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Beyond Utopia

Beyond Utopia

Documentary · History · 2023

A courageous pastor uses his underground network to rescue and aid North Korean families as they risk their lives to embrace freedom.

Movie details

Beyond Utopia

“See a place few have ever seen.”

2023 Documentary · History 1h 56m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.8 / 10

Community rating

A courageous pastor uses his underground network to rescue and aid North Korean families as they risk their lives to embrace freedom.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Beyond Utopia?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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In June 2013, Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her.

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George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold a chilling, authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck interweaves clips, readings from Orwell's diary, cinematic references, and modern-day footage to craft not only a portrait of the writer, but a fresh take on how prophetic his work has become.

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For Sama

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Documentary · 2019

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Madeleine Gavin

Written by

Madeleine Gavin

B

Barbara Demick

Self

K

Kim Sung-eun

Self

L

Lee Hyeon-seo

Self

L

Lee So-yeon

Self

Kim Jong-un

Kim Jong-un

Self (archive footage)

Kim Jong-il

Kim Jong-il

Self (archive footage)

Kim Il-sung

Kim Il-sung

Self (archive footage)

Court is in session

Put Beyond Utopia on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.