#MovieReview: Survival spirit on show in Society of the Snow [Watch]

Society of the Snow treads mostly familiar survival movie ground but remains thoroughly gripping throughout.

Directed by Spaniard J.A Bayona, the film chronicles the story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972.

Older filmgoers might remember the Hollywood adaptation of the same story, Alive (1993), but Society of the Snow is a much closer recounting of the incident.

It largely includes unknown actors, or at least unknown to non-Spanish audiences, which also helps to create an almost documentary like feeling.

Alive is still a decent watch, but there’s no denying the higher level of craft and accuracy on show in Society of the Snow.

The filmmakers held extensive interviews with the remaining survivors and this is likely as accurate a portrayal of the events as possible.

And what an unbelievable series of events they were.

Survival stories are a perfect fit for thrilling on-screen dynamics, whether on an isolated mountaintop, out at sea or even in space.

When you get to spend so much time with a character as they figure out how to stay alive, every small victory feels major and little setbacks are heartbreaking.

There’s built in tension around every corner, even more so when multiple characters are forced to interact in trying circumstances.

If you’re Sandra Bullock in Gravity, say, every decision you make goes unopposed because you’re the only person involved.

But when a plane crashes with 45 people on board, every one of them is going to have differing ideas about the best way forward for the group.

That simmering tension goes a long way to keeping you invested throughout Society of the Snow and it is beautifully made, too.

Bayona takes you through a series of unforgiving but breathtaking vistas, many shot on site in the Andes, that give you a real sense of the scale of the task facing these survivors.

It is mostly an excellent watch, although it is definitely 30 minutes longer than it needed to be at almost two-and-a-half hours.

I would still thoroughly recommend it, but keep in mind that some of the scenes deal with quite difficult subject matter.

You can find it on Netflix and either watch it in Spanish with subtitles or dubbed into English.

Rated 18 for Violence, Disturbing Material and Brief Nudity.
4/5.

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