Concrete Utopia follows the story of a bunch of people grappling for survival following an earthquake. And while a calamity like an earthquake can bring the best out of people, it often also does bring out the worst in them. The story here is provocative and provides a searing commentary on the darker side of the human race following the events of a calamity. The actions are deeply disturbing and they will make you ponder long after the film has ended. The screenplay standing at about a 130 minutes was atleast 10 to 15 minutes longer than required that did lead to a little lag at certain portions. But, the events of the film were so well written that the impact of the film was overwhelming almost to a point of dissent and disgust for me.

The drama opens in almost a docu-drama fashion wherein the word ‘concrete’ was explained with respect to the city. As the saying goes, we all are residents of a concrete jungle wherein man has taken over nature, and built plenty of homes for himself from concrete. But when nature strikes back, the same concrete potentially turns into rubble. And that is what the drama touches upon briefly. But unlike other disaster films, the outlandish parts of the calamity are all reduced to the background while the writers choose to focus on the events following the calamity, especially with respect to the ‘human spirit’ that can and does go rogue here.

So, you are introduced to the some of the principal characters, including a couple, who reluctantly allow a couple of homeless people to take refuse in their flat, at the sole building that has survived the earthquake in their locality. The writers are tactful to introduce the character traits of the couple wherein one is completely in favour of helping people while her better half us not in agreement. Soon, with many of the homeless people landing up at their society amidst extreme weather, and with the resources running out swiftly, the residents of the society get together to form a rule wherein only the residents of the building can stay, leaving the rest to fend for themselves.

The proceedings are engrossing and most definitely provocative in nature with the worst of the human race coming to the fore. The events reminded me of the Spanish film The Platform that did tackle the class divide and class hierarchy so well. The emotion of compassion are overruled by that of selfishness, and it did make me ponder on how the ‘spirit’ might be an overrated term when it would boil down to prioritizing yourself over others in a crisis. This was particularly true with the residents going on a killing spree in order to gain food and resources for the society. The writers pleasantly try and keep the tone of the drama as a black comedy while switching to a thriller, every now and then.

There is a little subplot regarding the identity of one of the residents that adds an interesting layer to the drama. However, there is a little stutter in the middle when the events start getting repetitive, although the impact of the proceedings aren’t diluted much. Perhaps, a crisper edit here would have resulted in an even more tense watch. The events leading up to the finale act results in complete mayhem which was shocking to watch although the emotions that needed to hit home with respect to the couple, didn’t quite as there wasn’t enough time invested in their relationship. Yet, the intentions are on point with the final act with one of the character trying to come to terms with the contrasting survival instincts of her previous society with respect to the new one where she takes refuge. The writers did wish to relay the point that no matter how bad things are, some people would ensure that hope is still alive. Overall, the screenplay is well written and showcases the worst side of humanity in a rather uninhibited manner.