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Director Park Chan-wook’s movie “No Other Choice” was released in a limited number of U.S. cities on Christmas Day, December 25.

Neon, the U.S. distributor of “No Other Choice,” revealed the launch via its website and social media on the same day.

Neon said, “Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed film ‘No Other Choice’ is currently showing in selected theaters,” and mentioned, “It will be available across the country in January (Everywhere January).”

The movie poster released with the announcement included, “Showing in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, LA, New York, and San Francisco.”

Based on Donald Westlake’s 1997 book “Axe,” the movie “No Other Choice” centers on Mansu (Lee Byung-hun), an office employee who loses his job and starts a personal fight to safeguard his family while getting ready for a new job. The film received recognition even prior to its debut, as it was selected for renowned international film festivals like the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

A Hollywood media platform named Deadline listed “No Other Choice” among the low-cost and independent films that premiered on Christmas Day.

Deadline reported, “Park’s dark comedy ‘No Other Choice’ was released in 13 theaters spanning five areas: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Austin.” It further noted, “The movie portrays Mansu’s intense effort to secure a new job following his sudden dismissal from a company where he had been employed for 25 years. After its debut at the Venice Film Festival, it earned the International Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Park was honored with the Best Director Award at the Sitges Film Festival.”

It also mentioned, “The movie earned a 99% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for the Golden Globe Awards in the categories of Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actor (Lee Byung-hun).”

In the meantime, “No Other Choice” made it to the shortlist of 15 films for the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category. It was also nominated for Best Non-English Film at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. This is the third consecutive year that a South Korean film has been recognized by the Golden Globes, following Park’s “Decision to Leave.” As major media outlets commended the film during a preview screening before its U.S. debut, excitement is increasing about whether Park will win any awards.