Popular reviews

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  Review by CinemaJoe ★★★½ 2

  South Korea’s entry to compete for next year’s Best International film is not what you’d expect, especially when compared to more traditional Oscar hopefuls, but that’s what makes it all the more exciting.

  A disaster dystopian film that focuses less on the spectacle of the former and more on the inevitable unraveling of the micro-societies that emerge from the ashes of the apocalypse— which all on paper is extremely interesting, but at times Concrete Utopia feels like it itself is being engulfed by the sheer enormity of its ambitious story. Class welfare, social constructs, even its exploration of religious allegories sometimes prevent basic character development so it becomes difficult to fully feel invested. 

  But it’s still one of the better disaster movies from the last few years (or more) and for that alone it’s still an exciting watch.

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  Review by Matt Neglia ★★★★

  CONCRETE UTOPIA tells a dystopian parable of class warfare on a massive scale. Its unveiling of the ugliness within humanity as a pure society of law & order is created isn’t subtle but highly effective in its execution. Phenomenal production design work with a powerful ending.

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  Review by Robert Daniels ★★★★ 1

  Went into “Concrete Utopia” cold, so despite the “Utopia” in its title, I wasn’t expecting a post-apocalyptic dystopian Christian allegory (emphasis on Christian). Usually, I’m not a fan of disaster films injecting religion too liberally, if only because it’s such low hanging fruit (we get it; the end of the world shakes people’s fate). But I surprisingly dug this wild, bloody, rambling tale of immigration, economic disparity, the bubble the rich create for themselves, and what can turn good people towards evil. It’s begging for a rewatch from me; I’ve spent much of my day turning it’s very religious, very morally drawn conclusion in my head. The ending is especially jarring, a moment that will play vastly different to the optimist and to the cynic.

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  Review by Anarouuz ★★★★

  The greatest natural disaster ever was, and still is, humans.

  I hope more ppl check this movie out. Give it a try!

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  Review by Movie Diary ★★★★ 2

  Nothing screams 'Utopia' like being forced to live in cramped concrete rubble next to your psycho neighbors during the post-apocalypse era.

  After a massive apocalyptic disaster hits the world, survivors in Seoul city are forced to gather in what might be the last-standing apartment building in the area. The survivors are divided into two groups: the residents (the original inhabitants) and the outsiders (people who take refuge from the nearby area). As tension arises, conflict soon begins between the two groups.

  Post-apocalypse stories are nothing new, but I love how they tried to make it as realistic and grounded as possible here. At its heart, this film is a story about selfishness vs. empathy for others. It's easy to help…

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  Review by Sergio Muñoz Esquer ★★★★

  “If you’re alive, you can live”

  Concrete Utopia is a great disaster film that explores housing, immigration, civilization and, mostly, how evil a human can get in desperate times. Despite dragging during the midpoint, the film successfully balances dramatic and humorous moments and has outstanding technical values.

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  Review by Adam Putra ★★★★½ 4

  When human being's patience and humanity are tested, the true colors of them can be seen in order to survive. Concrete Utopia is one of the best Dystopian thriller films I've seen from South Korea. It is thoughtful, provocative, and far more enjoyable than the average blockbuster. This is a riveting mix of disturbing drama and edgy action, seasoned with sharp wit. With a brilliant screenplay, Uhm Tae-hwa delivers an extremely complex narrative, filled with emotionally shocking character development, and featuring excellent stunt work. Apart from masterclass technical aspects, the film's pure entertainment value is outmatched only by its sobering commentary on the continual inhumanity of the human race. Boasts with the unsettling and ballistic imagery also makes this heartfelt spectacle so thrilling, intriguing, and sometimes horrifying ride through the best and worst that humanity has to offer. Exceptional!

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  Review by Meyoan ★★★★

  "Generosity comes from full stomachs.
  But the food's running low."

  deep💔❤️‍🔥

  🇰🇷South Korean entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards🏆

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  Review by _Stephan_ ★★★★ 2

  After a Mega-Earthquake, the World is in Ruins ( how much exactly 🤷‍♀️) and only one Building Complex in the Heart of Seoul is still standing.
  And as more and more Survivors gather in and around the Building, the Residents decide on Concrete Measures to ensure Survival.

  You don't really see much of the actual Catastrophe, but that's not what the Film is about.
  It's about how Social Life works after the Disaster, about whether People work with or against each other and whether Help each other or only think about Themselves. So it's about the Fear of the Unknown and about Survival.
  And in my Opinion, the Film shows exactly this fight for Survival, how People change, what they…

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  Review by cinema_made ★★★½

  Concrete Utopia, a South Korean disaster movie, has some of that, but really focuses more on what comes in the immediate aftermath. First, the film grabs your attention with a massive earthquake leveling Seoul. Everything is destroyed as far as the eye can see... except for one single apartment building right in the middle. It’s a premise that could, at that point, go any number of ways.

  But filmmaker Um Tae-hwa decides to go totally real with it. Sure, there’s action and violence along the way, but the main focus is the human decisions made by the residents of this building. Things seem fine for a while until the violence starts. And the lying. And in each and every scene,…

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  Review by Realkinoshit ★★★½

  The apocalypse exposes humanity's selfish nature, and all of a sudden, Earth becomes a living hell.

  Seoul, reduced to ruins overnight due to a massive earthquake everything collapsing. Only one apartment building still stood, and upon hearing rumors of surviving outsiders, they flooded into the apartment. In order to survive, they united, centered around 'Young-tak,' and completely blocked outsiders from entering, establishing new rules for the apartment residents. Thankfully, unlike the hellish world outside, there was no safer and more peaceful utopia for the residents than the apartment. However, in the endless crisis of survival, unexpected conflicts began to arise among them... Should the survivors adhere to the rules of survival or leave?

  Submitted as Korea's entry for the 2024…

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  Review by mcsil ★★½ 2

  291. review: Um Tae-hwa
  Contains spoilers

  A global earthquake strikes the world, leaving only the third-rate CGI ruins of concrete block houses. One building remains standing by chance, and its inhabitants use dictatorial means to seal themselves off from the outside world in order to survive. This overly didactic dystopia, which does not shy away from black humour, exposes the fascist/communist elements in the life of such a community, loyal to the apartment instead of the nation or the family, and in the end reveals the dictator/cult leader/community representative aka Resident Manager, who of course gained his privileges by murder, as did the inhabitants of the house directly/indirectly. Luckily, by the end of the film, this house has collapsed too,…