From Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Netflix may be the butt of jokes because its Netflix Original movies often not only look cheap but are curated according to a soulless algorithm for maximum appeal, and yet the streamer sometimes leaves viewers with a hidden gem. In 2019 The platformabout a dystopian future prison that is built vertically and where food is dropped down hundreds of floors for the inmates trapped inside, was a Spanish sci-fi thriller that surprised everyone thanks to its imaginative premise and clever writing. Five years later, The Platform 2 debuted on the streamer and its sole purpose was to remember that the first film was really good.
333 levels of hell
The platform 2 is set in the same Vertical Self-Management Center as the original, with the same concept of food being lowered from top to bottom and prisoners being randomly assigned to a different floor each month. As in the first film, there are factions among the prisoners divided between those who eat only what they need to survive and those who believe they can take what they want, often by force. It is a direct way of depicting the class struggle in the real world Science fiction setting, with all the violence, heartache and well-meaning, well-meaning people you would expect, and here I would normally say “but with a twist”, except there is no twist here.
The focus is on Perempuan, a woman who chose to join the self-management center as an act of atonement The platform 2She finds herself embroiled in the simmering conflict between factions, only slightly complicated by the rise of a cult called The Anointed, which believes in solidarity among prisoners but enforces it through grotesque acts of brutal violence. While the first film relied largely on deep conversations and a sense of discovery as viewers learned more about the brutal dystopia, the second took a more visceral approach to delivering its message, and the story suffered as a result.
A return journey
Most of the first film is carried over The platform 2through to “The Girl is the Message,” although it fails to capture the heightened drama and tension of Goreng’s descent into the depths of the prison complex. Perempuan starts an escape plan, but it ends with a revelation that is meant to shock and show how evil and manipulative the operators behind the prison are, but we’ve seen that before. I haven’t seen such a derivative sequel since The hangover 2; At least the film openly admitted back then that they did the same thing again, but since then 22 Jump Street has lampooned everything about sequels, none as obvious as this one.
At the same time, The platform 2 may not be as good as the first and not nearly as original, but the increased violence and social commentary still made for a decent viewing experience. Great science fiction films reflect modern society through a futuristic lens, and unfortunately, stories of class struggle have been relevant since humanity first constructed permanent housing. Although we’ve already seen this story, it’s still worth telling and fans of the original may enjoy the return trip, but others should check out the film The platform First.
The platform 2 is now available on Netflix.
