male ego is shattered & challenged and boy did Lee Byung-hun get the assignment.

One of the biggest pandemics of the 21st century is the constant job loss of millions of qualified, and even overqualified, workers. Replaced by machinery, and more recently A.I., leaving families in debt and forced to readjust despite years of loyalty and good work. Which has forced legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook to ponder the questions: What does despair look like? How does it manifest?

This is the thesis of his latest work: No Other Choice. Where Man-su (Lee Byuyng-hun), a specialist in paper manufacturing with 25 years of experience and devoted father living with his loving family and two dogs in his idyllic childhood home, is so satisfied with life that he can truthfully tell himself, “I’ve got it all.” He happily passes his days with his wife Miri (Son Yej-in), sharing meals in the garden and carefully working on his bonsai and planting his garden, but Man-su is suddenly informed by his company that he has been fired with the words: “We’re sorry. We have no other choice.”

Feeling as if his head has been mercilessly severed by an axe, Man-su vows to find a new job within the next three months for the sake of his family but despite his firm resolve to turn his life around, Man-su spends over a year drifting from one job interview to another, eventually working in a retail store where he’s clearly overqualified, overworked and overwhelmed. Reaching his breaking point when he finds himself in danger of losing the very house he struggled so hard to buy.

Desperate, he visits Moon Paper unannounced and tries to hand over his CV at the threshold of a bathroom, only to be even more humiliated by a line manager. Man-su, knowing he is beyond qualified to get the position at Moon Paper, comes to a certain decision: If there is no opening for him, he’ll just have to get hired by creating an opening. An opening he is willing to create himself, by eliminating the competition.

While on paper that could read like a dark thriller, which would not be new territory for Chan-wook, but what is certainly a dark descent into the lowest pits of psychopathy, never becomes a retribution power fantasy brought to life but instead is a macabre comedy about the fragility of the male ego in its most desperate form. Chan-wook is vehemently not encouraging this behaviour but rather ridiculing it to make a point.

The sales pitch is simple: What if a devout family man, in his despair to provide for his loved ones, becomes the world’s most incompetent hitman?

The juxtaposition between seeing a devout family man succumb to his darkest and most egotistical impulses become the most incompetent and frightened of hit man is nothing short of comedic genius, a story played completely straight that could be read as something out of The Naked Gun (complimentary). Yet, Chan-wook unrelentingly tense direction keeps us just enough on edge to keep guessing if the comedic tone is just a façade, uncompromisingly tiptoeing between how pathetic Man-su has become but always finding moments to illustrate his humanity, mostly by showcasing the dedication to his family as motivation despite his morbid actions.

Surprisingly, the two contrasting tones never compromise each other and Lee Byung-hun’s carefully calibrated performance walks the tonal tight rope flawlessly, in what is essentially a comedy of errors where he accidentally falls into successes. Byung-hun is clearly never afraid to laugh at himself, his physical comedy just as funny as his line delivery. What makes him compelling is how at his core, Man-su’s a man whose identity has been taken away from him, as both a manager, something he has dedicated his entire life to, and as a father and provider; he’s always been someone his family can depend on and until now there was never a reason to question it, but once without the job he dedicated a quarter of his life to, who is he? Who can he be if not that?

Chan-wook never loses sight of his how humane Man-su actually is; his daughter has never played cello in front of him or his wife, a connection he desperately craves, but what was once a united family that longed to connect deeper with their own daughter is now a broken family when Man-su finds himself growing distant with his wife who herself has sacrificed her hobbies and her job, finding work as a dental assistant in a young dentists practice, something that fills Man-su with jealousy and in turn causes a drift between him and his wife.

Not helped by his constant mysterious journeys that have him away from home for most of the day and late into the night, as he secretly goes out to get close to his competition, perhaps time he could use to get close to his family in such rough times.

Man-su is a manager by trade, he knows how to talk to people and appease them, something he seems hilariously unable to do when it comes to his family, and he uses these skills to gain the trust of the men he seeks to eliminate, but such skills are not those of a killer. What becomes of these action scenes where Man-su shivers and shakes while holding a gun at someone’s head, overprotecting his hand by using three gloves as to not leave fingerprints to the point he can’t even move the finger to pull the trigger: again.

This movie is beyond hilarious. While he never gets any better at being an assassin, he does become a better father to his stepson Si-one when he himself, in an attempt to help alleviate the heavy financial and societal pressure his family is under, steals iPhones from his friends’ father store thanks to the influence of said friend. Lee Miri, who herself has been desperate to keep her life going, raise to children, and finding herself alone to do so thanks to Man-su’s mysterious escapades, attempts to seduce the man intent of pressing charges against her son, but Man-su’s fragile ego actually proves useful as a tool to look after his family, helping the bond between him and his wife as she finally gets a glimpse at the man she fell in love with.

However, there is an oppressively slow pace for the first hour of the film that ever so slightly bogs down what is otherwise an unhinged cascade down into a blackhole of murder and malice full of that one-of-a-kind Chan-wook style, the moments between Man-su’s attempts at getting a job the “normal way” feel unnecessarily long once his decision to eliminate the competition has been made, it doesn’t come across as a man struggling between doing what he knows or caving in to his dark passenger, but rather avoiding the inevitable pull of the trigger.

This nowhere near ruins the film, and the second half really brings it together when the focus is more on the effect his new darker self has on his family life, but it costs some of the flow of the narrative that otherwise wastes no shots and no moments, it simply takes a while for both darkness and comedy to take the reins and have one going: He’s done it again.

Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice unnerves with slow-brewing tension and releases in macabre shock & gut-busting hysteria.

An unhinged descent into despair as the male ego is shattered & challenged and boy did Lee Byung-hun get the assignment. Mysterious & hilarious, an absolute treat of cinema.

Final Grade: A-

No Other Choice played at the Venice Film Festival 2025.

NEXT: Venice Film Festival 2025: Bugonia Movie REVIEW