Survivors from a large earthquake wrestle for a new life in Seoul. — IMDB
Based on the webtoon Pleasant Bullying by Kim Soongnyung and impressed by British author J.G. Ballard‘s 1975 novel High-Rise, South Korea’s Best Feature Film entry to the 96th Academy Awards, Concrete Utopia, is directed by Um Tae-hwa (Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned) and written by Tae-hwa and Lee Shin-ji, and stars Park Seo-jun (Parasite), Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game), and Park Bo-young (Strong Girl Nam-soon) within the main roles.
Want to know what we thought? Here is our overview, accessible to learn now: OBEY OR LEAVE.
How Concrete Utopia compares to the unique webtoon
It begins with a literal earth-shattering occasion and ends with an emotional one that can have you ever pulling tissues from the field until it’s empty. Following an unimaginable seismic catastrophe, the residents of the Hwanggung residence advanced discover that their constructing is the final one standing in Seoul, South Korea. This results in a restructuring of energy, which pushes lots of our characters to their absolute limits.
Whereas the unique webtoon, which isn’t translated anyplace, appears to concentrate on kids within the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, Concrete Utopia focuses on adults who abruptly discover themselves in manner over their heads in an apocalyptic situation and who find yourself making powerful calls that at instances can really feel comprehensible till ultimately, all of it turns into too merciless. The movie’s director, Tae-hwa, makes use of the backdrop of the mysterious occasion to shine a highlight on Korean residence tradition, casting the drama between the residents of the advanced and the “outsiders” (survivors in search of asylum) as that of a house invasion.
We by no means get an evidence for the catastrophe, nor does anybody ever arrive to save lots of the day— implying a potential international disaster—however none of that appears related to this film’s private story of group and survival. Indeed, to incorporate both of these story beats would take away from the movie’s sense of urgency and the mystique surrounding the characters.
However, it isn’t all doom and gloom as Tae-hwa imbues some great black comedy into the movie, a few of which is excellently dropped at life by actor Lee Byung-hun because the residence chief Yeong-tak, a fascinating character. Without giving an excessive amount of away, Yeong-tak’s arc takes him from a sympathetic, likable character into very divisive territory. Byung-hun sells this portrayal of a deeply damaged man attempting to do every part to outlive whereas defending the Hwanggung tenants. While, curiously, I discover the character extra tragic than sympathetic, I’m curious how audiences will reply.
Exceptional efficiency from the main solid
The performances from your complete solid, particularly the lead solid, are distinctive all through the movie. Seo-jun embodies the pathetic Min-sung, who’s caught between attempting to be courageous and attempting to outlive and wanting to assist out his group whereas proving himself however nonetheless not absolutely positive of himself. It’s a lovely dichotomy and makes seeing Min-sung come into his personal, after which the place that journey takes him, all of the extra highly effective by the tip of the movie.
Bo-young as Min-sung’s spouse, Myung-hwa, is the movie’s unsung hero. Mostly relegated to a supporting however crucially motivated position all through many of the movie, Myung-hwa then acts as a great computer virus that finally ends up bringing this whole “utopia” all the way down to the bottom because the final vestiges of a false group start to rear its ugly head for the ultimate time. She’s capable of bookend the movie in a lovely manner that made me fairly emotional.
If it isn’t clear by now, I very a lot beloved Concrete Utopia and the way it explored the faces we placed on to make each ourselves and others really feel comfy. I additionally beloved how the movie explored how we attempt to maintain onto emotions of security and management when the world would relatively see us useless, concurrently stripping that very same energy from others. Ultimately, there isn’t any dangerous man, there may be merely tragedy, and we will work collectively to carve out a place to name house or let each man fend for themselves. We can, if we attempt, create a concrete utopia…
Watch the Concrete Utopia trailer beneath:
Concrete Utopia hit theaters in December 2023. While Concrete Utopia was South Korea’s official Oscar choice, it didn’t make the shortlist.
Discussion about this post