BFI London Film Festival showcased Park Chan-Wook’s long-awaited 12th film, No Other Choice, held at The Prince Charles Cinema.
Sunday, October 19, wrapped up the final day of the 69th London Film Festival (LFF) hosted by the British Film Institute (BFI), an annual film festival that runs for two weeks.
One of the main attractions of the festival is the diverse line-up of immersive storytelling, with this year’s event screening 247 films from 79 different countries.
The selection included both directorial debuts and titles from established directors, helping to display their films to new audiences while providing an opportunity to preview original works before they receive a wide release.
Highlights of the London Film Festival included Lucrecia Martel’s documentary film Landmarks, which received the Best Film award, along with notable films like Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein, and No Other Choice, directed by South Korean director Park Chan Wook.
The critically acclaimed director, best known for his award-winning films such as Oldboy and The Handmaiden, debuted his latest film, No Other Choice, in London. It had been featured in several film festivals, including Toronto, Busan, New York, and Venice, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation.
It was the first Korean film in 13 years nominated to compete for the Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Lion prize, and was awarded the International People’s Choice Award in Toronto.
Inspired by the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald Westlake, the dark comedy film follows the story of Yoo Man-su, a family man in desperate search of employment after being abruptly laid off from his job.
The protagonist is played by Lee Byung-Hyun, a well-known South Korean actor who rose to fame internationally after featuring in Netflix’s series Squid Game.
During the final screening of No Other Choice, it was held at the historic Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square. The auditorium was sold out, with many trying to secure last-minute tickets to preview one of the most anticipated films of the festival.
The atmosphere in the cinema was vibrant, with people willing to share their excitement at the LFF. I spoke to one of the attendees, Hyunji Park, who attends the festival annually to seek out films that have never been screened before and as a way to connect with other film fans.
She expressed that her experience at the LFF has been enriching. “It was nice to see people living in London watching and enjoying my culture,” she told me, being Korean herself. “It’s like a communal experience; there is always something special about watching a film together in one space.”
According to a recent study, Gen-Z are engaging with more foreign language films than older generations, partly due to a growing interest in different cultures and new stories. Film festivals help to make international cinema more accessible, providing a global stage for filmmakers and bringing diverse cultures into the spotlight.
“What’s so great about film festivals is that there are curators who hunt and select international films, which naturally leads audiences to watch not [only] Korean cinema, but international films in general,” Hyunji Park told me.
The screening of No Other Choice was jovial, surrounded by amusement, with audience members reacting to the film in sync. Seeing a crowd enjoy Lee Byung-Hyun’s phenomenal performance despite the language barriers, thanks to the aid of subtitles, was truly special.
“I think film provides a much more intimate portrayal of a culture,” Karina Achico, a film student in attendance told me. “Filmmakers often use information to tell stories to open our minds to learn things.”
She explained that film festivals are one of the main reasons why global cinema can reach a wider audience, allowing them to learn about different cultures and communities in order to connect with them.
Karina compared the globalising power of film festivals to the internet, which allows us to connect to people we wouldn’t encounter otherwise. “More spaces are becoming more open-minded, so now we are getting access to so many more cool films,” she added.
Thanks to the successful reception of No Other Choice at film festivals like LFF, the feature has been approved for wide release across UK cinemas from next year, starting on January 23, 2026.
Featured image by Lina Hangsrong.