I’m pretty cued up on the world of entertainment. After all, as an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide, it’s my job to be on top of the latest movies and shows arriving on the best streaming service. But, sometimes even I’ll miss a big announcement.
Case in point, I only just learned that Netflix is making a sequel to its awesome original movie “The Platform” earlier today (April 18).
The world’s biggest streamer confirmed a follow-up to its hit sci-fi thriller back in May 2023, and a fresh batch of images from the sequel has just surfaced online (thanks, @DiscussingFilm).
I consider “The Platform” arguably the best Netflix movie ever, but my gut reaction to discovering a sequel is coming later this year isn't entirely positive, let me explain ...
‘The Platform’ is a must-see Netflix movie
“The Platform” arrived on Netflix in March 2020 — a time when at-home entertainment had never been in greater demand — and quickly stormed up the charts to become the streamer’s most popular Spanish movie ever. A deserved accolade it holds to this day.
Set in a towering vertical prison, comprised of an unknown number of levels, two inmates are assigned to each level rotating on a monthly basis. Every day a platform descends from the very top laden with an extravagant banquet. Inmates then have two minutes to eat as much as possible before the platform moves down a floor.
While the stone slab is stacked high with food at first, by the time it reaches the lower levels, there is nothing left, leading to some prisoners starving or resorting to desperate measures to fill their empty stomachs.
In "The Platform", Iván Massagué plays Goreng, a man who wakes up on the 48th level with no memory of how he came to be in the dystopian setting and faces a battle to survive in this nightmarish location.
The core setup of “The Platform” is seriously inventive, and while I want to avoid spoilers (there’s quite a bit more to unpack beyond the above basic plot summary), let’s just say every part of the prison complex is explored, and the movie offers greater depth than solely focusing on Goreng's battle against intense hunger.
Naturally, like many dystopian thrillers, you'll find a large undercurrent of social commentary, but there are also narrative twists, stomach-churning violence and a surprising amount of dark comedy. “The Platform” is a must-watch on Netflix.
Why I’m concerned about ‘The Platform 2’
My biggest concern with “The Platform 2” is that the first movie takes the premise of a towerblock prison where inmates are fed via a descending platform to its logical conclusion. While the first movie’s ending is purposefully ambiguous, it’s not a final scene that had me clamoring for a sequel. “The Platform” already felt like the whole meal.
The story is far from over...Here's your first look at our sequel to The Platform, the most popular Spanish film in Netflix history, once again directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. pic.twitter.com/onEdPxCxHDMay 11, 2023
I’m pleased that the first movie’s director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia is set to helm the sequel. It’s always a good sign when the main creatives stick around for a second helping. However, a returning director is far from a guarantee that a sequel will measure up to its predecessor. But at least Galder’s willingness to make another movie suggests that Netflix didn’t push for a sequel against the filmmaker’s wishes.
We also know that Hovik Keuchkerian and Milena Smit will be new additions to the cast. I’m largely unfamiliar with the former's work (beyond the awful “Assassins Creed” movie) but I thought Smit was phenomenal in 2021’s “Parallel Mothers”, which saw her match Penélope Cruz scene-for-scene in a highly emotional drama that more people need to see.
I’m not one for writing off a project before I’ve had the chance to see the finished film for myself. So, even if I'm not 100% sold yet, I’ll give “The Platform 2” the benefit of the doubt and will approach it with cautious optimism. You never know, perhaps my favorite Netflix movie will soon get my favorite Netflix sequel.
As of now, Netflix hasn’t confirmed a release date for “The Platform 2” but it’s expected to descend onto the streaming platform (pun intended) later this year.
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