Concrete Utopia

Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian disaster film is Mad Max for rations and shelter.

“Flesh of others is so tasty!”

After an earthquake absolutely wrecks what seems like all of Korea (but is probably just like Seoul), only one apartment complex remains standing. Despite the misgivings of nurse Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) and her husband Min-seong (Park Seo-joon) the resident quickly kick out any outsiders attempting to stay warm, and elect Kim Young-tak (Lee Byung-hun) to lead them in building their own society. Thinga get even more out of hand when Hye-won (Park Ji-hu) a young resident appears, with doubts about Young-tak’s identity.

Based on the webcomic Pleasant Bullying by Kim Soongnyung, the film has a lot of story to get through, and so wisely ignores a lot of the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, choosing to start the film just before things really start to kick off. From there, we get to see the complete devaluation of society, and it provides that middle-ground context that was missing between the relatively civilised worlds of Mad Max and the hellscape of Road Warrior.

The set-up, however, is a bit unlikely. Some characters mention at the start that no aid is coming, but in reality if an earthquake of that magnitude had actually struck Seoul, the humanitarian aid would have come fast and strong. It’s something that you have to just ignore – like the question of where the destruction actually ends (is the rest of Korea OK?) – in order to fully appreciate the story. And, like I mentioned, there is so much story.

Concrete Utopia is a long film, and one where just so many things happen. It’s a bit like watching every episode of a six part miniseries at once, and you’re left feeling pretty drained by the end of it. Thankfully, director Um Tae-hwa seems aware of this and uses comedy and drama extremely effectively here, often playing many scenes in the first half hour for laughs. The addition of comedy to those moments only emphasises the depths of darkness that will have to be taken when survival really is on the line.

This is best seen with Min-seong, whose devotion to Young-tak grows throughout the film, and Young-tak himself, whose backstory we see once things really start to fall apart. While the two leads, and much of the main cast, are outstanding in their roles the real MVP of the production is Lee Byung-hun, whose turn as the ruthless Young-tak is incredibly compelling. He’s a charismatic lunatic whose increasingly villainous behaviour, seduces you into joining his cult of personality. ‘

Concrete Utopia is another example of a disaster story done refreshingly well. After an era of daft American Emmerich-style stuff, South Korea have given us smart, meaningful stories. Just read my review of Exit. It’s not just about the city being completely levelled (though those scenes are fantastic to see), though: it’s also a pretty good study of how anyone can turn into a monster, even when having done nothing to deserve the power. The residents of the apartment were, after all, simply lucky and did nothing to deserve their place of power. It’s a pretty sharp commentary on the huge amount of people with money in power who were simple in the right place, and knew the right people.

Visually, it looks great. The sheer amount of destruction at the beginning, and throughout as aftermath, is amazing. It does a lot to add a level of isolation and brutality, and credibility to the desperation faced. Sometimes not an easy watch, as the brutality elements are hard even in this heightened reality, but it’s a gripping and even fun descent into human darkness.

Verdict: Equal parts blockbuster nonsense and grim character study, Concrete Utopia is a disaster film that actually has something to say.

Overall entertainment: 7.5/10
Violence: 5/10
Sex: 0/10
Destruction: 11/10
Prized food: Canned pupae
Freezer: With no power, why even stash anything there?
Ji-hyuk: My dude, you have got to stop going out. You keep getting hurt.

Concrete Utopia (2023)
Also known as: 콘크리트 유토피아
Korean

Director: Um Tae-hwa
Writers: Um Tae-hwa, Lee Shin-ji (screenplay), Kim Soongnyung (webcomic)

CAST

Lee Byung-hun – Young-tak
Park Seo-joon – Min-seong
Park Bo-young – Meyong-hwa
Kim Sun-young – Geun-ae
Park Ji-hu – Hye-won
Kim Do-yoon – Do-gyun