History YMMV / Oldboy2003

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** When Oh Dae-su walks away from the upset woman and [[spoiler:the suicidal man he had previously spoken to lands on the car close by.]] The smile he gives clinches it.
** The dotted line from the hammer to the mook's head, complete with MickeyMousing: "Tick tick tick tick DING!"
** Dae-su repeating the youth slang he's recently heard. "Why did you lock me up, you... dickshit?"

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister after trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-jin to go through, it really doesn't justify the horrific things that he does to Dae-su in any way shape or form. Beyond the simple Aesop that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty revenge is bad]], Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Soo-ah committing suicide]], and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause of it loses water when you realize that anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally stumbled upon what [[BrotherSisterIncest Woo-jin and Soo-ah]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin is just a broken man who needed a reason to go on, and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Dae-su is petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:Soo-ah's demise]], because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public, then no one would have seen, and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed, thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide]]. To some extent, this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister after trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-jin to go through, it really doesn't justify the horrific things that he does to Dae-su in any way shape or form. Beyond the simple Aesop that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty revenge is bad]], Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Soo-ah committing suicide]], and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it loses water when you realize that anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally stumbled upon what [[BrotherSisterIncest Woo-jin and Soo-ah]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin is just a broken man who needed a reason to go on, and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Dae-su is petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:Soo-ah's demise]], because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public, then no one would have seen, and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed, thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide]]. To some extent, this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

* AdaptationDisplacement: The manga has been all but dwarfed by the film.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The first movement of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons: Winter" certainly takes the cake, but the entire soundtrack of this movie is a work of genius. Every track is named after a famous movie classic (most of them film noir) yet every title also clearly applies to the events seen in the film when the track is played. Every major character has a theme that is played overtly in several scenes, rather than recurring only as background music. Lee Woo-Jin's theme is lovingly used throughout the film; it is also heard as the jingle marking the release of the gas in Dae-Su's prison and it is the ringtone on the phone given to him by Woo-Jin. The pieces themselves are so appropriate and original that even hearing a few seconds of any part of the soundtrack will instantly conjure up the atmosphere of the movie.

** When Oh Dae-su walks away from the upset woman and [[spoiler:the suicidal man he had previously spoken to falls on the car close by.]] The smile he gives clinches it.

** In a fight scene with Mr. Han (Kim Byong-ok), Dae-su (Choi Min-shik) gets thoroughly trounced, but was saved from killing from Mr. Han by Woo-Jin. Cut to another Korean movie, ''New World'', and we see the same actors playing different characters succeeding in [[spoiler:killing the latter by stabbing his abdomen and throat and dumping his body in the sewer]].

* NightmareFuel: Much of the movie, particularly the GoryDiscretionShot.
* ParanoiaFuel: Dae-su was locked up in an apartment for 15 years, and tricked into [[spoiler:sleeping with his daughter]] all because he had inadvertently spread a rumor about a classmate in high school.
* SignatureScene: The hallway fight, to the point where many people unfamiliar with the film assume it to be an action movie based solely on this scene, and it's become a benchmark against which future {{hallway fight}}s are measured.

* {{Squick}}: Played first for laughs (like the octopus scene), but getting steadily darker as the film goes on. [[spoiler:Especially the ending.]]

** "The Last Waltz", which plays during Mi-do's fantasy of the ant on the train and during the end credits, is a TearJerker all of itself, when the movie is over.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister after trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-jin to go through, it really doesn't justify the horrific things that he does to Dae-su in any way shape or form. Beyond the simple Aesop that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty revenge is bad]], Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Soo-ah committing suicide]] and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it loses water when you realize that anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally stumbled upon what [[BrotherSisterIncest Woo-jin and Soo-ah]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin was just a broken man who needed a reason to go on and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Dae-su was petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:Soo-ah's demise]] because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public then no one would have seen and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide]]. To some extent, this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

** When Oh Dae-Su walks away from the upset woman and [[spoiler:the suicide guy falls on the car close by.]] The smile he gives clinches it.

** Dae-su repeating the youth slang he's recently heard. "Why did you lock me up, you... Dickshit?"

** In a fight scene with Mr. Han (Kim Byong-ok), Dae-su (Choi Min-shik) gets thoroughly trounced, but was saved from killing from Mr. Han by Woo-Jin. Cut to Another korean movie New World and we see the same actors, but different characters succeeding in killing the latter by stabbing his abdomen and throat and dumping his body in the sewer.

* SignatureScene: The hallway fight, to the point where many people unfamiliar with the film assume it to be an action movie based solely on this scene.

* TragicVillain: Woo-jin is one of the best examples in cinema. [[spoiler:Through the course of the movie he murders people, imprisons a man for 15 years, tortures him and tricks him into sleeping with his daughter, all for starting a rumor. But when the film flashes back to Woo-jin on the bridge, desperately holding on to his sister as she hangs over the water, you realize that he is ultimately a broken man who needed an excuse, no matter how flimsy, to go on as once he got his revenge he promptly committed suicide.]]

