Walk Up follows filmmaker Byung-soo and his estranged daughter Jeong-su as they visit a building owned by Ms. Kim, share a meal, and meet others who live in the building. The same event is seemingly repeated several times in different variations. Byung-soo later begins a relationship with a woman in the building and moves into one of the apartments.
Walk Up was filmed in black and white[6] in Seoul in 2021.[7] It was written, directed, edited, and produced by Hong, with music[5] and cinematography by Hong.[3] The production company was Jeonwonsa Film Company.[5]Kim Min-hee served as production manager.[8]
The film is distributed internationally by Finecut[3] and in North America by Cinema Guild.[14]
Reception
Critical response
Walk Up has received positive reviews from critics, holding a 97% positive rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 29 critics, with an average score of 8 out of 10,[15] and a score of 86 on Metacritic, based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[16] Critics praised the film for being reflective[10][4][17] and complex,[3][18] and noted strengths in its acting,[19] music, and tone.[5]
^Nam, Yoo-jung; Lee, Woo-young (August 27, 2023). "누가 받아도 될 정도로 훌륭한 후보들, 그중 최고는 누구?" [Great candidates to anyone can accept, who is the best of them?]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
^Bae Hyo-joo (October 5, 2023). "이병헌·김서형 주연상→'콘크리트 유토피아' 작품상까지 4관왕(부일영화상)[종합]" [Lee Byung-hun and Kim Seo-hyung won 4 awards, including Best Actor Award → ‘Concrete Utopia’ Best Picture (Buil Film Awards) [Comprehensive]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved October 6, 2023.