‘The Platform 2’ film overview: Perplexing plot and staggering symbolism places this sequel a degree beneath its predecessor 

A nonetheless from ‘The Platform 2’
| Photograph Credit score: NICOLAS DASSAS/NETFLIX

It’s raining sequels! Whereas none of them appear to have what it takes to recreate the magic of its unique movie (I’m taking a look at you, Joker: Folie à Deux), Netflix’s hit Spanish dystopian thriller The Platform, which made us learn a little bit an excessive amount of between the strains through the pandemic, is again with a follow-up. The predecessor launched us to a world the place residents of a ‘Vertical Self-Administration Heart’ are allotted completely different flooring each month. They’re fed by a platform that descends full of meals from the highest and unsurprisingly, the decrease it will get, the lesser meals it carries, and chaos ensues. Whereas the primary movie revelled in maintaining us on the sting of our seats, The Platform 2 digs deeper into its theme’s mythology.

In contrast to sequels that attempt to give a fast recap earlier than the viewers settles down and savours their first chunk of the overpriced popcorn, The Platform 2 wastes no time throwing us proper into the center of the pit. This time, there appears to be an order in place; in a collection of intercuts, we’re proven how all inmates select their favorite dish and throughout the pit, they’re anticipated to choose solely the meals that they had earlier chosen or swap it with somebody after their consent. However like each system, some break the foundations and a collection of incidents make us query whether or not the system in place was even the fitting transfer.

The Platform 2, in an try so as to add to the lore of the unique movie, retains a couple of of the weather that make the franchise stand aside. For starters, the movie strikes at a breakneck pace and as with the primary movie, it helps overcome the fatigue of watching the happenings unravel throughout the identical constructing with only a few main characters. And similar to The Platform, the sequel takes the identical heavy-handed method in direction of its symbolism, if no more. As anticipated, when the residents don’t stick with the rule, the system collapses and floor-mates Perempuan (Milena Smit) and Zamiatin (Hovik Keuchkerian) are spectators who’re compelled to get themselves concerned on this metaphor for our society. They finally study ‘the anointed ones’, these “fortunate sufficient to fulfill the Grasp”, who now make sure the regulation is upheld and the chain that assures a good meals distribution is stored in verify.

The metaphors for real-world points and takes on capitalism and faith are the core concepts on which the franchise is constructed and the sequel goes overboard with them. The movie has blatant references to Christianity with the Grasp usually known as the messiah. There’s even a sequence the place Perempuan hallucinates a picture of the Grasp in what seems to be like a recreation of The Final Supper. Add to it that the platform options 333 ranges with 2 inmates, including as much as a grand whole of the notorious 666.

Perempuan’s journey from being a mere spectator to turning into a cultist who turns into an enforcer solely to go in opposition to the system and find yourself as a revolter is the place the makers shine on this movie that’s too convoluted for its personal good. There are some good touches although, like her cellmate who talks about imaginary numbers finally turning into her imaginary pal — similar to within the first movie — and the parallel to her life exterior the power to how artwork actually imitates her life on the fag finish of the movie.

A nonetheless from ‘The Platform 2’
| Photograph Credit score:
NICOLAS DASSAS/NETFLIX

However The Platform 2 fails to linger on its greatest moments and with secondary characters that seem and disappear in moments, the movie makes it a problem to construct a reference to its viewers. In contrast to how the primary movie made us root for Goreng, the sequel fails to humanise the characters whose motives are supposedly to not fall for his or her natural tendencies. The motivation of the loyalists’ group to take care of order by violent means appears like a neater battle than digging deeper into the psyche of the inmates which made the primary half a winner.

Like most sequels in current occasions, the variety of causes for The Platform 2 to exist is as little as the quantity of meals that reaches the ultimate degree within the system. And the English dubbing doesn’t work significantly in favour of the sequel. Whereas The Platform felt like an infinite buffet that had one thing for everybody, its sequel is a set meal that leaves you unsatiated.

The Platform 2 is at the moment streaming on Netflix