Some evaluate this as a dystopian thriller, but I think that is the wrong category. This film is not really a thriller like 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, etc... The dystopia background is just incidental and not really relevant to the plot. The film is an examination of humanity both during time of crisis and just in general.
The people of the "utopia" were misguided in thinking they were chosen and above the rest. This led them to be heartless and egotistical. As the time goes by, they became more and more resentful of the outsiders, calling them roaches. Towards the end, there was clearly a reference to North Korea's isolation in the scene when they were punishing the residents who kept refugees.
One may mistaken their reluctance to exile the perpetrators as compassion, but it was all about control. This is why they humiliated them by forcing them to recite "We were wrong" 200 times publicly. This is a tactic of oppressive control quite familiar in North Korea and even communism China.
The rise and fall of the utopia was inevitable due to human nature of selfishness, victimhood, and pushing blame. You may notice that when the delegate was exposed, everyone blamed him for exiling the outsiders when it was clearly an landslide resident vote. The mother of the woman's association also blamed the delegate for her son's death even though she was aware of the risks of going outside.
Overall the ending nailed it when the main character's wife said, "They were just ordinary people." The people of the Utopia were neither good or bad persay, but just normal people with human flaws. Even the delegate himself was rather a tragic character, who was scammed, then lost his family, and was voted into position he didn't ask for and ultimately scapegoated for their failures.
The ending also draws attention to the contrast of character. The group of survivors in the end were more understanding, compassionate, etc.. because the were a gathering of survivors, those who had gone through the hardship. In contrast, the apartment survivors were all from the same building that went unscathed. This is why they were out of touch with what was happening out there in the real world.
Definite a 10/10 for the story, the acting, and the special effects.
The people of the "utopia" were misguided in thinking they were chosen and above the rest. This led them to be heartless and egotistical. As the time goes by, they became more and more resentful of the outsiders, calling them roaches. Towards the end, there was clearly a reference to North Korea's isolation in the scene when they were punishing the residents who kept refugees.
One may mistaken their reluctance to exile the perpetrators as compassion, but it was all about control. This is why they humiliated them by forcing them to recite "We were wrong" 200 times publicly. This is a tactic of oppressive control quite familiar in North Korea and even communism China.
The rise and fall of the utopia was inevitable due to human nature of selfishness, victimhood, and pushing blame. You may notice that when the delegate was exposed, everyone blamed him for exiling the outsiders when it was clearly an landslide resident vote. The mother of the woman's association also blamed the delegate for her son's death even though she was aware of the risks of going outside.
Overall the ending nailed it when the main character's wife said, "They were just ordinary people." The people of the Utopia were neither good or bad persay, but just normal people with human flaws. Even the delegate himself was rather a tragic character, who was scammed, then lost his family, and was voted into position he didn't ask for and ultimately scapegoated for their failures.
The ending also draws attention to the contrast of character. The group of survivors in the end were more understanding, compassionate, etc.. because the were a gathering of survivors, those who had gone through the hardship. In contrast, the apartment survivors were all from the same building that went unscathed. This is why they were out of touch with what was happening out there in the real world.
Definite a 10/10 for the story, the acting, and the special effects.