The Platform (2020) Review

"Obviously."

-Trimagasi

Goreng (Iván Massagué) wakes up on the 48th level of the Vertical Self-Management Center.  A large platform of food descends the tower every day, stopping at every level, which each floor only getting whatever those above have left them, with two people of every level.  Every month they randomly change floors.  Faced with starvation, murder, cannibalism, and madness, Goreng quickly realizes that something has to change.

I can't really talk about this movie without spoiling it.  It's a good film, we're in quarantine, and it's on Netflix, so go give it watch and come back to read this.

What Works:

I love the premise of The Platform.  It's very reminiscent of the film, Cube, but this is less complex to its benefit.  It's a simple setup, but it works really well.  This situation makes it easy to root fo Goreng and despise the other characters within seconds of meeting them.

Goreng's first cellmate, Trimagasi, is played to perfection by Zorion Eguileor.  He reminds me of Hannibal Lecter in more ways than one.  I love his dialogue, his knife reveal, everything about him.  He's friendly enough, but also dangerous, especially for an older guy.  I wish he was in more of the movie, but the time we get with him is great.

Goreng's second month in the Vertical Self-Management Center is the most horrific portion of the movie and also my favorite section of the film.  Goreng is tied up and facing being eaten and forced-fed his own flesh.  It's a brutal sequence before any gore becomes involved, and when it finally does...the filmmakers don't hold back.

Finally, when Goreng and Baharat (Emilio Buale Coka) start their descent down the tower, I got chills.  It starts off thrilling as the anticipation of their quest hits you.  The ensuing violence is really fantastic and we get some great gore and fights.  The vast majority of their descent is a lot of fun.

What Sucks:

There are a few moments in the movie that feel very convenient and don't make a lot of sense.  For example, when Miharu (Alexandra Masangkay) arrives and rescues Goreng during the second month, why was she there?  I thought she only rode down the lift at the end of the month?  Goreng wasn't tied up for a month was he?  I thought Trimagasi was going to start eating him after 8 day.  And her arrival was very conveniently timed to the point it was ridiculous.

Another thing that doesn't make sense is Miharu's child.  At first we are told that Miharu has a child in the tower, but later we are told that she entered alone and doesn't have a child, only for us to discover that she had one all along.  And how did Miharu never find the child in the first place?

Finally, the ending doesn't work at all.  Goreng stays at the bottom of the tower and sends the child back up alone.  The justification for this is weak and anticlimactic.  We should have at the very least seen the child arriving back up in the kitchen.  One more shot would have made the ending much more emotionally satisfying.  Instead the film ends with a whimper.

Verdict:

The Platform is a solid film with an excellent premise, really fun acting from Eguileor, some horrific moments, and a very exciting start to the 3rd act.  There are quite a few plot holes and logic gaps and the ending is very lackluster, but I'd still say this movie has got it going on.

 7/10: Good