Concrete Utopia

After an epic earthquake disaster the concrete smoldering ruins of Seoul seem to stretch on as for as the eye can see.

In the centre of the massive disaster one building remains standing.

Dozens of outsiders from the surrounding area desperately seeking food and shelter from the cold. Feeling a threat to their very survival, the residents enact measures that questions the act of morals or survival.

Very well written, well done cinematography storytelling and great acting.

A must watch.

I had the opportunity to watch this at tiff this year. Tickets were sold out so I had to stand in Rush Line, two hours before the movie was being viewed,.

It was absolutely worth it.

A super, super realistic movie portraying human psychology in society. If you judge it solely from the trailer, you might mistake it for a disaster film, but what I appreciate more is how the director, through the character played by Lee Byung-hun, perfectly illustrates the dynamics of human societal systems. Of course, the disaster in this film, within the context of this single refuge, highlights how scarcity forces people to reconsider their self-interest and survival. Lee Byung-hun's portrayal reflects the desperation of individuals in the face of limited choices, always hoping for a leader to establish a system aligned with their interests. However, it often happens that in the midst of conflicting interests, they forget their initial intentions and, in the process, destroy the bigger picture. It's really thought-provoking - in times of chaos, heroes emerge, but these heroes might also be the ones betrayed at any moment. Quite ironic, isn't it?

Concrete Utopia is a decent disaster survival thriller with solid direction, strong performances and production designs. Disaster movies aren't movies I see as art but rather as an entertainment popcorn movie. This movie does approach the themes more serious and explores themes of human selfishness and fight for survival.

The narrative does get predictable but it does provide some strong themes of human selfishness that felt effective and purposeful to the setting. The production designs, special effects and costumes are all pretty good that helped create the feeling of the danger and roughness of the aftermath's of the disaster. All the performances are pretty good without any bad performances observed throughout.

As I mentioned, the narrative is interesting but could use some better works on the writing. The characters, unfortunately, weren't as interesting or connectable as they felt too thin to care much.

Overall, the movie remains ambitious because I never felt bored and I found the emotional and crucial moments to be effective. If only the movie worked on some moments, the movie would have been much better.

Concrete Utopia doesn't do anything particularly new for the dystopian thriller sub-genre, but it's consistently engaging and well-executed. Is an emotional force of a film. Not concerned with the disaster itself or the spectacle it could employ to focus on the moment of tragedy, the film offers epic landscapes but always keeps an intimate eye on the people in the high rise.

Concrete Utopia presents a disturbing picture of humanity that dribbles into the absolute worst when the social structure is dismembered and survival becomes the only need of the hour. Talking about the direction, Uhm Tae Hwa did a good job in capturing raw human nature in every possible way. The cinematography and acting, especially by Lee Byung Hun, were also enthralling.

Concrete Utopia is a gripping, disturbing, and powerful representation of the worst of society, yet equally showcasing the best qualities in humans and how hope, community, and decency will always exist through the dust and devastation.

My Rating : 8.5/10.

Best Korean film of the year (that I've seen so far).

It follows a group of residents in an apartment complex that's the only thing left standing after a devastating earthquake. Other survivors try to move in to escape the cold, but the residents won't have it. Thus begins an intense scenario where people have to try and maintain some sort of order while battling the elements and hostile invaders.

This is an impressive disaster drama that begins almost lightheartedly, but turns darker by the minute. There's a comedic flair to the film's first act, but it mostly dissipates by the second hour. However, no matter how any of the scenes are played, there's a bleakness to everything that unfolds. It's like your typical postapocalyptic premise as seen in modern western cinema, but slightly deeper and infused with existentialism. The characters are also more fleshed out than you'd expect. Far from being archetypal heroes or villains, these are flawed people who find themselves in a heavy situation and react to it accordingly.

The whole cast carries the film well (Lee Byung-hun being the standout), with impressive technical specs that make me wanna rewatch this on a bigger screen (if only). In any case, big, big recommendation for this one if you're into disaster thrillers.

P. S. The final scene is really cool and stylishly displays the inversion of common human values in times of crisis. You'll know when you see it.