No Other Choice : Script Book, Director Park Chan-wook

Condition : Brand New
Published : Oct 2025
Language : Korean
Pages : 188 pages
Size : 150 × 210 mm

Book Introduction
The bitter smile Park Chan-wook has harbored for 17 years
The ruthless and cruel world within

Director Park Chan-wook's 2025 film "No Help" took a remarkable 17 years from conception to release. Based on Donald Westlake's novel "Axe," the script was initially written in English for production in the United States, then moved back to Korea, and endured numerous twists and turns. While it's rare for a project to be re-imagined after a few failed attempts, director Park Chan-wook held a special attachment to this story, ultimately transcending the 10-year barrier to its production.

Like the original novel, the film tells the story of a laid-off worker desperate to find new employment who murders those he perceives as his competitors. It's a brutal parable about the lives of those living in a capitalist world. The original novel unfolds this allegorical setting by blending thriller and black comedy, genres that director Park Chan-wook excels at. Fans have been curious to see which of the two elements of the original novel "Eohyeotda" would focus on.

Director Park Chan-wook chose black comedy. "Eohyeotda" contains more comedy than any of his previous works, ranging from slapstick to puns. However, when examining the moments that the film delivers hearty laughs, the characters performing the comedy are nowhere to be found enjoying themselves. This is a characteristic of memorable comedies. These films don't intentionally elicit laughter, but instead present characters in absurd situations who repeatedly make mistakes and misjudgements due to fear and urgency. This laughter, while simultaneously leaving the audience with a sense of unease and sadness, falls into this category. The humor provided by "Eohyeotda" falls into this category.