Oscars 2026: Park Chan-wook’s Latest Snub Sparks Outrage

For the second time in recent memory, Park Chan-wook has found himself overlooked by the Academy, with his much-lauded film No Other Choice failing to secure a single nomination. Despite widespread acclaim and a reputation as one of the year’s standout releases, the film was conspicuously absent from the Oscar shortlist. Thrillers, it must be said, rarely fare well with the Academy, but given the film’s topical narrative, many had expected it to break the mould.

It’s not just a matter of missing out on Best Picture or Best Director. The omission from the Best International Feature category, in particular, has left many scratching their heads. The film has been compared favourably to Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, which famously swept the Oscars not so long ago. Yet, this time, Park’s work has been left standing in the wings.

WGA Fallout and Its Ripple Effect

Some have pointed to last year’s Writers Guild of America row as a possible factor. Park and his collaborator Don McKellar were expelled from the Guild after continuing their work on HBO’s The Sympathizer during the 2023 writers’ strike. The Guild maintained that the pair had breached strike rules by carrying on with their writing duties, though Park’s camp insisted the scripts were already finished and his involvement was limited to editing. The upshot: both were barred from Guild-sanctioned projects.

Given the significant overlap between WGA members and Oscar voters, it’s not hard to imagine that this controversy may have influenced the outcome. Add to that a particularly competitive field this year, and the reasons for Park’s absence from the nominations list begin to look a bit less mysterious, if no less frustrating for his supporters.

Where Recognition Was Due

Park Chan-wook is, unfortunately, no stranger to being passed over by the Academy. Oldboy received nothing, despite winning the Grand Prix at Cannes. The Handmaiden was similarly ignored, and Decision to Leave also failed to make the cut. It’s a pattern that’s become all too familiar for the director.

Some have argued that his earlier works may have been a touch too provocative for Oscar tastes. Yet No Other Choice, with its sharp critique of late-stage capitalism, seemed tailor-made for the Academy’s sensibilities. Beyond the International Feature category, the film could easily have held its own alongside the year’s other heavyweights. Kim Woo-hyung’s cinematography, in particular, has been singled out for praise, with every frame described as a work of art in its own right.

Missed Opportunities Across the Board

The adapted screenplay, based on Donald E. Westlake’s The Axe, was another area where the film deserved a nod. Park’s adaptation has been described as uncomfortably relevant in today’s climate. A Best Director nomination would not have gone amiss either, especially given the Academy’s patchy history with his work. Lee Byung-hun’s performance was also widely tipped for recognition in the Best Actor category.

Even in technical categories such as Best Sound, the film was overlooked. It’s another year, another disappointment for Park Chan-wook, whose contributions to the world of cinema remain, in the eyes of many, criminally underappreciated.

No Other Choice is not currently available to stream in the US.