Actor Cha Seung-won unveils yet another transformation in "No Other Choice", directed by Park Chan-wook.
As Sijo, a grounded family man, Cha sheds his trademark intensity for an understated, delicately drawn performance that leaves a quiet afterglow.
"No Other Choice" follows office worker Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), whose seemingly settled life is upended by a sudden layoff. Determined to protect his wife, two kids and the home they fought to keep, he mounts a personal war to claw his way back to work.
Sijo, a potential competitor to Mansu, was let go from a paper mill and now manages a shoe store, taking each day as it comes. Even in hardship, he smiles for his daughter and bows to customers to make ends meet―a portrait that’s quietly, achingly human.
In a conversation with Mansu, the former master technician tells him, “I think papermaking is a kind of art,” revealing both pride in his craft and the bitterness of being pushed out. With little more than a look and a measured tone, Cha captures the character’s bruised dignity.
Long celebrated for scene-stealing charisma and playful bravado, Cha strips it all back here. Instead of eruptions, he lets feelings simmer beneath the surface―a shift that has moviegoers calling it “the familiar face we’ve been missing.” Critics note his concentrated turn steadying the character’s emotional core.
The film also marks his second collaboration with Park after last year’s Netflix movie "Uprising". Park previously said, “Cha Seung-won is tall and has a striking presence, but I thought it would be interesting to have him hunch and bow, almost obsequious.” That vision lands with conviction in Cha’s realistic, unadorned performance.
"No Other Choice" has been making the rounds at Venice, Busan and the New York Film Festival, earning praise and commercial momentum. It’s now playing nationwide in Korea, with strong word-of-mouth and growing interest abroad.
Up next, Cha is filming writer Noh Hee-kyung’s new Netflix series "Slow and Intense" (working title).
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)