Concrete Utopia, the disaster-thriller film selected as South Korean entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 96th Academy Awards debuted the official trailer and release date.

Set in an apartment complex in Seoul following a major devastating earthquake, the film stars Lee Byung-hun (as Young-tak), Park Seo-jun (as Min-sung), Park Bo-young (as Myung-hwa), Kim Sun-young (as Geum-ae), Park Ji-hu (as Hye-won), and Kim Do-yoon (as Do-kyun)

Release Date

Directed by Um Tae-hwa, Concrete Utopia made its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, and will open in theaters in New York and Los Angeles with a release date of Friday, December 8, then nationwide starting December 15.

Synopsis

After a massive earthquake, Seoul has swiftly been reduced to rubble. Everything in the city has collapsed, except for one building. Hwang Gung Apartments remains standing, as it was before that day. When survivors from the outside hear of this, they begin to gather at Hwang Gung Apartments. However, the original residents of the building start to feel threatened. Banding together for the sake of their survival, they elect ‘Young-tak’ as their Resident Delegate. Under his leadership, they strictly ban entry by outsiders and draw up a new set of Resident Regulations. Thanks to this, in contrast to the hellish nightmare outside, Hwang Gung Apartments stands as a safe and peaceful utopia for its residents. But amidst the continual threats to their survival, unexpected conflicts begin to arise among them…

Reviews

Variety review described the film as ‘Earthquake’ Meets ‘Lord of the Flies’ writing, “But “Concrete Utopia” is a dystopian disaster movie with a difference. This year’s South Korean entry in the Oscar competition for best international feature, it places its characters in a desperate, scary, do-or-die situation and then refuses to tell the audience what to think about them. It’s a fractious, blood-soaked drama about the will to survive that feels like “Earthquake” crossed with “Lord of the Flies.” What’s gripping is that you watch it and think, “If I were in this movie, what would I do?””

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for Concrete Utopia.

Current Theaters List

New York City – Regal Union Square – December 8
Los Angeles – TCL Chinese, Hollywood – December 8
Los Angeles – AMC Burbank 16 – December 8
New York – AMC Kips Bay – December 15
New York – AMC Empire – December 15
Los Angeles – Laemmle Monica Film Center – December 15
Chicago, IL – AMC River East – December 15
Westbury, MO – AMC Raceway – December 15
Oakdale, MN – Marcus Oakdale – December 15
St. Louis, MO – Marcus Ronnie’s – December 15