An extraordinary Oscar-worthy documentary about North Koreans who have defected, with startlingly real footage of escape and told in such a highly-suspenseful and intense manner that may even put the finest thrillers to shame.

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With the right amount of support and marketing at the opportune time, a film like Beyond Utopia could reasonably have a good shot at nabbing an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature, perhaps even winning it. 

In the film’s first minutes, we can already feel that it is operating at a higher register and something to behold. Though documentaries about North Korea aren’t many, even fewer revolve around actual defection as captured on camera. 

Here, we become privy to startlingly real footage of escape as a family (including young kids and grandma in her eighties) attempt to evade detection as they make their way across hostile natural terrains like mountains and rivers, as well as on the road where they may be stopped by police at any time. 

The stakes are extremely high, as being caught in communist countries like China and Vietnam would mean being sent back to North Korea with extremely punishing consequences. 

“It’s okay. It’s a journey that leads to you, Mother, so I can endure anything.”

Theirs is one of a few main stories featured in this extraordinary documentary about courage and resilience in the face of life and death.  With zero re-enactments, Beyond Utopia is built on footage shot on phones by both defectors and secret ‘brokers’ whose aim is to bring them to Thailand, a safe country, safely. 

While it might feature ‘on the run’-type guerrilla filmmaking, there are also traditional talking head interviews with successful defectors, though more fascinatingly, the film also contains generous amounts of clips shot clandestinely within North Korea. 

All in all, director Madeleine Gavin has put together such a well-edited piece—its intensity and suspense may even put the finest thrillers to shame.  At the same time, we also learn more about North Korea, its history and its people. 

To the North Koreans, their country is a utopia.  Gavin explores what it means to go beyond that—freedom when put into perspective reveals so much about the differences between living and existing.

Grade: A-

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