REVIEW | ‘Concrete Utopia’ wrecks and shocks, revealing the inhumanity amid disasters
From being the central plot in the supernatural superhero series Uncanny Counter 2 to a story arc in the vigilante show Taxi Driver , KDrama fans have long been informed that owning an apartment unit is a big deal in South Korea - whether to keep up with appearances or being everyone’s end-goal in hustling. It is no surprise then that its official Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film, Concrete Utopia , revolves around the residents of the solely standing apartment building after a devastating earthquake in Seoul. But instead of being a derivative of Hollywood disaster films like San Andrea s which were more often than not, disastrous, Concrete Utopia follows the footsteps of Academy Awards 2020 Best Picture Parasite by expertly mashing it with societal commentary. This time the Korean parasites are referred to as cockroaches. On the other hand, outsiders see the residents of Imperial Palace Apartments Building 103 as cannibals, which can be taken figuratively.
