The Platform

The Platform, or El Hoyo in Spanish, is a 2019 Spanish social science fiction-horror film directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. A riveting film that explores capitalism, poverty and the viciousness of men towards one another in the context of a basic setting.

I’m a big fan of movies that are set in an enclosed location. Movies like The Man From Earth and The Sunset Limited. Naturally, I was intrigued about the Platform so I decided to give it a watch, and I was hooked from the first scene.

The Premise

The movie’s premise is simple. An unknown number of people are put in a tower-like building called a “Vertical Self-Management Center”. Two individuals share a small cell on each floor. Once a day, a platform filled to the brim with food descends from the first level to the last level of what seems to be a bottomless pit, stopping at each level. Giving the inmates a few minutes’ worth of food before the platform descends to the level below.

The inhabitants of the higher levels get to enjoy all of the food as they please, while the people on the lower levels have to satisfy their hunger with the leftovers of the ones above them. This often leads to conflict between the inhabitants of the center, even between the same floor’s cellmates.

It’s symbolic in its depiction of our modern day economies. The rich fill up their bellies with delicious sustenance while the poor has to resort to eating mere leftovers.

There are a few rules to abide by though. For example, they can’t keep any of the food for later, or the room’s temperature goes down and freezes them to death. Another rule is that each of them is forced to spend 30 days on a certain level, before being assigned a different level the following month.

The human body is capable of surviving for almost 30 days without food, so it shouldn’t be a problem for them — except if they’re unfortunate enough to be assigned to a low level twice in a row.

That’s when things go unhinged; The Platform is gore-y and disturbing, as some of the inhabitants are forced to resort to cannibalism and violence. While the higher levels’ inmates watch and look down on the people below them.

An Entertaining Watch

The people on the higher levels are worried that next month they’ll starve, and the people below are fighting over scraps. Are you a communist? Says the senior cellmate to our main protagonist, Goreng, after he suggests that they eat only what they need to. If only things were as simple as he thought.

The Platform is an incredible take on issues that we are experiencing in this world. The rich are always consuming more than they need to, while the poor are left to starve. The Platform is constantly throwing plot twists at the viewer at a steady pace throughout.

The performance of Zorion Eguileor as Trimagasi (The old cellmate of our protagonist) in particular is enthralling and wonderful. While the rest of the cast does a serviceable job, their roles aren’t as fleshed out as I’d hoped they’d be, even Goreng (the protagonist) felt a bit undercooked.

The ambient music that plays during a few scenes in the movies is also a great addition to the movie. It’s simple and basic beats fits well within the context of the movie’s plain setting.

What’s particularly striking about The Platform is that it never shies away from the horrifying imagery. If you’re easily disturbed by blood and gore, then you should think twice before watching it.

We highly recommend that you at least try to give it a watch though, even if you get queasy easily. There’s not a dull moment in this thriller, and the fact that the message is so powerful and told in such a manner makes it even better.

The ending was a bit disappointing, but understandable. We applaud the director for maintaining his vision and giving us the finale that he believes is most appropriate for the film.

Overall,

The Platform is not only entertaining; but also thought provoking and sends a powerful message. We highly recommend it to any fans of similar movies such as Saw, The Circle, Cube and Exam.

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You should watch The Platform if you

• Can stomach a few disturbing scenes
• want a movie that will stick with you long after you’re done watching it
• enjoy movies that are set in a single location

The Platform’s Score

10/10