Concrete Utopia
| Concrete Utopia | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 콘크리트 유토피아 |
| Revised Romanization | Konkeuriteu Yutopia |
| Directed by | Um Tae-hwa |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Pleasant Bullying by Kim Sungnyung |
| Produced by | Byun Seung-min |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Cho Hyoung-rae |
| Edited by | Han Mee-yeon |
| Music by | Kim Hae-won |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$28.9 million[2][3] |
Concrete Utopia (Korean: 콘크리트 유토피아) is a 2023 South Korean disaster-thriller film co-written and directed by Um Tae-hwa, based based on the second part of webtoon Pleasant Outcast by Kim Soongnyung. Set in Seoul hit by a massive earthquake, it depicts survivors who struggles for residences. The film starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young.[4][5][6][7] It was theatrically released on August 9, 2023.[8][9][10]
The film received generally positive reviews from critics,[11] and was selected as South Korean entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards on August 17, 2023.[12][13] However, it did not make it to the shortlist.[14]
Synopsis[edit]
Seoul is devastated overnight by a major earthquake. Everything has collapsed, but only one place remains intact: Imperial Palace Apartments. Residents begin to feel threatened as external survivors who heard the rumors flock to the apartments. They unite for survival, and with the new resident leader Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun) at the center, they create new rules only for residents while thoroughly blocking the entry of outsiders. Thanks to this, unlike the hellish world outside, the utopian apartments are extremely safe and peaceful for the residents. In an endless crisis for survival, however, an unexpected conflict begins among them.
Cast[edit]
- Lee Byung-hun as Yeong-tak (room 902)[15][9]
- The interim resident representative of the Imperial 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.
- Park Seo-joon as Min-seong (room 602)
- A civil servant who majored in public administration and met his wife, Myeong-hwa, through a blind date when he was a college student. After being noticed by Yeong-tak and selected as a security guard, his skills were recognized and he became his assistant.
- Park Bo-young as Myeong-hwa (room 602)
- Min-seong's wife who is a nurse with warm personality and strength. She calmly cares for the injured even in extreme situations.
- Kim Sun-young as Geum-ae (room 1207)[16]
- The president of the women's association of the Imperial Palace Apartments.
- Park Ji-hu as Hye-won (room 903)[17]
- A high school student survivor.
- Kim Do-yoon as Do-gyun (room 809)[18][19]
- 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.
Special appearance[edit]
- Uhm Tae-goo as homeless man[20]
- One of the homeless people moving in groups outside the Imperial Palace Apartments.
- Lee Seon-hee as Ju-mong's mother[21]
- Joo In-young as Kim Po-daek[22]
Production[edit]
Casting[edit]
On August 4, 2020, Lotte Entertainment announced a disaster thriller film with Um Tae-hwa as director and Lee Byung-hun and Park Bo-young in pivotal roles.[23] Park Seo-joon was also named to star in the film to be based on webtoon Pleasant Bullying by Kim Soongnyung.[15][24] Park Ji-hu[17] and Kim Do-yoon joined the cast in April 2021.[18]
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 agent for the film.[1] The music of the film is composed by Kim Hae-won, while Cho Hyoung-rae is the cinematographer.[25]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began on April 16, 2021.[26][27] The filming was finished in the end of August 2021.[28]
Release[edit]
The film theatrically released on August 9, 2023, and was screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival in Gala section on September 9 for press and on September 10 for public at Roy Thomson Hall.[29][25] It was also invited to the 'Òrbita competition section' of the 56th Sitges International Film Festival and screened on October 12, then in the 'Spotlight on Korea section' at the Hawaii International Film Festival on October 18, 2023.[30] It closed the 2023 London East Asia Film Festival on October 29, 2023.[31][32] It was also selected at the 54th International Film Festival of India in 'Kaleidoscope section' and screened on November 23 and November 26.[33] A few days later it was selected in 'Cinema International' section at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival and was screened on December 7, 2023.[34]
The film was pre-sold in 152 countries around the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America.[35]
Home media[edit]
The film will be released in North America through Over-the-top media service Viki in the first quarter of 2024.[36]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film was released on August 9 on 1621 screens.[37] It opened at first place on the Korean box-office with 231,015 admissions,[38] and surpassed 1 million audience on 12 August, in 4 days of release by mobilizing 1,000,498 viewers.[39] It registered next million in 3 days, thus surpassing 2 million viewers in 7 days on August 15.[40] The 3 million mark was achieved on August 24, the 16th day of its release.[41]
As of December 26, 2023, it is the fourth highest-grossing Korean film of 2023 with gross of US$28,901,354 and 3,849,242 admissions.[3]
Critical response[edit]
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[11]
Choi Jeong-ah reviewing for Sports World praised the acting of Lee Byung-hun, writing "this movie is a comprehensive gift set for Lee Byung-hun’s acting." And also recommend him for the Best Actor Award. Choi felt the film was "more creepy than most horror movies." Concluding Choi wrote, "I feel like my black head has been caught by the lines of the famous painting called 'ordinary people'as a lot of thoughts come to mind while watching the movie."[42] John Lui reviewing for The Straits Times graded the film with 3 stars out of 5 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 8 out of 10 and described the film as "An intriguing disaster movie that skilfully blends black comedy and psychological thriller." Praising the performances of lead cast especially Lee Byung-hun, Chong wrote, "Lee’s chameleon-like acting is no doubt one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in his illustrious career." He commended Tae-Hwa’s "confident pacing and crafty direction." Concluding, he opined that the film is a "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 writing a positive review said, "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 in Exclaim! described the film as "a canny allegory about the haves and the have-nots". Hudson graded the film 7/10 and felt that albeit it lost the emotional impact of the film's survival element due to not having a fleshed-out relationship between lead couple, but in the last scene gets the themes back, "reinforcing Concrete Utopia as a savvy dystopian thriller with plenty to say".[46] Anna Miller writing in 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] Kevin L. Lee reviewing for AwardsWatch at Toronto Film Festival, graded the film B- and praised the direction writing, "Despite handling familiar themes, Um Tae-hwa pulls through thanks to his direction and technical execution." Concluding Lee opined, "Concrete Utopia may not have something new to say but it has a lot of heart and soul in the telling."[48]
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