Most modern disaster motion pictures are slightly tacky—big, special effects spectacles which are an excuse to showcase a number of destruction and action. Concrete Utopia, a South Korean catastrophe film, has a few of that, however actually focuses extra on what comes within the quick aftermath. First, the movie grabs your consideration with a large earthquake leveling Seoul. Every thing is destroyed so far as the attention can see… apart from one single condominium constructing proper within the center.
It’s a premise that might, at that time, go any variety of methods. It might be The Raid. It might be Assault on Precent 13. It might be Independence Day. however filmmaker Um Tae-hwa decides to go completely actual with it. Certain, there’s motion and violence alongside the best way, however the primary focus is the human selections made by the residents of this constructing. Do they let extra individuals in? Who deserves to be there? And all alongside the best way, you’ll be able to’t assist however ponder what you’ll do on this state of affairs.
The principle characters, although there are lots of, are Min-seong (Park Website positioning-joon) and Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young), a husband and spouse who, nearly with out warning, discover themselves in outstanding locations within the hierarchy of the constructing. He runs safety, she helps with well being, and all of it’s managed by Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun), a headstrong man who arrives below lower than clear circumstances.
At first residents of the constructing let in different survivors, making an attempt to be as accepting as attainable. Nevertheless, as assets dwindle, these sentiments rapidly change and as a substitute, a extra militaristic rule is adopted. Issues appear effective for some time till the violence begins. And the mendacity. And in every scene, you aren’t fairly certain what every character goes to do.
It’s all riveting although, particularly as we see the characters begin to change and mysteries get solved. There’s additionally unbelievable world-building happening within the story, because the residents go on provide runs and see how everybody else in Seoul resides.
What stored occurring to me in Concrete Utopia is that we by no means see the federal government. We by no means see any troopers. There are not any clear-cut heroes or villains. It’s simply fully slice of life and matter of reality about this impossible-to-fathom, devastating state of affairs. Certainly there are individuals out on this world making an attempt to determine the larger image stuff however Concrete Utopia is all concerning the smaller image. It challenges us, not anybody else.
The result’s a movie that’s intense and highly effective, however with out ever dropping its propulsive leisure worth. We take into account our personal morality because the characters shatter or solidify theirs, and ultimately, you simply wish to spend extra time on this world. Which is type of wild. In catastrophe motion pictures, usually you simply wish to see everybody get again to regular. In Concrete Utopia, you simply wish to watch the way it all will get discovered.
Concrete Utopia performed Implausible Fest 2023 this week and is the South Korean entry for Greatest Worldwide Characteristic for the upcoming Academy Awards. It’ll be launched within the U.S. later this fall.
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