CNN –
More than 30 years have passed since Alive, the film based on the true story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972, forcing the survivors to resort to cannibalism. Now, under the direction of Spanish director JA Bayona, “Society of the Snow” tells that story in a Spanish-language production that darkly captures the harrowing ordeal without adding much new or special to the portrait.
While the much-told film makes an effort to present everything about what transpired as vividly as possible, the film ultimately feels like a slightly drawn-out version of its 1993 predecessor, which was released under the heading “Movies You'll Probably Watch.” “We will never see it in a cinema” says “Airplane.”
Chosen as a Spanish Oscar contender for international films, “Society of the Snow” lands (after an obligatory stop in the cinema) on Netflix, where viewers alternate between a wrenching story of loss and death and an uplifting demonstration of courage and the indomitable human being can experience mind in circumstances where hopelessness seemed a perfectly reasonable response.
Bayona (who shares the screenplay with three others and adapts a book by Pablo Vierci) doesn't give the characters full fleshing out, although she does spend extra time with them before the crucial moment when the plane crashes into the mountains, which is horrifying Details are implemented.
Faced with the cold, the lack of food and the imminent realization that rescue will not be possible any time soon, conversations turn to what they need to do to feed themselves and to the morality of those who have died to eat.
While the earlier film showcased some of its then-teenager stars – including Ethan Hawke and Josh Lucas – “Society of the Snow” plays like an ensemble piece with a cast that overcame their own challenges on location while making the film. including Enzo Vogrincic, Matías Recalt, Agustín Pardella, Esteban Kukuriczka, Tomas Wolf, Diego Vegezzi and Esteban Bigliardi. Bayona carefully inserts flashbacks that serve more as glimpses of memories running through their minds than as a means of deepening our understanding of each player.
Having made a name for herself in the US with films like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and another disaster epic, The Impossible, Bayona tackles the material with utmost efficiency, including the more lurid details, befitting the task at hand It's a picnic to watch.
Both in its cultural distinctiveness and passage of time, “Society of the Snow” delivers a credible take on a remarkable story – complemented by Michael Giacchino’s prolific score – but is somewhat marred by the limitations imposed by its manner how these events unfolded.
As serious as this new production is, whether that's enough to warrant watching it once, let alone listening to a rerun for those who've seen “Alive,” honestly feels like a pretty tall mountain to climb.
“Society of the Snow” premieres on Netflix on January 4th. It is rated R.