Concrete Utopia from South Korea has its North American premiere here at TIFF, and this one is definitely a must-see. While arguably a little heavy-handed in its messaging, the film is a captivating two-hour exploration of the human condition, our faults, and our hopes.

An apocalyptic event has struck Seoul, and it seems the only building still standing amongst all the destruction and desolation is the Hwang Gung apartment complex. The residents are trying to find a way to survive, but things are complicated by an influx of fellow survivors, drawn to the possibility of a better life.

What follows is a story that sets the apartment complex up as a microcosm for a commentary on immigration, nationalism, human greed, and where morals and ethics fit into government, to say nothing of compassion.

We follow a group of characters, Min-seong (Park Seo-jun) and his wife, Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young), the duly elected leader of the apartment building, Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun) amongst others, as first the building decides to vote and drive the new arrivals out, keeping the complex for the residents only, but begin turning on each other, and the survivors around them as they struggle to find enough resources to survive. But there are more dangers than the ones outside the building, there are secrets and lies that will threaten everything and bring the whole building down.

The social commentary fills the screen and the story, but it’s also an engaging tale, and the visual effects that bring about Seoul’s destruction are incredibly impressive and provide a few truly horrifying moments, the rest are caused by humanity.

But is there a way to pull ourselves back from the edge, a way to generate some hope and self-determination without recrimination? And what will that take?

Tightly paced, and unafraid to ask big questions, Concrete Jungle is a towering achievement that will generate many conversations after the credits have rolled and the lights have come up.

Concrete Utopia screens Sunday 10 September at Roy Thomson Hall, Monday 11 September at Scotiabank Theatre, and Friday 15 and Saturday 16 September at the Lightbox. Get your tickets, discover other events, and see more titles here.