Der Schacht

The coronavirus would spread like crazy there, brrr! On the one hand, this is a relatively literal social critique with an ending that’s perhaps a bit too abstract. On the other hand, it’s a pretty brutal and nutritious massacre that’s not afraid to go a little beyond the viewer’s comfort zone and be more brutal that most Netflix productions. The result is not fully bulletproof – the role of most of the secondary characters remains foggy – but overall, The Platform has such swag, pace and balls that will surely be remembered as that film “about the weird vertical prison with a platform full of food” that people will talk about. (20.03.2020)

I had a feeling that someone took the horror Cube and added a new dimension to it, which resulted in this excellent Spanish movie called The Platform. I felt a tension comparable to that of a string on Bruce Dickinson’s guitar, enjoying the minimalist atmosphere, in which you cannot miss any single moment because they all have their place in the well-knit plot. Too bad that the ending spoiled it a bit. They could have played with it some more. (29.03.2020)

The unknown Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia serves up dystopian sci-fi from Spain set in a vertical prison with strict rules, and as expected, it's a blast! It makes me happy that Netflix is shopping these European films that we would otherwise see who knows when. The film is probably closest to Snowpiercer, but it's still a pretty original take on a subject that is not only smart, but also very dirty, gritty, raw, bleak and brutal. Yes there is cannibalism too! This is definitely the scariest prison ever portrayed in film and I broke a decent sweat in places while watching it, and I even forgot to breathe a few times, which is the way of a good film. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered if the film had half an hour more and explained a lot at the end. We don't get any answers and for that the film has only one minus point, but otherwise it's an absolute blast and the Spaniards add another trophy to their collection. I recommend watching in Spanish! Story****, Action****, Humor>No, Violence****, Entertainment*****, Music****, Visual****, Atmosphere*****, Suspense****. 8.5/10. (20.03.2020)

How an interesting premise can hold together a feature film. I truly believe that this vision of a prison will remain in our memories for a long time, it has a repulsiveness and inhumanity that reach depths that no hole on earth can reach, and it exudes powerlessness and repugnance. And that’s basically it. The Platform, despite its ambitions, is a very rudimentary film that you should not muse over, even if the creators demand that in a pretty violent fashion. And it’s not only the stupidly executed dream or hallucination sequences that want to make the message very clear, it’s silly already with regards to the way that fictional world works (how do they move, how are they controlled, how can they heat or cool so quickly one part of that pretty open space, etc.). It has a lot of suggestive moments and the core idea – and the potential for social criticism arising from it –, together with its examination of the human psyche are praiseworthy, but not even dating and alcoholism in times of corona have so many missteps and plot holes. Weak 3* because it somehow manages to hold the attention and goes by fast. (03.04.2020)

Eine eisige Arche, die an einen Thriller über vertikale Gefängnisse erinnert und gleichzeitig als Metapher für die menschliche Gesellschaft und ihre Kasten dient. Zusammen mit dem freiwillig inhaftierten Hauptcharakter entdecken wir nach und nach, nach welchen Regeln das Gefängnis funktioniert, dessen zahlreiche Stockwerke einzelne Zellen bilden, durch die einmal täglich ein Tisch mit Essen fährt, von dem die Insassen alles essen können, was von denen übrig bleibt, die über ihnen sind. Die Häftlinge werden jeden Monat umgesiedelt, sodass wir fortlaufend deutlich unterschiedliche Situationen auf verschiedenen Etagen erleben, und diese fantastische, bedrückende und unheilvolle Exkursion gipfelt in der Entscheidung des Helden, etwas zu versuchen, was noch niemand zuvor versucht hat. Man möchte mehr erfahren, aber der Film antwortet nicht auf alles und schafft sich in seiner fiktiven Welt eine eigene Logik, der man folgen und nicht zu sehr widersprechen muss. Eine hervorragend geschriebene, kompromisslose, brutale, packende (und stellenweise sogar witzige) und fesselnde Allegorie, die die menschliche Gesellschaft als Ansammlung von hungrigen Egoisten betrachtet, mit klugen Dialogen, ausgezeichneten beunruhigenden Momenten und innovativer Umgebung, die durch ihre Ekelhaftigkeit und den klaren und einfachen Mechanismus, dem sie folgt, attraktiv ist. In der Einfachheit liegt die Schönheit - hier gilt das sicherlich. (07.10.2019)

The film offers quite a lot of entertainment for an obviously low budget. What the screenplay couldn't provide in terms of a plot was more than made up for by excellent dialogue. Given that it was a single-location film, I had a surprisingly good time, especially compared to the agony of watching The Painted Bird. A fan of Don Quixote starts fighting the windmills without realizing how futile his efforts are, what a paradox. Anyway, the banquet was amazing. It’s kind of what it looks like in a seaside hotel when a tour of greedy pigs arrives, and they don't even need 333 floors. It took me a while to get over the incredibly idiotic ending. (20.05.2020)

The Spanish movie The Platform is a good study of human nature when individuals find themselves in almost absurd living conditions that take them to the edge and perhaps push them over. Sure, this is a movie similar to the horror of Cube or Saw, although the psychological aspect has been brought to the fore with a form of a social experiment that is unlikely to end well. (08.06.2020)