Beyond Utopia

Probably the most brutal documentary I've ever seen "Beyond Utopia", which tells the story of how desperate lower-class citizens try to escape from the hell of authoritarian tyranny in North Korea. The most terrifying part was that people would be publicly executed just for using a newspaper with Kim Jong- un's portrait on it to wrap cigarettes in private. Life seems insignificant under such torment.

They are, however, being propagandized that they live in a utopian-like country, and even Kim Jong-un is portrayed as a chosen son sent by God to save them. This pervasive and insane brainwashing is to emphasize the so-called utopia. Yet, the constant fear of having their lives taken away at any moment is a commonplace terror that can be seen everywhere in their lives.

In the end, the son of one of the mothers is caught and beaten to death during his escape attempt, which is suffocating. As those who manage to escape repeatedly emphasize, it's not that people living in this hell don't want to resist, it's that they have never even seen what freedom looks like.

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Beyond Utopia" is a documentary that follows families as they attempt to escape oppression, revealing a world most of us have never seen. This one won the Audience Award for U. S. Documentary Competition and I managed to get tickets to this one at the last minute and this was surprisingly pretty great.

The concept is something we have heard before but the film does a good job and exploring the dystopia of North Korea and explores political aspects that are genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Throughout, the film has great presentation, the interviews from the participants were interesting to listen as they provide a good insight of their escapes and experiences with North Korea. The direction was pretty good as the film maintains a steadily tone and good structure.

There are scenes of video footage in North Korea prisons or camps that were really difficult to watch and makes the stomach feel pretty uncomfortable to witness. Never once felt bored when watching this film. I can see why it won the awards.

Rating: A+

This movie/documentary has blown me away.

The topic is uncomfortable for sure and there are some intense and dark moments in this film. But there are also lighter parts and hope, which is perfectly balanced throughout the movie.

The quality of the production is exceptional and extraordinary given the circumstances the crew must have been subject to. I can only imagine the harsh and dangerous episodes the crew had to endure by capturing what we see on screen.

I'm thankful that this documentary was made; it provides us a reality check by giving us insight in a world we couldn't even imagine it exists. Forget about sci-fi or fantasy or horror: this is an out-of-this-world experience that is actually real. The footage came across genuine and was never dramatized to cause more effect on the viewer. The storylines were intuitive and therefore touching. The political context was made very clear but not overly prominent or heavily judged; this wasn't needed as the footage spoke for itself.

The sound and editing were excellent and the cadence of scenes and dialogue felt very natural throughout.

After watching over 3000 films it's not easy to get overwhelmed, but this documentary managed to impact me substantially. My compliments to the filmmakers and the producer for taking the risk of trying to cover this topic and then delivering it in such a balanced way. I can highly recommend this film to anyone; watching this was a very "real" yet unexpected experience. 10/10 score and will definitely want to rewatch this soon.

A heart wrenching story of persecution and corruption. The film extensively investigates the harsh reality of the repressive regime in North Korea that has caused countless individuals and families to flee from oppression.

Incredibly well made, it sensitively reveals the dark and devastating reality of the regular people of North Korea. Focusing in on their humanity and giving a voice to the people who have, for years, been silenced and neglected.

Certainly an uncomfortable and intense watch but extremely gripping and informative. I would highly recommend this film as it is definitely worth watching.

Ever since seeing "Beyond Utopia" I've been thinking about what makes a top-class documentary. It doesn't need to be entertaining, since that's the job of fiction, but it must be compelling and almost more than real. Maybe that's the trick? To show you an aspect of the world that you'd dismiss as unbelievable if you didn't know it to be true.

That's exactly what you get here. I knew, vaguely, that North Korea was this bizarre puppet state founded by Kim Il Sung and propped up by Russia. I also knew that his dynasty inculcated an almost religious aura around themselves as the father, mother and spirit of the country.

What I didn't know, or consider, was just how these so-called leaders managed to persist in the face of economic collapse, famine and prosperity elsewhere. What they've managed to combine is nationwide brain-washing and a totalitarian state of control that would make Stalin proud.

And yet that still doesn't get to the heart of the darkness. To control the population everyone is spying on everyone else. If you step out of line then you're sent to a reeducation camp. If you really step out of line (by trying to flee the country perhaps) then you wind up in the gulag and no one comes back from the gulag. But before then you'll be beaten, tortured and crushed with your family being forcibly relocated to another part of the country.

Despite this the poor North Korean people in "Beyond Utopia" still love their nation and why shouldn't they. It's where they belong and where their culture resides. The problem is that the communist state forces them to leave and to leave everything behind. It's just horrific on all counts.

The film pulls absolutely no punches in following the perilous journey undertaken by the refugees being tracked. There really isn't much of a happy ending for anyone when you dig into the meat of the story and there aren't any winners. Just victims of a murderous regime. That said it's a must watch if you want to be educated.