The Platform

A progressively unwatchable disaster, The Platform, which transpires within a dystopian future, follows Iván Massagué’s protagonist as he wakes up in an elaborate, vertical prison in which a platform travels from floor to floor armed with a veritable feast – with the only catch being that the food dwindles significantly depending on the ranking of one’s floor (eg prisoners on level 247 will receive less than scraps). It’s a bizarre yet intriguing premise that’s initially employed to somewhat compelling effect by filmmaker Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, although even in its early stages, The Platform feels like a short that’s been awkwardly expanded to feature length (ie the movie’s lack of plot is an immediate issue, for sure). There’s little doubt, then, that the picture’s shift from watchable to interminable comes with a progressively oppressive midsection, as Gaztelu-Urrutia’s inability or refusal to incorporate disparate elements into the thin narrative becomes more and more problematic as time slowly progresses – to the point where the viewer begins to feel as trapped as the prisoners. By the time the endless third act rolls around, The Platform has definitively cemented its place as an eye-rollingly heavy-handed parable that has virtually nothing of interest to offer.

* out of ****