Beyond Utopia

PG-13

Released Oct 23, 2023

1 hr. 55 min.

Documentary

List

100%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

99%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A suspenseful, riveting portrait of the lengths people will go to gain freedom, BEYOND UTOPIA follows various families as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on Earth, a land they grew up believing was a paradise. At the film's core is a courageous pastor, a man of God on a mission to help a mother reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind, and a family of five -- including small children and an elderly grandmother -- embarking on a treacherous journey into the hostile mountains of China. Leaving their homeland is fraught with unimaginable danger -- yet these individuals are driven to take the risk. Gripping, thrilling, and never more timely, Madeleine Gavin's award-winning film embeds the viewer with these family members as they attempt their perilous escape, palpably conveying life-or-death stakes. The result is a singular, heart-pounding, and unforgettable experience.

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Critics Consensus

A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping -- and frightening -- glimpse of life under oppression.

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Audience Consensus

A must-see documentary, Beyond Utopia is equal parts informative, exciting, and flat-out scary.

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Gretchen L H

Many personal photos and stories of a North Korean family. Questioned about what they thought of their country - honest answers that changed from positive to negative. A little too much screen time plowing through the jungle. Powerful depiction and great difficulties in escaping from North Korea. Glad to see that there are organizations aiding citizens to escape but how very difficult the North Korean government makes it nearly impossible.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Liz

Honest documentary of the atrocious repressive regime of North Korea and the relentless torture and suffering of its people that they cannot help but seek defection for survival.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

James A R

Wow, just amazing what we take for granted. —JAR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

Juan

Very sad but very grateful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

Michael S

Sobering reality of how blessed we are in America and how we need to pray for the North Koreans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

PR

Incredible and harrowing story of the struggle to be free. Just mesmerizing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/23

Full Review

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Madeleine Gavin

Director

Lee So-yeon

Self

Barbara Demick

Self

Sung-eun Kim

Self

Hyeonseo Lee

Self

Jana Edelbaum

Producer

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James Jackson

Times (UK)

Their escape footage, filmed on the family’s phones, gave a sense of fear that was unsettlingly contagious, and made you think how smartphones now inform this kind of documentary. They can give an unfiltered and close-up immediacy...

Rated: 5/5

Jan 31, 2024

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Documentaries with life-or-death stakes, not to mention wider resonance in our increasingly unsettled geopolitical world, don’t get much more nerve-racking... At the same time, the film is inspiring about the lengths people will go to for a better life.

Nov 4, 2023

Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Beyond Utopia follows various families as they attempt to flee North Korea. It is eye-opening and outstanding. In essence, it is a life-or-death thriller told in real time where the stakes could not be higher.

Nov 2, 2023

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

Beyond Utopia feels like humanitarian journalism in its purest form, contributing to a damning portrait of authoritarianism and inspiring human perseverance.

Mar 15, 2024

Full Review

Ross McIndoe

The Skinny

The intimacy and immediacy with which Beyond Utopia unfolds never allows you to lose sight of just how real it all is.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 7, 2024

Full Review

Pat Stacey

Irish Independent

There is no narration and none of those dramatised recreations beloved of so many documentaries... Frankly, when the stories a documentary is telling are as nail-bitingly tense and heart-breakingly sad as the ones here, no such adornments are necessary.

Jan 31, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

A suspenseful, riveting portrait of the lengths people will go to gain freedom, BEYOND UTOPIA follows various families as they attempt to flee North Korea, one of the most oppressive places on Earth, a land they grew up believing was a paradise. At the film's core is a courageous pastor, a man of God on a mission to help a mother reunite with the child she was forced to leave behind, and a family of five -- including small children and an elderly grandmother -- embarking on a treacherous journey into the hostile mountains of China. Leaving their homeland is fraught with unimaginable danger -- yet these individuals are driven to take the risk. Gripping, thrilling, and never more timely, Madeleine Gavin's award-winning film embeds the viewer with these family members as they attempt their perilous escape, palpably conveying life-or-death stakes. The result is a singular, heart-pounding, and unforgettable experience.

Director: Madeleine Gavin
Distributor: Fathom Events
Production Co: XRM Media, Random Good Foundation, iDeal Partners Film Fund, Human Rights Foundation, 19340 Productions, The deNovo Initiative
Rating: PG-13 (Violent Content|Thematic Material|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.4K
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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