Hello everyone, Streaming Originals has returned. Last time, we took a look at Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight II. That was a fun film that was very fresh and original.
Today, I took a look at a film that I had been hearing a bit about lately. Quite a few people had been recommending it. It's been streaming on Netflix. It is The Platform, a Spanish film that was released in 2019.
The Platform is a extremely intriguing film as it presents a challenge not for the characters within it, but for the audience as well. The Platform is a mysterious place, an indescribable prison, a deep hole. An unknown number of levels. Two inmates living on each level. A descending platform containing food for all of them. An inhuman fight for survival, but also an opportunity for solidarity.
This film was an incredibly interesting experience. In the very beginning, I wasn't sure if I could handle the film. While it isn't straight up horror, this is more of a slow burn thriller. At first, it throws you into the shoes of Goreng as he is discovering what the rules of this place are. During a small flashback and talking with his cell mate, he mentions that he entered this place willing. It was a way of earning a degree if he could last six months within its walls. Now for me, I wouldn't do it. There is absolutely no way that I could have handled being stuck in this situation. It's not worth it. Goreng thinks very easily that its something that he could handle and it wouldn't be so bad. It would give him a chance to read through Don Quixote. What kind of rational mind believes that this is something that would necessarily be not that bad?
Over the course of the film, Goreng learns more about himself than I believe he ever could have wanted. In a way, it did allow him the option to get a degree in who he is as a person. But the film is definitely layered. As the layers begin to peel away, we get to see just how humanity truly can be. In this place, it's a ticket to seeing truly evil things. However, there is always that chance for change. It just takes one person to help bring solidarity that could shape the way this prison is.
I truly appreciate the way the story unfolds and is told. It gives us a very close connection to Goreng. He is our eyes and ears. His experience is our experience. That is something that I haven't seen in a film in a while. It also presents the idea of how people with opportunities look down to those who do not in society. That is extremely evident as this platform of food is brought down level by level to each of the different 'prisoners'. It immediately pits the different levels against one another in chaos.
This film is a film where I strongly believe that one person's watch of it will be a different experience from another person's. It's a tightly packed and very well executed story. Trying to just unpack it all in one view, I don't know if that's possible. It allows there to be a lot to sit and think on as well as a strong re-watchability.
The only time I think the film may not necessarily be everyone's cup of tea is in its ending. It is definitely a strong ending, but an open ended one. It allows the audience to take the time to process it and come up with their own view of it.
Overall, The Platform is a special experience. There's honestly a bit more that I could go into with it. But that would be doing the film such a disservice. It's one of those that you have to take the plunge and give it a shot. If you are able to stick it out, you will find a story that will make you think a lot about people and society. Personally, that is what I was able to take away from the film. It's definitely one that I don't think will go away any time soon.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Honorable Mention: Now typically, I haven't given any honorable mentions for this series. But if you enjoyed The Platform and Squid Game, there is a series on Netflix as well called 3%. It's also a Spanish series. But in the first series, the way the story unfolds is extremely strong as well as its characters. By the time it ended, I was quite shocked and a bit eager to see where it could go. Definitely recommend it.
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