History YMMV / Oldboy2013

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: There's a moment during Joe's captivity where, after having seen a painting in his room featuring a racist caricature of an African-American bellboy, he actually hallucinates an African-American bellboy (played by Spike Lee's brother Cinqué Lee) materializing on his bed and laughing at him. It appears out of nowhere, it's weird in context, and it's never brought up again.[[note]]The only explanations for this are out-of-universe; namely, that it could be a ShoutOut to Cinqué having previously played a bellboy in ''Film/MysteryTrain'', and that it is the only indication in the film of Spike Lee's usual themes in his films of focusing on race and social commentary.[[/note]]

*** Creator/ElizabethOlsen plays Scarlet Witch in ''Infinity War'' and in that film [[spoiler: Thanos kills his daughter and Olsen's character, meaning he actually killed two daughters]].

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: many fans of the original film say that the remake lacks most the surreal, haunting and operatic qualities of the original and instead feels more like a conventional thriller in terms of its pacing and editing. Even the scenes that it does lift almost directly from the original lack most of the original nuance and meaning.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The film has been criticized by some for not taking enough chances with adapting the material and instead only deviates from the original in superficial ways.

** Adrian's flashback to [[spoiler: his father killing his sister, mother, and nearly killing him with a shotgun.]] What should be a tense, dramatic and tragic moment is utterly ruined by [[spoiler:the father performing an OminousWalk from room to room like a slasher villain, nobody reacting to the shotgun blasts in the next room over, and Adrian and his sister reacting to their father coldly walking into their rooms with a shotgun by ''immediately undressing''. Adrian's own reaction is even worse.]]
--->'''Adrian:''' ''[[[TooDumbToLive delightfully]]]'' Father! [[spoiler:''*BANG!*'']]
** As mentioned in Funny Moments above, Adrian makes the most ridiculous frightened expression after [[spoiler:Joe kills his female bodyguard]]. While Adrian presented himself as very campy through the whole film, it nonetheless really kills the mood of the cold-blooded scene.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Others might say that the film lacks most the surreal, haunting and operatic qualities of the original and instead feels more like a conventional thriller in terms of its pacing and editing. Even the scenes that it does lift almost directly from the original lack most of the original nuance and meaning.

** Rami Malek's character is killed by a hammer moving downwards. Although he got to play Music/FreddieMercury in ''Film/BohemianRhapsody'', he was not waiting for this [[Music/{{Queen}} hammer to fall]].

** Joe's reaction when he discovers that [[spoiler:Adrian manipulated him into sleeping with his own daughter]]. Josh Brolin's acting in that scene comes across as awfully similar to Creator/NicolasCage at his worst.

** And who can forget Adrian's reactions to people mentioning his sister.

** Rami Malek's character is killed by a hammer moving downwards. Although he got to play [[Film/BohemianRhapsody Freddie]], he was not waiting for this [[Music/{{Queen}} hammer to fall]].

--->'''Adrian:''' [[TooDumbToLive (Delightfully) Father!]] [[spoiler: BANG]]
** As mentioned in Funny Moments above, Adrian makes the most ridiculous frightened expression after [[spoiler:Joe kills his female bodyguard]]. While Adrian presented himself as very campy through the whole film, it nonetheless really kills the mood of the scene.

** Is no one going to talk about Joe acting "drunk" before his kidnapping?
--->'''Joe:''' NonoNOOOOO! Fuck nooo, aaaaaaaaaah!
** And who can forget...

** Chaney's goon who gets a claw hammer to the top of his head is played by a pre-celebrity Creator/RamiMalek.

** Adrian's flashback to [[spoiler: his father killing his sister, mother, and nearly killing him with a shotgun.]] What should be a tense, dramatic and tragic moment is utterly ruined by [[spoiler:the father performing an OminousWalk from room to room like a slasher villain, nobody reacting to the shotgun blasts in the next room over, and Adrian and his sister reacting to their father coldly walking into their rooms with a shotgun by ''immediately undressing''.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: The release of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and its LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters leads to some amusing casting coincidences since Creator/JoshBrolin plays the hero of this film and the villain Thanos in ''Infinity War'':
** Creator/PomKlementieff plays the ClimaxBoss in the film, Josh Brolin's final physical challenge. In ''Infinity War'' she plays Mantis, who is instrumental in Thanos' most taxing fight. In both films [[spoiler:she's killed by Brolin's character]].
** Creator/ElizabethOlsen plays Scarlet Witch in ''Infinity War'' and in that film [[spoiler: Thanos kills his daughter and Olsen's character, meaning he actually killed two daughters]].

