A story of cannibalism, survival, and hope – How Society of the Snow is winning top spot on Netflix

Society of the Snow – The horrendous tale of survival against the odds is one of the latest additions to Netflix. The film, based on Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name retells the horrors of a Uruguayan plane crash in a way that strikes a chord with the reality of extremes any human goes beyond for life. The Spanish film, spearheaded by The Orphanage director J. A Bayona is the official entry of the best international film for the Academy Awards. It’s been only a few days since the anticipated movie landed on Netflix and secured a robust spot 3 in the most watched shows/films on the platform.

The chilling adventures of airplane passengers amid the natural disaster and catastrophic crash of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes mountains are bound to stir up your humanity and emotions. In the 2 hours 25 min screen time, there is not even a minute where you doubt on the worth of the film. Be it the multi-layered approach or the intricate bird' s-eye shots – Society of the Snow soars high for its riveting tale of resilience, hope, and team spirit by the handful of survivors fighting the odds like extreme cold, avalanches, and even starvation.

Also Read: Society of the Snow on OTT- Five reasons why this survival thriller is a must-watch film for every human? 

Set in the snow-capped mountains with the budding actors of newcomers pulling off their best to treat viewers a taste of the harsh reality that struck the airplane passengers when they onboarded from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile. Out of the 32 crash survivors, only 16 managed to be rescued after a harrowing period of 72 days. One of the controversial scenes of the movie, citing real-life inspiration is feeding on the bodies of their dead mates to survive starvation and malnourishment. 

Also read: Society of the Snow OTT release- When and where to watch the humane portrayal of the 1972 Andes plane crash

The cannibalistic lens made viewers gasp with fear as they grapple with the rippling effects of a tragedy and the last means of survival. When food rations were out and the crash victims lost a major part of their optimism, they retorted to cannabilism and there were also debates if they had the permission to eat someone’s body or the moral dilemma citing the religious beliefs. Some of the rugby players then take a leap and grant permission to their co-passengers to feed on them when they are dead. This not only depicts humanity but also tries to ignite the hope that was dimmed after the rescue mission was dropped mid-way. Another key moment is the scene where black urine portrays the alarming need to drink water as dehydration and malnourishment both trigger human body needs and lead to the change in urine color. Similarly, there are plenty of scenes and survival lessons to take from the Spanish adaptation of the real-life tragic crash.

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Society of the Snow is streaming on Netflix.