Netflix's new number one movie is the sequel to a massive cult horror hit

A film we’ve been anticipating for five years has arrived on Netflix, and has also jumped straight to the number one spot.

The Platform 2 is the sequel to one of the most interesting horror movies on Netflix. And, proof of the enduring and massive cult appeal of that film, the new one has shot to the top of the chart in 63 countries according to Flixpatrol.

But how do you follow up the provocative original? The Platform was a high concept horror movie about a prison in which in the inmates are stack on top of each other. On the top floor, the prisoners get to feast on a banquet. Those below only receive the scraps from the floor above, as the platform sinks down through the levels.

The Platform 2 retains the concept, but focuses on a new inmate who tries to start a revolution against the system.

Like the first movie, this is a Spanish language film. And the same director is behind them too, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.

The Platform 2 reviews

The bad news: it hasn’t received anywhere near as positive a reception as 2019’s The Platform.

The Platform 2 currently sits at 50% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and an average score of 46% on Metacritic.

“This return is indeed a grave error,” says RogerEbert.com's 1.5/4 review. "Neither the tacky ending nor the very existence of this second installment is earned.”

The AV Club’s C- review had a similar take, questioning why this film should even exist. “It’s like being served a second dinner after you’re uncomfortably full; the flavors taste the same, but the experience is far less fulfilling,” it says.

The Guardian’s 2/5 review says the “novelty has gone” and suggests director Gaztelu-Urrutia doesn’t show enough thought or restraint, treating the concept like a “frantic all-you-can-eat buffet that may be snatched away at any moment.”

Slashfilm’s 6/10 review is a little more positive than most, though. It says The Platform 2 “doesn't expand on the first's themes of class and ill-begotten resource allocation, but it does, at the very least, tell the story in a slightly more personal way.”

Mashable was roundly positive too. “The Platform 2 is a powerful continuation of the bad dream that began with Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia's 2019 movie, building upon its brutalist universe while changing the rules just enough to send a new message,” its review reads.

It seems a promise even more specific than that of the Cube or Saw horror series makes for a tricky follow-up. And despite its early success on the charts, we doubt The Platform 2 will be able to match the viewership of the original.

The Platform is the fourth most-watched non-English-language film to date, attracting 82.8 million watches in its first 91 days on stream.

Whether or not you get on with The Platform 2, you should keep an eye out for Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s next movie. Rich Flu is another high concept movie, this time about a disease that only afflicts the rich, starting with billionnaires.

Rich Flu gets its premiere on the day we write this, October 7, at the Sitges film festival. And is due for a cinematic release, at least in Spain, in January 2025.

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