Taken without reason. Imprisoned for 15 years. Released without reason. 5 days to seek the truth...
One day in 1988, ordinary white collar worker Oh Dae-soo (Choi Min-sik) is kidnapped and incarcerated in a private makeshift prison cell, dressed up like a cheap hotel room. With only a TV for company, Dae-soo makes numerous attempts to escape and to commit suicide but they all end up in failure. All the while Dae-soo asks himself what made a man hate him so much enough to imprison him in solitary confinement with no explanation. While suffering from his near-madness, Dae-soo becomes shocked when he watches the news and hears that his beloved wife was brutally murdered. At this very moment, Dae-soo swears to take revenge on the man who destroyed his happy life.
15 years on and without a word of warning Dae-soo is released. Given a new set of clothes, a mobile phone and the attentions of curious sushi waitress Mido, Dae-soo begins to track down his enemy, only to find he may be the pawn in a much bigger game which is only just beginning. Taunting Dae-soo, the culprit gives him just 5 days to catch and kill his captor or Mido will die...
Based on Japanese manga of the same name by Minegishi Nobuaki and Tsuchiya Garon, winner of the Jury Grand Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and winner of 5 Grand Bell awards in Korea (including Best Film for Park Chan-wook and Best Actor for Choi Min-sik), 'Old Boy' is a masterfully inventive revenge thriller complete with blackly comedic moments.