REVIEW: ‘The Platform 2’ Fails To Ascend

The Platform (El Hoyo) was one of the most gripping films to stream during the 2020 lockdowns. With its multilayered symbolism surrounding societal structures and human nature, ambiguity, and impactful performances, director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia‘s dystopian thriller easily resonates. The arrival of the sequel, The Platform 2, raises the question of whether there’s anything new or exciting to add to the world of its film universe. Instead, we get a retread of familiar territory and a much weaker film.

Not much has changed regarding the premise or rules of the world. Each prisoner requests the food they choose to consume each day while trapped on their level. Each person must only eat their food item. If they eat the food of their comrades or the dead, they will be punished. If any food is left behind in their cell, they risk death. The inclusion of the “Anointed Ones” adds a layer to an otherwise familiar set-up, but their involvement later on rings hollow as they crack down on the rules.

The first 30 minutes of The Platform 2 reiterate the prison rules in the most gratuitous form of info dumping. This time, there is no attempt at mystery or ambiguity. Gaztelu-Urrutia and co-writers David Desola, Pedro Rivero, and Egoitz Moreno forgo that entirely, delivering information with minimal finesse.  The rules are upheld through escalated violence and Robospierre’s (Bastien Ughetto) primary existence to verbal diarrhea everything newcomers Perempuán (Milena Smit) and Zamiatin (Hovik Keuchkerian) need to know to survive.

Despite a rocky start, the relationship between Perempuán and Zamiatin evolves into something sweet. It’s refreshing to see platonic partnering against grim circumstances between different genders, and their bond proves to be the strongest part of The Platform 2. It plants the seed of Perempuán’s resistance to the system in place but also shows a remarking depth and range to Zamiatin. From beginning to end, Zamiatin turns out to be the complete opposite of how we’re meant to perceive him, and when the two are separated, it is soul-crushing.

Once The Platform 2 dives into the concept of the “Anointed Ones” and its leader, Dagan Babi (Óscar Jaenada), it loses ground. Not even Natalia Tena‘s performance introducing the horrors of what he and his lot inflict can stir intrigue. Toeing the line between justice and villainy, Babi should be a compelling enough character. Yet, little is done to explore, dulling his entrance and actions to the point of forgetability.

The arrival of one key figure from the previous film shakes things up but isn’t wholly necessary. The Platform 2 was initially meant to be a sequel, not a prequel. Including a surprise character in execution is a lazy attempt to flesh out some connection to the first film. At best, it’s a meager Easter egg. At worst, it is baffling, especially since nothing new regarding that character in question is added or expanded upon.

Graded against itself, The Platform 2 runs into a pitfall of issues. From telling instead of showing to struggling to craft characters to connect with to the third act’s evolution into the metaphysical, it fails to capture what made the original film so impactful. It whimpers in its attempts to journey into the depths of purgatory the occupants find themselves in. Unfortunately, whimpering cannot convey intended messages when muddied out by the rebellious screams onscreen, getting lost in its proverbial sauce.

Comparing it to The Platform, its prequel is even less subtle than its predecessor in its attempts to explore societal breakdown, individual influence on change, and its interpretation of purgatory and hell. Gone are the nearly exalted look and feel of the platform’s dishes, rendering its symbolism mute in an otherwise hopeless predicament. Assuming viewers have already seen the first film, the exposition dump at the beginning cuts the mystery of the facility at the throat, leaving the otherworldliness out the window. It is a pale imitation.

The Platform 2 fails to ascend past its predecessor, retreading familiar territory and forgoing the benefits of delicious ambiguity for heavy-handed exposition. The lack of character development makes it difficult to connect or care. Ultimately, what was once an intriguing premise has now been rendered both convoluted and stale.

Platform 2 is streaming now on Netflix.