LONDON: On paper, “The Platform” is a tough sell: a Spanish sci-fi horror film about a table of food that is lowered through a seemingly endless prison block full of questionable inmates. Interesting, sure, but at face value the film appears a little too niche for mainstream audiences. But if you can get past the outlandish premise, this dark and ever-so-slightly troubling movie asks a lot of questions — particularly relevant ones, given some of the issues of inequality and panicked consumerism that have been prevalent in recent weeks.
Zorion Eguileor in 'The Platform.' (Netflix)
Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s film rushes to bring viewers up to speed. When inmate Goreng wakes up in the prison, his creepy cellmate Trimagasi acts as a conveniently agreeable plot device to explain (and demonstrate) how things work, while Goreng’s flashbacks clue audiences into the reasons he’s inside. But, in fairness, once that framework is in place, Gaztelu-Urrutia begins to poke and prod his characters, asking questions about selflessness and greed in the divided society he portrays — those above, who have, and those below, who don’t. And while the questions might not always get answered, they certainly leave the movie sticking in the memory. In part, that’s due to the performances of the small cast. Iván Massagué, Zorion Eguileor and Antonia San Juan are excellent as inmates with wildly different backstories and motivations. Such a surrealistic narrative makes it tough to turn in relatable performances, but the trio bounce off each other in interesting, engaging and sometimes shocking ways.
The film will also linger thanks to its violence and gore. But, while some directors opt for shock value in lieu of thoughtfulness, “The Platform” doesn’t use its more nauseating moments gratuitously, but rather as a demonstration of how Goreng comes to terms with his time in the prison — and how what he might once have considered unpalatable is now (to him, at least) eminently reasonable.
The film isn’t perfect. Though posing plenty of apposite questions can make for an engaging movie, “The Platform” leaves a few too many dangling at its conclusion. There are also some narrative curveballs that could have done with a little more exposition, and it’s fair to wonder how big the movie’s audience would have been had it not found a home on Netflix during a worldwide lockdown. But it is a film that makes you think — whether you want to or not.
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