‘Concrete Utopia’ Selected as Korea’s Entry for Oscars’ Best International Film Race

Heads up, fans of Korean movies! The disaster-thriller movie Concrete Utopia is set to compete for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.

Starring veteran actors Lee Byung Hun, Park Seo Joon and Park Bo Young, Concrete Utopia was chosen unanimously by a seven-judge panel from the Korean Film Council.

 “We wanted to select a film that feels Korean but is also geared towards the global standard, that strikes a good balance between artistic and mainstream, and that can appeal to the Academy Awards, which is often perceived as conservative,” the council said in a press release. 

What is ‘Concrete Utopia’ about? 

Directed by Eom Tae-hwa, the science-fiction drama follows the story of survivors of a massive earthquake. Additionally, the film is loosely based on the second part of the popular webtoon Joyful Outcast. In which the second part is titled Pleasant Neighbors.

With Hwang Goong Apartment only the building left standing in the heart of Seoul, the characters are forced to expose their desires as they struggle for survival. Despite the leadership of Kim Young Tak, played by Our Blues actor Lee Byung Hun, the group disputes their different beliefs.

With this intriguing plot, the judges expounded on their reason for choosing Concrete Utopia. “At a time when global recession and natural disasters are hitting every corner of the globe, Concrete Utopia features not heroes, but ordinary people trying to survive,” they said. 

Only one film can be submitted in the Academy’s International Feature Film per country in each year. For Korea’s top two finalists for the submission, Concrete Utopia competed alongside black-comedy drama film Cobweb. 

As for the final nominees for the Best International Feature Film Category, it will be revealed on January 23, 2024. Meanwhile, the 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10, 2024. 

Notably, South Korea has bagged its very first Oscars with Bong Joon Ho’s critically acclaimed Parasite in 2020. In total, the film took home four awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Original Screenplay.

Additionally, Parasite also marked its name in history as it became the first non-English film to win Oscars’ Best Picture.

Featured image: Park Seo joon in a still from the film ‘Concrete Utopia.’ Credit: Instagram/Lotte Entertainment