Thanks to production and streaming services like Netflix, movie watchers can watch movies from different cultures and parts of the world. As such, viewers can get a wider range of storylines to work with rather than settling with recycled plots.
After securing a worldwide release deal, the movie, The Platform (or El Hoyo) premiered on Netflix in March 2020. It was a good time to reach a wider audience since it was around the start of the pandemic lockdown. The movie’s storyline follows Goreng, the movie’s main protagonist, as he sees what humans can become when food is scarce. With no escape, they must struggle for survival.
As he takes on a mission to help others, he soon realizes how easy it is to turn into a person he dislikes. Goreng finds friends in strange places, and is put in harm’s way by someone he called a friend.
Goreng Awakes in Level 48
Credit: The Platform
Goreng, played by Iván Massagué, wakes up to see his new cellmate, Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor), staring at him. Trimagasi would reveal to Goreng that he’s in what he terms a Vertical Self-Management Center, or The Pit. He explains that they get to eat once a day when a platform is lowered to their level.
He tells Goreng to eat as much as possible because the prisoners are randomly assigned new levels each month. Level 48 is good because there are still enough leftovers to feast on.
Goreng informs Trimagasi that he volunteered to be put in the pit in exchange for a diploma. Trimagasi, on the other hand, says he’s serving a one-year jail sentence for manslaughter. Over the course of the month, Goreng and Trimagasi become close.
Goreng Awakes in Level 171
Credit: The Platform
Goreng gets his first cell rotation and awakes to notice he’s all tied up in his bed and on level 171. Trimagasi, who has spent a longer time in the prison, understands that there’s barely any leftover food at this level. Trimagasi believes the best way for him and Goreng to survive is by eating small chunks of Goreng’s flesh.
When hunger starts to bite on the eighth day, Trimagasi proceeds to cut off a portion of Goreng’s flesh. Miharu (Alexandra Masangkay), a mother looking for her child, comes down with the platform and saves Goreng. But, as she fights off Trimagasi, she kills him.
Moved to save Goreng, she stays on his cell level to nurse him back to health. With no food getting to that level, she eats and feeds Goreng the flesh of the dead Trimagasi. While hoping for a better cell level, Goreng is tormented by visions of Trimagasi.
Goreng Awakes in Level 33
Credit: The Platform
Goreng is more than relieved to have woken up at an upper level. He realizes he has a new roommate, Imoguiri (Antonia San Juan), who has a dog with her. Goreng remembers her as an official who interviewed him before being sent to the pit.
Imoguiri explains she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and chose to volunteer to experience the conditions in the pit. Understanding how the system works, she rations her food and tries to persuade the inmates in lower cell 34 also to ration their meals, so it gets to the last level. She’s certain there are only 200 levels in the pit.
Goreng Awakes in Level 202
Credit: The Platform
Either bad luck or the administration trying to prove a point, Goreng wakes up to see he’ll be spending his fourth month in level 202. He also realizes that Imoguiri has hanged herself. With his experience from his second month in level 171, it eats the Imoguiri’s flesh to survive that month.
Goreng Awakes in Level 6
Credit: The Platform
Goreng is closer to the top in his fifth month. He sees more food on the platform and has a new cellmate, Baharat (Emilio Buale). With the idea from Imoguiri, Goreng manages to convince Baharat to ride with him on the platform. He plans to enforce food rationing on each level so it can get to the last level. Goreng believes there should be around 250 levels in total.
During their descent, Goreng and Baharat see Miharu being attacked and try to save her. Unfortunately, Miharu is killed by her attackers, while Goreng and Baharat are left with serious injuries. By the time the platform reaches level 333, they are exhausted. Goreng notices a girl hiding under one of the cell’s beds and gets off the platform with Baharat to investigate.
Goreng Meets Miharu’s Daughter
Credit: The Platform
Confirming it is the daughter of Miharu, they’re surprised to discover the platform continues to descend. Baharat dies from his injuries, but not before telling Goreng in a dream state that “the girl is the message.”
Goreng takes the little girl with him when the platform arrives the next day. They both get to the bottom.
Goreng is probably hallucinating and sees Trimagasi. Goreng gets off the platform leaving the little girl on it. Goreng, probably dead, watches with Trimagasi as the platform ascends with the girl on it.
“The message requires no bearer.”With no escape
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