Concrete Utopia is set in Seoul shortly after a titanic earthquake destroys the city, and follows the residents of a building that miraculously remained intact. As they try to survive, they are faced with harsh realities and difficult moral decisions. The film was theatrically released on August 9, 2023.[8][9][10]
Seoul is devastated overnight by a major earthquake. Everything has collapsed, and only one place remains intact: Imperial Palace Apartments. Residents begin to feel threatened as external survivors who have heard of this haven flock to the apartments. They unite for survival, and with a new resident leader, Yeong-tak, they create new rules for residents and prevent entry to outsiders. Thanks to this, unlike the hellish world outside, the utopian apartments remain safe and peaceful. In an endless crisis for survival, however, an unexpected conflict begins among them.
Interim resident leader of Imperial Palace Apartments. With his decisiveness and ability to act in a crisis situation, he is a leader who does not hesitate to take risks to protect the apartments from outsiders.
A civil servant who majored in public administration and met his wife, Myeong-hwa, on a blind date as a college student. After being noticed by Yeong-tak and selected as a security guard, his skills are recognized, and he became the leader's assistant.
A resident who initially appears to be uncooperative but is actually a person of upright character who sticks to his beliefs even among people who are becoming corrupted.
The film is directed by Um Tae-hwa and produced by Climax Studio, and co-produced by BH Entertainment. It is distributed by Lotte Entertainment, who also work as international sales agents for the production.[1] The film's score is composed by Kim Hae-won, while Cho Hyoung-rae is the cinematographer.[25]
Concrete Utopia was released on August 9 on 1,621 screens.[37] It opened in first place at the Korean box-office, with 231,015 admissions,[38] and surpassed one million viewers on August 12, four days after its release.[39] It registered another million in the next three days, thus surpassing two million viewers in seven days, on August 15.[40] The three-million mark was achieved on August 24, the 16th day of its release.[41]
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100%, based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[11]
Choi Jeong-ah, writing for Sports World, praised Lee Byung-hun's acting, stating, "this movie is a comprehensive gift set for Lee Byung-hun's acting" and adding the film was "more creepy than most horror movies".[42] John Lui, reviewing for The Straits Times, graded the film with three stars out of five and wrote, "Concrete Utopia unravels slightly at the end, but is mostly a darkly funny take on Nimby-ism as a force so powerful it will survive the ending of the world."[43] Casey Chong of Fiction Horizon rated the film eight out of ten and described it as "An intriguing disaster movie that skilfully blends black comedy and psychological thriller". Praising the performances of the lead cast, especially Lee Byung-hun, he wrote, "Lee's chameleon-like acting is no doubt one of the best performances I've ever seen in his illustrious career." He also commended Tae-Hwa's "confident pacing and crafty direction". Concluding, he opined that the film is "cliched and oft-told as a disaster movie, still it can overcome its familiarity by giving it a thought-provoking twist with relatable themes, intriguing storytelling, and solid acting."[44]
Allan Hunter for ScreenDaily wrote a positive review, stating, "A slick, inventive blend of jeopardy, violence and black comedy gains further appeal from the echoes of J. G. Ballard's High-Rise and elements of biting satire in the style of Triangle of Sadness."[45] Alex Hudson, writing for Exclaim!, described the film as "a canny allegory about the haves and the have-nots". He graded the film 7/10.[46] Anna Miller, with Next Best Picture, graded the film 8/10 and wrote, "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."[47]
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