Netflix’s sci-fi thriller sequel to the award-winning original takes a big step down

Pa Jonathan Klotz
| Published 28 seconds ago

Netflix can be the subject of jokes due to the fact that its Netflix Original movies often look not only cheap, but also assembled according to a soulless algorithm for maximum appeal, and yet every now and then the streamer throws viewers a hidden gem. In 2019 Platformabout a dystopian future prison built vertically with food dropped down hundreds of floors for the prisoners trapped inside, was a Spanish sci-fi thriller that caught everyone off guard with its imaginative premise and clever writing. five years later The Platform 2 debuted on the streamer and his sole purpose was to serve as a reminder that the first movie was really good.

333 levels of hell

Platform 2 operates in the same Vertical Self-Government Center as the original, with the same top-down food concept, with inmates randomly assigned to a different floor each month. As in the first film, there are factions among the inmates, divided into those who eat only what they need to survive and those who believe they can take what they want, often by force. This is a visual way to represent class struggle in the real world science fiction environment, with all the violence and suffering and well-intentioned people you’d expect, and this is where I’d normally say “but with a twist,” except there’s no twist.

Perampuan, a woman who decided to join the Self-Government Center as an act of redemption, is at the center Platform 2finding herself embroiled in a simmering factional conflict that is slightly complicated by the rise of a cult known as the Anointed Ones, who believe in solidarity among prisoners but enforce it through grotesque acts of brutal violence. While the first film relied mostly on intense dialogue and a sense of discovery as the audience learns more about the brutal dystopia, the second took a deeper approach to delivering its message, and the story suffered as a result.

Return trip

Much of the first film is repetitive Platform 2right down to “the girl is the message”, though it fails to capture the heightened drama and tension of Goreng’s descent into the depths of the prison complex. Perampuan sets an escape plan in motion, but it ends in a revelation that’s supposed to shock and show just how evil and manipulative the operators behind the prison are, but we’ve seen that before. I haven’t seen a derivative sequel like this since Hangover 2; at least this time the movie openly admitted that they were doing the same thing again, but since then 22 Jump Street barked all about the sequels, none as outrageous as this one.

at the same time, Platform 2 may not be as good as the first and far from original, but the increased violence and social commentary still made for a worthy viewing experience. Great science fiction depicts modern society through a futuristic lens, and unfortunately, stories of class struggle have been relevant since humanity first built permanent housing. So, even though we’ve seen this story before, it’s still worth telling, and fans of the original might enjoy The Road Back , while for others, it’s worth a look Platform the first.

Platform 2 now available on Netflix.