Netflix movie of the day: Oldboy is a masterpiece that will haunt you long after the final credits roll

A movie poster for Oldboy of Choi Min-sik's face
(Image credit: Netflix)
Movie of the day

Every day, we cut through the bottomless list of streaming options and recommend something to watch. See all our Netflix movie of the day picks, or our Prime Video movie of the day choices.

Oldboy might not be billed as a horror like some of my other Netflix movie of the day recommendations, but that doesn’t stop it from being a harrowing watch. This is one that’s best experienced knowing as little as possible, so I will do my best to be vague when summing it up.

The movie follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) after he is arrested for being drunk in public, which causes him to miss his daughter's fourth birthday. Following his arrest, Oh Dae-su is kidnapped and held captive in a hotel room, where he'll remain until finally being released 15-years later. It is now up to him – a newly freed from captivity, confused man – to find out why he was put there. That’s about all you need to know, because Oldboy takes you on a truly wild journey that will shock you throughout, making it the perfect choice if you’re wanting to check out a new Netflix movie that's dark and twisted. 

If you need convincing even further, Oldboy won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival in 2004, a prize which has also been awarded to movies like The Zone of Interest and Inside Llewyn Davis. 

OLDBOY - Official Trailer - YouTube OLDBOY - Official Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

The iconic Korean drama movie has an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating, indicating mostly favourable reviews from critics – including from your very own TechRadar, which has previously recommended it as one of three skilful assassin movies

Described as a “strange, powerful tale of revenge” in the critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes – that is certainly one way of putting it. Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian put it another way: “A dark and thrillingly horrible adventure into the realms of the unthinkable.”

Legendary critic Roger Ebert added in his perfect review: “Oldboy is a powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare.”

Finally, the BBC summed it up best saying: “Full of insanely grand passions, bloodthirsty violence and jet black comedy, it's a sadistic masterpiece that confirms Korea's current status as producer of some of the world's most exciting cinema.”

You might also like

Lucy Buglass
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd. 

Read more
A still image from the movie Compliance
Netflix movie of the day: Compliance is a feel-bad movie that'll stay with you for days
Still from the movie Boyz n the Hood
Netflix movie of the day: Boyz n The Hood is a stunning coming of age movie with a sensational soundtrack
Mad Max
Netflix movie of the day: Mad Max Fury Road is a high-octane blast
After Hours
Prime Video movie of the day: After Hours is a classic comedy with a very dark sense of humor
A still from Blade Runner
3 new movies on Netflix in March 2025 with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Gromit (left) and Wallace (right) load up their van with wacky inventions in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Best Netflix movies: the 41 best films worth watching in March 2025
Latest in Netflix
Isla Gordon smiles with her arms on her hips as two basketball players stand behind her in Running Point.
Running Point is a Netflix slam dunk – here are 3 more sports comedy shows with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes to enjoy next
Michelle, Keats, and Doctor Amherst looking unimpressed and worried in The Electric State
Netflix drops trailer for The Electric State, and I'm getting serious District 9 vibes
A still from Blade Runner
3 new movies on Netflix in March 2025 with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
An image from Welcome to the Family showing to women screaming
Netflix's trailer for a new comedy show that looks like Knives Out meets Weekend at Bernie's – Welcome to the Family seems like chaotic fun
Emily Blunt in Sicario
3 thriller movies coming to Netflix with over 89% on Rotten Tomatoes
A still from Netflix's new miniseries Adolescence starring Stephen Graham
Everything new on Netflix in March 2025 – stream the miniseries Adolescence and new Original movies
Latest in Features
Isla Gordon smiles with her arms on her hips as two basketball players stand behind her in Running Point.
Running Point is a Netflix slam dunk – here are 3 more sports comedy shows with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes to enjoy next
Honor Earbuds open, in early testing
The top 3 ground-breaking earbuds innovations we saw at MWC 2025
Sony Bravia 9 backlight demo showing images on screen and on raw backlight
TCL overtaking LG's premium TV sales is the inevitable result of OLED's biggest problem and mini-LED's biggest strength
The XPANCEO Biosensing smart contact lens at MWC, displaying on a forked monolith
The three best health and fitness products unveiled at MWC 2025
An animated girl holds up a paddle with a whale behind her
3 new movies and shows on Disney+ and Hulu that I can't wait to stream
Divine G looking at his fellow theater group performers in Sing Sing
6 Max movies and shows I’m most excited to watch in March, from A24 horrors to an offbeat Adult Swim animation