* {{Narm}}: Adrian's flashback to [[spoiler: his father killing his sister, mother, and nearly killing him with a shotgun.]] What should be a tense, dramatic and tragic moment is utterly ruined by [[spoiler: the father performing an OminousWalk from room to room like a slasher villain, nobody reacting to the shotgun blasts in the next room over, and Adrian and his sister reacting to their father coldly walking into their rooms with a shotgun by ''immediately undressing''.]]

** The television journalist announcing the murder of Joe's family is Hannah Simone, who would become famous as Cece on ''Series/TheNewGirl'', though the show was already airing by the time the film came out.

** Creator/PomKlementieff plays the ClimaxBoss in the film, Josh Brolin's final physical challenge. In ''Infinity War'' she plays Mantis, who is instrumental in Thanos' most taxing fight, and in both films [[spoiler: is killed by Brolin's character]].

* {{Narm}}: Adrian's flashback to [[spoiler: his father killing his sister, mother, and nearly killing him with a shotgun.]] What should be a tense, dramatic and tragic moment is utterly ruined by [[spoiler: said father performing an OminousWalk from room to room like a slasher villain, nobody reacting to the shotgun blasts in the next room over, and Adrian and his sister reacting to their father coldly walking into their rooms with a shotgun by ''immediately undressing''.]] Adam from WebVideo/YourMovieSucksDotOrg pointed this out as the funniest moment in the movie.
* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: While it lacked the more chaotic nature of the original, Creator/SpikeLee stays true to original's spirit by shooting the infamous fight scene in one take. In the original cut, Lee up the ante by having Joe fight through [[UpToEleven four floors of mooks]] in a single take. Unfortunately [[ExecutiveMeddling the studio cut it down to two.]]
* RetroactiveRecognition: Yep, that's [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Mantis]] as Adrian's bodyguard.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Others might say that the film lacks most the surreal, haunting and operatic qualities of the orginal and instead feels more like a conventional thriller in terms of its pacing and editing.

* {{Narm}}: Adrian's flashback to [[spoiler: his father killing his sister, mother, and nearly killing him with a shotgun.]] What should be a tense, dramatic and tragic moment is utterly ruined by [[spoiler: said father performing an OminousWalk from room to room like a slasher villain, nobody reacting to the shotgun blasts in the next room over, and Adrian and his sister reacting to their father coldly walking into their rooms with a shotgun by ''immediately undressing''.]] Adam from WebVideo/YourmoviesucksDOTorg pointed this out as the funniest moment in the movie.

** Creator/PomKlemintieff plays the ClimaxBoss in the film, Josh Brolin's final physical challenge. In ''Infinity War'' she plays Mantis, who is instrumental in Thanos' most taxing fight, and in both films [[spoiler: is killed by Brolin's character]].

* SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: While it lacked the more chaotic nature of the original, Spike Lee stays true to original's spirit by shooting the infamous fight scene in one take. In the original cut, Lee up the ante by having Joe fight through [[UpToEleven four floors of mooks]] in a single take. Unfortunately [[ExecutiveMeddling the studio cut it down to two.]]

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: Adrian's face after [[spoiler:Joe kills the female bodyguard.]] You can't tell if it's a frightened expression, a "Really?!" expression, or a combination of the two.

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The film has been criticized by some for not taking enough chances with adapting the material and instead only deviates from the originally in superficial ways.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Others might say that the film lacks most the surreal, haunting and operatic qualities of the orginal and instead feels more like a conventional thriller in terms of its pacing and editing.

ItsTheSameNowItSucks: The film has been criticized by some for not taking enough chances with adapting the material and instead only deviates from the originally in superficial ways