Concrete Utopia

Concrete Utopia

The world has been reduced to rubble by a massive earthquake. While no one knows for sure how far the ruins stretch, or what the cause of the earthquake may be, in the heart of Seoul there is only one apartment building left standing. It is called Hwang Gung Apartments. As time passes, outsiders start coming in to Hwang Gung Apartments trying to escape the extreme cold. Before long, the apartment residents are unable to cope with the increasing numbers. Feeling a threat to their very survival, the residents enact a special measure.

  • Released: 2023-12-31
  • Runtime: 130 minutes
  • Genre: Drama, Thrillers
  • Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Park Bo-young, Park Seo-jun, Park Ji-hu, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Sun-young, Na Chul, Lee Hyo-je, Um Tae-goo, Kim Hak-sun, Gong Min-jeung, Jung Young-ki, Oh Hee-joon, Kim Joon-bae, Lee Seo-hwan, Kang Ae-sim, Nam Jin-bok, Byun Jin-su, Kim Yong-jun, Gwak Ja-hyeong
  • Director: Um Tae-hwa
 Comments
  • kosmasp - 22 April 2024
    Who's house?
    Not Runs house - we do have many other names that you could attach (obviously all Korean) .. so no pun intended. Utopia and Paradise ... not sure what your definition for those are, but I am quite certain the movie or the location probably are not fitting.

    And talking of fitting, the same seems to be true for the place, space and ... well many other things that people could share. Now you have to suspend your disbelief - I think if this was set in the 70s or some time, when you did not have Internet and cell phones ... I would kind of understand the lack (at least during the duration of the movie) of outside help.

    The acting is amazing - and the story or the implications (especially society wise) are really good. I may have to rewatch High Rise - but I feel that this movie does a far greater job when it comes to buildings (apartment complexes) ... even if the movies do not entirely have similar plots ... maybe you could even say they have a different topic - but there are some similarities.

    What we do have are morally questionable decisions ... and I reckon you could side and judge ... but it is tough to actually say what one would do ... one would hope there would be more humanity ... more empathy ... I am not sure that this ideal (utopia way of thinking) would actually happen. The slate is clean from the start ... we do not know the people we see ... they all have a backstory, but we only get some glimpses during the movie from some of them ... and it makes the movie better.

    Korean movies know how to engage and how to build up suspense ... there are so many great moments here ... and it is able to bring fresh things up ... when you think you know where it goes ... it sticks (or throws) something else at you ... Great effects (sound and visual wise) too.
  • afiqjiwastudio - 28 January 2024
    THE ONLY DISASTER IS HUMANITY ITSELF
    A film that tells the story of humanity's survival from a terrible disaster. But the disaster that really threatens them is actually human nature itself. This film depicts humanity at its worst.

    I love how the film opens with a documentary about the development of apartments and their importance in upgrading modern lifestyle and providing convenience. Throughout the film, the apartment becomes a symbol of protection and not just a place for them to live.

    Right after that, we get to see the terrible disaster that seemed funny and absurd to me. They said it was an earthquake, but what I saw feels like Godzilla is coming out from surface of the earth. No reason prior to it, no news from the government, no presence of military powers.

    There is a scene that discusses whether to accept the outsiders (non-resident) or to evict them. Since food resources have become scarce with the increase of people, they need to make an important decision which will be voted according to the majority of the original residents.

    I felt like this scene should've been more intense and more dramatic because it questions the moral of humanity. Accepting and helping them will result in reducing food resources while casting them out means letting them to die with no protection. Doesn't this count as a 'Collective Act of Murder'?

    But the scene felt light and less serious and the decision they chose also seemed easy to make without any strong objections from others. Maybe it's the director's vision to show the selfish nature of human greed when they feel threatened.

    To be honest, there is not a single character in this movie that I like. The lack of character development makes it difficult for me to connect with them.

    Overall, this movie is quite good and fun to watch especially for fans of disaster movies and survival movies.