Man Su’s life looked perfect. He had a wife who loved him. Two smart kids. Two happy dogs. Even the same forest from his childhood. He worked for Solar Paper for 25 years. In 2019, he won Pulp Man of the Year. Then one morning, it all ended. The company let him go.
He thought loyalty mattered. It didn’t. Bills kept piling up. His wife, Mi Ri, said they might have to sell the house. That idea crushed him. He tried to land a job at Moon Paper. But he wasn’t the only one chasing it. Other people with the same skills were after it, too.
Man Su made a strange plan. He invented a fake paper company. He contacted his job rivals. Invited them to meet him. Then, one by one, he aimed to remove them from the race. How far could a man go when pushed to the edge? This is what No Other Choice explores.
The movie runs 2 hours and 19 minutes. It releases August 29, 2025. Park Chan-wook directs it. This film isn’t just about career loss. It’s also after it also about what happens to marriage when money runs out. It’s a Korean drama movie about job loss and marriage struggles told with raw, uncomfortable truth.
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Two Couples. Two Different Battles.
The first couple is Man Su and Mi Ri. Lee Byung-hun plays Man Su. Son Ye-jin plays Mi Ri. This is their first time acting together. Their chemistry feels natural, almost too real. Man Su is proud but broken. Mi Ri is steady and kind. Even after the job loss, she supports him. She doesn’t judge. But you can still see her worry under the smile.
The second couple is Beom-mo and A-ra. Lee Sung-min plays Beom-mo. Yeom Hye-ran plays A-ra. Their story is less about hope and more about what happens when dreams fade.
Beom-mo keeps chasing paper industry jobs. A-ra misses the passion she once had. Together, they show how love can survive but still feel heavy. Their scenes are quiet but tense.
Both couples face the same storm. But they react in different ways. That contrast makes the movie richer. It’s not just one story about unemployment. It’s a mix of different marriages under pressure. This makes the movie more relatable for viewers who’ve seen job loss up close.
Still cuts from the film show a lot. In one, Man Su’s eyes look sharp, almost cold. You can tell he’s ready to fight for his family. In another, Mi Ri’s smile hides the pain she feels. A-ra’s stills hint at deep emotions she can’t voice. Beom-mo looks tired, almost defeated.
Raw Faces of Struggle and Survival
Cha Seung-won appears as Sijo. It’s a role unlike anything he’s done before. Usually tall and confident, here he plays a hunched, quiet man in customer service. Park Chan-wook wanted this contrast. It works. His posture and voice tell as much as his lines.
The director doesn’t soften the edges. The job market here feels brutal. Every character is on the verge of losing something bigger than money. Pride. Love. Self-worth. It’s a Korean drama movie about job loss and marriage struggles that doesn’t hide behind fantasy or feel-good endings.
Lee Byung-hun’s performance shows a man sliding from comfort to desperation. Son Ye-jin makes Mi Ri feel real, not like a perfect wife from TV dramas. Lee Sung-min gives Beom-mo a quiet sadness. Yeom Hye-ran plays A-ra with small, subtle touches — a look, a pause, a half-smile.
Takeaway
What makes No Other Choice stand out is how it treats work and marriage as connected battles. Losing a job here isn’t just about income. It shakes every part of life. The home. The children. The trust between two people. Some couples fight together. Others fight each other.
The story doesn’t give easy answers. There’s no promise everything will be fine. That’s what makes it stick. It feels more like real life than a movie script. People who have been through layoffs or long job hunts may find it hits close to home. Those who haven’t may walk away wondering how they would act if it happened to them.
When it arrives in theaters, No Other Choice will likely draw attention for its cast. But it may stay in people’s minds because of its honesty. Park Chan-wook has taken a simple premise — job loss — and shown how it ripples through love, dignity, and survival.
How Does this Article Make You Feel?
Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
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