The Korean film 'No Other Choice' begins with Yoo Man-su, a manager at a paper factory, enjoying a barbecue with his wife, two children and their dogs.
It is an ordinary moment, comfortable, familiar and stable. But within minutes, his world collapses.
After 25 years of service, he is abruptly dismissed from his job, leaving him shocked and directionless. He attends self-affirmation sessions where he reassures himself that he is valuable and will soon be re-employed.
The job market is highly competitive and his job application gets rejected, leaving him feeling desperate. Over time, Yoo Man-su begins to view other job-seekers as enemies standing in the way of his survival.
He decides to set up a fake paper company and lure applicants matching his skills to murder them one by one. His family discovers evidence of his crimes but chooses silence to maintain a sense of normalcy.
The movie concludes with Yoo Man-su being rehired at a fully automated paper factory, becoming the only human employee among machines. Despite everything he has done, he walks away unpunished which made me think “Why was justice not served?”
The film powerfully highlights an emotional issue that is becoming a growing concern for employees globally, including in Oman. Across many industries, employees are facing sudden redundancies, restructuring and the replacement of human roles with automated systems.
In one of the film’s most powerful lines, the protagonist says, “After slaving for 25 years, they gave me 25 minutes to clear my desk. The security guard already had my things in a box and was ready to escort me out from the back door.” This is a shared reality for many individuals who have experienced abrupt job loss.
For many people, work is more than a source of income. It is a source of identity, purpose and belonging. Losing a job, whether through retirement, dismissal, or organisational change, can trigger a deep emotional crisis.
People may question their value, feel rejected by the very institutions they served, or struggle with a sense of invisibility.
This eventually leads to loss of confidence, anxiety about the future, emotional withdrawal, sleep disturbances, strained relationships at home, and a sense of shame or personal failure. Some even become addicted to drugs to numb the pain they are experiencing.
Most people will never react the way Yoo Man-su did in the film. But many will experience an internal collapse, which often goes unnoticed by others, including family members.
As societies, we must confront this challenge. Employers have a responsibility to treat redundancies with transparency, dignity and empathy.
Providing psychological support, career counselling and adequate notice can soften the blow of losing a job.
But there is also an individual responsibility to redefine identity beyond job titles. We must teach ourselves that our worth does not depend solely on our employment status.
'No Other Choice' is a dark film, but it offers a powerful message. When we define people solely by their job roles, we risk leaving them lost when those roles disappear.
Dr Hamed Al Sinawi
The writer is a senior consultant psychiatrist at SQU Hospital
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