Concrete Utopia
Official submission of South Korea for the 'Best International Feature Film' category of the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.,Best Korean film of the year (that I've seen so far).

It follows a group of residents in an apartment complex that's the only thing left standing after a devastating earthquake. Other survivors try to move in to escape the cold, but the residents won't have it. Thus begins an intense scenario where people have to try and maintain some sort of order while battling the elements and hostile invaders.

This is an impressive disaster drama that begins almost lightheartedly, but turns darker by the minute. There's a comedic flair to the film's first act, but it mostly dissipates by the second hour. However, no matter how any of the scenes are played, there's a bleakness to everything that unfolds. It's like your typical postapocalyptic premise as seen in modern western cinema, but slightly deeper and infused with existentialism. The characters are also more fleshed out than you'd expect. Far from being archetypal heroes or villains, these are flawed people who find themselves in a heavy situation and react to it accordingly.

The whole cast carries the film well (Lee Byung-hun being the standout), with impressive technical specs that make me wanna rewatch this on a bigger screen (if only). In any case, big, big recommendation for this one if you're into disaster thrillers.

P. S. The final scene is really cool and stylishly displays the inversion of common human values in times of crisis. You'll know when you see it.,