‘The Platform’ review: This captivating thriller makes a solid impact

Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Rating: 3/5

The Spanish thriller The Platform, which released on Netflix recently, is an intense and effective attempt at storytelling that makes a solid impact despite not being everyone’s cup of tea. The film revolves around what happens when a man enters a tower-like prison and realises that life will never be the same again. The gripping screenplay relies heavily on ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’ and this results in a chilling and thrilling experience.

The Platform hits the right notes from the word go and leaves the target audience spellbound. The scenes highlighting the initial interaction between the protagonist and his first ‘mate’ strike a chord as the silences do the talking. The cannibalism track proves to be another highlight of the movie, leaving fans horrified. Most of the sequences are gory and violent, which might alienate a section of the audience. Similarly, the scenes depicting the trauma of the protagonist are a bit self-indulgent despite being an important part of the narrative.

Most of the action scenes hit it out of the park with their raw and intense feel.

The last 30 minutes in particular prove to be a paisa vasool affair relying heavily on shock value to keep fans hooked. The climax too is not along expected lines and this adds a new dimension to The Platform. The final scene is a bit layered and carries an important message.

Coming to performances, Iván Massagué is the heart and soul of The Platform and brings out the trauma faced by his character rather well. He underplays things in a few scenes and shifts gears when needed. Zorion Eguileo is sincere but fails to propel his menacing character to greater heights. Emilio Buale Coka supports Iván reasonably well and ups the impact of a few scenes with his feisty act.

The background music is effective and adds an eerie feel to the onscreen action. The cinematography is upto the mark as the camera angles heighten the impact of most of the scenes. Editing is decent as the film has a crisp feel to it. The other technical aspects have been handled with a fair deal of competence.