The Platform, a 2019 dystopian thriller streaming on Netflix, has captivated audiences with its brutal and thought-provoking storyline, earning praise as a film that should not be ignored.
Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, with a screenplay adapted from a theatre script by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the Spanish-language film presents a stark social allegory. Its official plot states: “In a prison where inmates are fed on a descending platform, those on the upper levels take more than their fair share while those below are left to starve on scraps and one man decides to change the system.”
Premiere and Pandemic Release
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2019, where it won the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness and secured a worldwide streaming deal with Netflix. It was released in Spanish theatres on November 8, 2019, grossing $1.1 million at the box office before arriving on Netflix on March 20, 2020, as the world entered coronavirus lockdowns.
The cast includes Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale Coka, and Alexandra Masangkay. The film was shot chronologically, with lead actor Iván losing 12 kg (26 lbs) over the six-week shoot to authentically portray his character's physical deterioration. The concrete prison cells were built in a Red Cross facility in a port in Bilbao, northern Spain.
Audience and Critical Response
The pandemic release helped The Platform become a hit, resonating with audiences as a mirror to society's greed during a time of panic-buying. Critics and viewers have offered strong reactions, with one critic warning: “The Platform leaves you craving more. A word of a warning: it's probably best to go into this film on an empty stomach.”
Another reviewer described it as “A Twilight Zone-level mind-bender mixed with a dark psychological horror film full of pointed social commentary,” while a third admitted: “I'm glad I watched The Platform. I think about it often. But I will never, ever watch it again.”
Fans have echoed the praise, with one writing: “AMAZINGLY DONE! Props to everybody the acting is so good it feels too real and this whole concept and story is just so touching, absolute gold.” Another called it “a dystopian masterpiece. Next to the classics of all time.”
The Platform is available to stream on Netflix.
