No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook’s latest dark-comedy thriller, is getting a one-night-only IMAX release on December 8, 2025, and it is absolutely the kind of film that benefits from a huge screen. Only a handful of cities are getting it, and Seattle is one of them, with several Seattle-area IMAX theaters getting in on the action, including the Boeing IMAX at Pacific Science Center. If you have even a passing interest in Park Chan-wook’s work, this is worth setting aside the night for.

We first saw the film while covering the Toronto International Film Festival during its Canadian premiere in the Special Presentations program (shout out to the film’s Canadian co-screenwriter Don McKellar). That night we found ourselves walking the Red Carpet for the premiere, which added an unexpected bit of fun and wild energy to the night. That story can wait for another day. Even though that whole experience still feels a little unreal, the film itself stood on its own without any of the festival noise.

Honors

Park has a long history of making films that pick up awards across major festivals (Oldboy, Decision to Leave, Joint Security Area), and No Other Choice continues that streak, picking up several nods and a couple of top honors at TIFF (FIPRESCI Award Best Film, International People’s Choice Award).

The story follows Mansu, a man pushed out of his job and sliding into a bizarre chain of decisions while trying to keep his household afloat. Park doesn’t turn it into a big dramatic meltdown. He lets it play out in smaller, uncomfortable beats that slowly build. There are moments that are funny in a very dry, human way, and others that hit closer to home than expected.

Neon picked up the North American rights back in June, which already said a lot about how the film was being received.

If you are anywhere near a city showing it on IMAX, especially Seattle, this is the night to see it. One screening, one format, and a director who knows how to use every inch of that screen.