** Oh Dae-su and Mi-do receive a severed hand in the mail as an intimidation tactic. Oh Dae-su stares at it, recognizing who it's from and how it functions as an intimidation tactic, Mi-do... unceremoniously faints.

** When Oh Dae-Su walk away from the upset woman and [[spoiler: the suicide guy falls on the car close by.]] The smile he gives clinches it.

* ParanoiaFuel[=/=]FridgeHorror: The man was locked up for 15 years, and tricked into [[spoiler:sleeping with his daughter]]. All because he mentioned something he had seen, once.

** Several scenes, but especially the unbearable finale when [[spoiler: Dae-su screams and grovels before Woo-Jin, begging him not to tell Mi-do that Dae-su is her father.]]

** Mi-do [[spoiler: When it turns out that she is actually Oh Dae-su's hypnotized daughter]]
* TragicVillain: Woo-jin is one of the best examples in cinema. [[spoiler:Through the course of the movie he murders, imprisons a man for 15 years, tortures him, tricks him into sleeping with his daughter, all for starting a rumor. But when the film flashes back to Woo-jin on the bridge, desperately holding on to his sister as she hangs over the water, you realize that he is ultimately a broken man who needed an excuse, no matter how flimsy, to go on as once he got his revenge he promptly committed suicide.]]
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister while trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-Jin to go through, many believe it doesn't in any way shape or for justify what he does to Dae-su. Beyond the simple Aesop that revenge is bad, Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Woo-jin's sister's death]] and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it looses water when you realize that pretty much anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally spied on what [[BrotherSisterIncest Woo-jin and his sister]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin was just a broken man who needed a reason to go on and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Dae-su was petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:sister's demise]] because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public then no one would have seen and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide.]] To some extent this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister while trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-Jin to go through, many believe it doesn't in any way shape or for justify what he does to Dae-su. Beyond the simple Aesop that revenge is bad, Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Woo-jin's sister's death]] and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it looses water when you realize that pretty much anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally spied on what [[IncestIsRelative Woo-jin and his sister]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin was just a broken man who needed a reason to go on and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Dae-su was petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:sister's demise]] because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public then no one would have seen and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide.]] To some extent this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister while trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-Jin to go through, many believe it doesn't in any way shape or for justify what he does to Dae-su. Beyond the simple Aesop that revenge is bad, Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Woo-jin's sister's death]] and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it looses water when you realize that pretty much anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally spied on what [[IncestIsRelative Woo-jin and his sister]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin was just a broken man who needed a reason to go on and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Woo-jin was petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:sister's demise]] because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public then no one would have seen and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide.]] To some extent this is intentional, at least in regards to Woo-Jin's interpretation of [[spoiler:his sister's pregnancy being a "phantom pregnancy", which only a deluded person in denial about the consequences of his twisted relationship could think up.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While the [[spoiler:tragic loss of his sister while trying desperately to save her]] is a horrible thing for Woo-Jin to go through, many believe it doesn't in any way shape or for justify what he does to Dae-su. Beyond the simple Aesop that revenge is bad, Dae-su had literally nothing to do with [[spoiler:Woo-jin's sister's death]] and even the flimsy excuse that Dae-su spreading rumors was the cause if it looses water when you realize that pretty much anyone could have [[spoiler:accidentally spied on what [[IncestIsRelative Woo-jin and his sister]] were doing]] at the school. Ultimately, Woo-jin was just a broken man who needed a reason to go on and while that is tragic, his desire for revenge towards Woo-jin was petty, childish, and just a way to keep him from reflecting on his own part in [[spoiler:sister's demise]] because if they hadn't been doing what they were doing in public then no one would have seen and [[spoiler:his sister's reputation]] wouldn't have been destroyed thus [[spoiler:driving her to suicide.]]

* TragicVillian: Woo-jin is one of the best examples in cinema. [[spoiler:Through the course of the movie he murders, imprisons a man for 15 years, tortures him, tricks him into sleeping with his daughter, all for starting a rumor. But when the film flashes back to Woo-jin on the bridge, desperately holding on to his sister as she hangs over the water, you realize that he is ultimately a broken man who needed an excuse, no matter how flimsy, to go on as once he got his revenge he promptly committed suicide.]]

* CryForTheDevil: Woo-jin is one of the best examples in cinema. [[spoiler:Through the course of the movie he murders, imprisons a man for 15 years, tortures him, tricks him into sleeping with his daughter, all for starting a rumor. But when the film flashes back to Woo-jin on the bridge, desperately holding on to his sister as she hangs over the water, you want to cry for him.]]

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: The legendary hallway fight. 'Nuff said.

* SpiritualAdaptation: More than a few critics have called it a spiritual remake of Creator/BrianDePalma's ''Film/{{Obsession}}'', which was in turn, a spiritual remake of ''Film/{{Vertigo}}''. Both films have a few things in common, particularly the twist ending.

* SpiritualAdaptation: More than a few critics have called it a spiritual remake of Creator/BrianDePalma's ''[[Film/{{Obsession|1976}} Obsession]]'', which was in turn, a spiritual remake of ''Film/{{Vertigo}}''. Both films have a few things in common, particularly the twist ending.