The Platform 2 (2024) Review: This Otherwise Leftover of an Unnecessary Sequel Could Only Muster a Few Redeeming Qualities

Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s debut feature The Platform made history as one of the most-watched Netflix original films of all time, thanks to its intriguing high-concept premise and a perfectly timely release during the pandemic era back in 2020.

Now, the dystopian thriller returns with a sequel that initially makes me feel it was a desperate cash grab trying to capitalise on the first film’s huge success. I mean, is the sequel really necessary? In The Platform 2, the setting remains the same as the story takes place in the inner confines of a vertical prison with cells occupying two prisoners each from top to bottom, totalling 333 levels.

Between each cell lies the titular platform descending from the top and stops on every level for a certain period, allowing the prisoners to grab a specific meal. So, in the first movie, the story explores class divide, greed and capitalism. Nothing is fair and equal when comes to food consumption, even with the rules already stated that every prisoner is only allowed to stick to their requested food item before imprisonment.

To create a fair system, the prisoners in The Platform 2 ensure everyone must only eat their own food or the Law will punish them. The story then zeroes in on the two prisoners on level 24 as we are introduced to an artist named Perempuán (Milena Smit) and her frequently half-naked giant cellmate, Zamiatin (Hovik Keuchkerian). The first act shows some promises establishing the chemistry between Smit and Keuchkerian but too bad it doesn’t last long as the sequel becomes wobbly as it descends further.

Gaztelu-Urrutia, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside David Desola, Pedro Rivero and Egoitz Moreno, also introduces two factions including the “Loyalists” and the “Barbarians”. We learn that these loyalists led by the blind Dagin Babi (Óscar Jaenada) must adhere to the strict rules of sticking to the food of their own choices. The barbarians, in the meantime, care more about their survival and freedom where one shouldn’t be restricted to how much a person can eat. It’s the authoritarian vs liberal subject matter that hits hard in this sequel, resulting in an eventual brutal confrontation between the two factions.

Like the first movie, Gaztelu-Urrutia doesn’t shy away from matter-of-fact violence as people are brutally stabbed or tortured. No doubt the sequel has its few worthwhile moments while Gaztelu-Urrutia brings out the best in Milena Smit’s engaging lead performance as the mysterious Perempuán, whose true motivations remain unclear for the bulk of the movie. Óscar Jaenada deserves equal mention for his role as the dictatorial Dagin Babi and so does Hovik Keuchkerian as Zamiatin in their respectively solid supporting turns.

Then comes the eventual reveal in the third act — an uneven mix of genuine surprises and head-scratching, convoluted twists, complete with a mid-credits scene that makes me feel as if Gaztelu-Urrutia is trying so hard to justify the existence of this sequel. It was sadly an underwhelming finale that baffles me with more questions than answers.

For all the better pacing and above-average acting performances, I can’t help but see The Platform 2 as more of a rehash of the first movie. I get that Gaztelu-Urrutia tries to cram in as many ideas and metaphors into his sequel but the overall story isn’t just strong enough. Not to mention the novelty that made the first movie, though it’s equally problematic due to the haphazard and repetitive storytelling structure, already wears thin by the time the sequel arrives four years later after its Netflix premiere. Perhaps it would be best if The Platform remains as a one-off.

The Platform 2 is currently streaming on Netflix.