The Platform 2

The Platform 2, directed by Antonio Hernández and Raduan Murad, plunges viewers into a grim, dystopian world where two thousand prisoners are confined within a large, multi-levelled prison known as the Vertical Platform. The narrative unfolds in a distinct, often uncomfortable manner, mirroring the bleak atmosphere that pervades the prison. Crucially, the Platform functions as a peculiar social hierarchy, with each prisoner corresponding to their vertical level within the structure. As prisoners reside on their designated level, they receive substantial meals daily from the Platform's uppermost cells. However, residents of lower cells are granted access to the vertical sections only at night, under the strict supervision of armed guards and authoritarian watchmen. Upon their turn, prisoners are forced to inhabit different sections of the platform for 24 hours under varying degrees of strict management. The introduction of a novice prisoner, Santiago, forces the audience to experience this brutal system firsthand. Delve into the gloomy world of prisoners like Juan, Icaro, and Roberto, providing a contrasting glimpse of humanity in a dehumanizing environment. Santiago becomes intrigued by the intricate social dynamics existing within the Platform as these individuals express themselves amidst extreme circumstances. As new arrival Santiago learns to navigate the Vertical Platform, he develops an understanding of the method by which the administrators arrange prisoners and allocate the daily ration. They base this system on 'selection', a mysterious, arbitrary standard used to differentiate who should reside on different vertical levels. While less intriguing prisoners find themselves dwelling on lower levels, a selective order renders both notable criminals and those seemingly devoid of any distinct characteristics more fortunate. That an interesting variation within the Platform becomes apparent. Juan, an acrobat able to traverse levels with unparalleled agility, becomes a kindred spirit for Santiago, instilling a sense of trust within him. Juan cultivates this inner connection by recounting tales about the earlier lives of the prisoners. Roberto, the sassy and cunningly resourceful cellmate, alongside other resourceful individuals become part of the support network helping Santiago accommodate himself within the new environment. However,Santiago grows disdainful of the unwarranted food distribution protocol when notice that the administrators insist on promoting one prisoner to the next level before night falls and providing their comrades adequate scraps of food to consume the substantial meal of that new prisoner. By now imbued with greater awareness about the underlying principles governing life on the Platform, he proposes this seemingly audacious plan to disrupt and dismantle the system alongside Juan and Roberto. Once Santiago develops comprehension of this strange food distribution technique, they feel obligated to challenge and defy it in an effort to help set their fellow prisoners free. These daring protests against the vertically distributed food ration demonstrate true strength in a desolate system devised to deter freedom and make each prisoner at constant odds with one another. For one, those prisoners living near the middle portion of the corridor, with easier access, know that life near the bottom of the vertical food distribution system stands and that attempting so little for improvement poses the fatal alternative of potentially starving.