There was probably no bigger hit of the pandemic than the Spanish-language dystopian thriller “La Plataforma.” In that film, those incarcerated, confined to hundreds of levels of individual concrete cells while waiting for a giant floating hunk of food, didn’t feel much different from the confined existence many experienced while living through the virus. It was a surprising cathartic gift during those lean months. Going back to that perfect idea would seem like a mistake. Within the first half hour of director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s “The Platform 2,” it is evident that this return is indeed a serious mistake.
The mechanics of this world are the same. Incoming prisoners, who have different reasons for being there, are given the option to choose what they will eat each day and a personal item to comfort or protect them. Each month they move from one level to the next. Higher levels are better and provide more food. The lower reaches promise famine. There are some additional wrinkles. When Perempuan (Milena Smit) wakes up, she finds the burly Zamiatan (Hovik Keuchkerian) also occupying her cell. They are at level 24. She eats croquettes and he eats pizza. Veteran inmates up and down have tried to install what they believe is an equitable system: you can only eat the food you choose; you will not eat the food of those who have perished; The only way to eat a different item is to exchange it with someone else. However, this system is deeply flawed.
Likewise, these new plot devices are not enough to give much life to the concept. Rather, this sequel not only seems like more of the same, but has also dulled the sharpness of the previous film. The whole movie is too confusing. It takes too long to find out why Perempuan is here. The system’s enforcers, known as Loyalists and guided by a blind and cruel Anointed One known as Dagin Babi (Ken Appledorn), are an equally opaque group. Aside from his desire to maintain law and order, it is unclear what his motivation is for so violently perpetuating this system. There is, of course, the religious component (messiahs, demonic figures, and allusions to various circles of hell), but they act as broad symbols rather than an incisive construction of the world.
Due to the inconsistency of the story, it is impossible to know what the film is arguing. Is it about how even equitable systems can lead to cold crackdowns? Or could it be a critique of COVID lockdowns, claiming that puritanical isolation infringed on people’s rights?
In any case, “The Platform 2” suffers from offering only more of the same. Before long, he draws on a character from the first film, repeats the first film’s already elaborate premonitions and metaphors, and even attempts to neatly tie the two works together through a clumsy post-credits scene. None of this is enough to conjure the same magic. Instead, this film needed to further develop its main character (Perempuan is nothing more than an endless cipher) and vary its visual language. While the first film was fantastic at taking advantage of the confined space for natural rivalries and psychological anguish, this one relies too much on close-ups, appearing repetitive against a mud-colored environment.
Neither the tacky ending nor the very existence of this second installment is earned. Instead, it languishes as the last drops of a once-brilliant idea are squeezed out. It probably would have been better if “The Platform 2” had simply remained locked away.
On Netflix now.