Netflix surprised us at the beginning of the year by serving up one of the favorites for an Oscar in the international category. The film, which had previously only been shown in Spanish-speaking countries, unexpectedly landed on the screens of many households.
„Society of Snow“ takes viewers back to the 1970s in South America, where the Uruguayan rugby team Old Christians is preparing for a match in Santiago de Chile. In addition to the players, a few of their friends, acquaintances, and family members decide to take advantage of a relatively inexpensive offer to visit Chile. Forty passengers and a five-member crew bid farewell to their families and board the plane in high spirits. It should have been a fun weekend, as reflected on board with card games, beer, and jokes. The plane is piloted by an inexperienced pilot who makes a navigation error, thinking he had already passed the dangerous Andes that separate Argentina and Chile. This mistake proves fatal as the plane crashes into the mountainside, leaving many dead immediately or succumbing to injuries. The survivors are left stranded in the unforgiving high-altitude snow, beginning a fight for survival.
The story of the Andes plane crash is a well-known historical event that has garnered widespread attention due to various factors. Even at the time of the incident, it attracted significant media coverage and became ingrained in people’s minds through interviews, memoirs, and books. The tragedy was also adapted into a film, „Alive,“ in 1993 starring Ethan Hawke. Barcelona-based director Juan Antonio Bayona, known for his work on horror films like „The Orphanage“ and „Jurassic World,“ revives the catastrophic story inspired by the book of the same name after almost 20 years.
„Society of Snow“ offers a unique experience and effectively works with the basic elements of the disaster genre. The film wastes no time and plunges viewers into action after a brief glimpse into the normal lives of the selected protagonists. The film is about the plane crash and its aftermath, so it quickly accelerates and maintains a fast pace throughout. The production team paid great attention to authenticity, ensuring every detail, from the crash site to the props, environment, and actors, closely resembles the actual event. While the film is not a documentary, it strives for near-replication in its formal presentation.
Visually, the film is excellent, with fantastic cinematography, well-crafted dramatic music, and effective editing that skillfully alternates between dramatic moments over the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime. „Society of Snow“ has a rhythm that sustains tension and delivers key segments with balanced pacing and timing for those unfamiliar with the tragedy. Bayona’s direction focuses more on personal despair than the horrors the survivors endured, even though the film does not shy away from showing the brutal aspects of their ordeal.
The film avoids unnecessary sentimentality, and emotional manipulation is almost imperceptible, except for a slightly clichéd ending. Instead, the creators effectively handle the powerful material, allowing the story to speak for itself. With a strong emphasis on detail and authenticity without moralizing or excessive philosophizing, „Society of Snow“ is a powerful film because it is human and direct.
Netflix’s latest offering tackles a familiar topic but has something to offer viewers from both camps – those familiar with the classic Hollywood film and the details of the tragedy and those hearing about it for the first time. Without resorting to emotional manipulation, the film provides moments that will quicken the viewer’s heartbeat and send chills down their spine. While it occasionally employs tried-and-true film techniques to simplify the narrative, the overall impact is a poignant tribute to the story’s heroes that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on the audience.