Concrete Utopia featuring Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon, and Park Bo Young has been chosen as a Korean film entry for the 94th Academy Awards.
Concrete Utopia is a post-apocalyptic thriller that showcases the aftermath of a destructive earthquake that hit Seoul, leaving the city in ruins. The Imperial Palace Apartments remains the only standing building amidst the wreckage, providing shelter to those who were fortunate enough to seek refuge within its walls.
In the film, Lee Byung-hun plays Yeong-tak, who becomes a leader for the residents and receives help from Park Seo-Joon’s character, Min-Seong, a government employee, and his wife Myeong-hwa, played by Park Bo Young. The insiders are willing to take any necessary measures to defend their sanctuary, leading to a tense standoff with the outsiders.
Concrete Utopia takes inspiration from Part 2 of the well-known Joyful Outcast webtoon albeit in a loose manner. The director, Um Tae-hwa, who won the Best New Director award at the 54th Grand Bell Awards in 2017 for his debut film, Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned (2016), helmed the project. It is his second directorial venture.
Released on August 9, Concrete Utopia has become one of the top-grossing films in South Korea.
Next month, Concrete Utopia will participate in the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Its selection as the designated entry for the Academy Awards was confirmed after receiving a unanimous vote from the jury at the Korean Film Council. This film is one of over 30 South Korean films that have been submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature category throughout the country’s history.
Currently, only three South Korean films have made it to the shortlist before the final five nominations for the Best International Feature Film category. These films are Burning by Lee Chang-dong in 2018, Parasite by Bong Joon-ho in 2019, and Decision to Leave by Park Chan-wook in 2022. Out of these three, Parasite is the only South Korean film to have received a nomination in the final five and won in this category.
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