Year of Release: 2023
Director: J.A. Bayona
Starring: Enzo Vogrincic, Agustin Pardella, Matias Recalt, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Vegezzi, Fernando Contingiani, Esteban Kukuriczka, Francisco Romero, Rafael Federman, Valentina Alonso, Tomas Wolf, Agustin Della Corte, Andy Pruss, Felipe Gonzalez Otano, Blas Polidori, Felipe Ramusio, Simon Hempe, Luciano Chatton
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Netflix
Synopsis and Review
Netflix has scored another awards contender in the shape of "La Sociedad de la Nieve", the latest film from director J.A. Bayona, who previously tackled "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" and "A Monster Calls". The film is an adaptation of the book by Pablo Vierci, but it is essentially the same narrative tackled by Frank Marshall in his film "Alive", which premiered in 1993 (with "Alive" being based on the book by Piers Paul Read, featuring a screenplay by the celebrated John Patrick Shanley). The film which takes place in 1972, follows the narrative of a group of friends who are part of the Uruguayan rugby team. They're on a flight to Chile, however when going over the Andes the plane crashes. Some of the passengers though hurt, manage to survive, and some are actually unharmed. While they figure that rescue parties are going to be sent after them, they soon realize that due to their location and the surrounding snow, the chances for them to be detected are very limited. As the days and weeks progress, and as their rations wither, they are confronted with the difficult choice of eating some of the dead passengers who have been preserved in ice, if they want to survive. A few of the stronger survivors eventually decide to climb the mountains and seek out rescue, at the risk of their own demise.
"La Sociedad de la Nieve" is a riveting and compelling retelling of a well known narrative, this time around with a cast that feels closer to its original authentic survivors. J.A. Bayona successfully manages to depict the violence of the natural elements, and the despair the survivors are going through, as they watch their friends and loved ones pass away, and they themselves progressively wither close to nothing. It is a narrative that is very much anchored on this survival mode the characters have to adopt, all the while highlighting the closeness, the ties all these individuals shape in order to possibly survive such a dire situation. The characters themselves are brief sketches, but their interaction manage to illustrate the complicity and tenderness that exists between all these young men. It's a film that lives from the herculean challenge these individuals face, not just from nature itself, but also from the choices they have to make in order to survive. It's also a solid testimony to human nature's resilience and quest for survival, something J.A. Bayona perfectly captures, even as the situation becomes increasingly more dire and difficult (and the claustrophobic shots are perfectly captured).
The cast is uniformly solid, with highlights going to Enzo Vogrincic, Agustin Pardella and Matias Recalt. The production team is equally impressive, including Pedro Luque's cinematography, Alain Bainee's production design and Julio Suarez's costume design. An entertaining and well crafted feature, from an underrated and solid film maker.
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