The Platform 2’s storyline is unique in more ways than one, but viewers looking for something similar still have a wide range of thrillers to choose from. Serving as a prequel to Netflix’s The Platform, The Platform 2 unfolds in a vertical prison system like its predecessor. The primary driving force behind the movie’s narrative is a floating platform that lowers down from one level of the prison to another, carrying food for the inmates. However, when some prisoners from the upper levels act selfishly and eat way more than they deserve, an intense power struggle ensues in the system.
In many ways, The Platform 2 serves as a solid allegory for both trickle-down economics and the downsides of communism. At the same time, with its character beats, the movie also dabbles with other relatable themes surrounding grief, identity, morality, and acceptance of one’s past. While both The Platform movies have etched their own identities in the thriller genre, many similar movies adopt similar narrative structures and story elements that explore humanity’s dark tendencies and present metaphors for societal systems.
10 Coherence (2013)
Directed by James Ward Byrkit
Unlike The Platform 2, Coherence does not present metaphors for class divides and capitalism. However, like the Netflix horror movie, it unfolds as a high-concept sci-fi flick set in an isolated and confined setting. Similar to the characters in The Platform 2, the ones in Coherence reveal their true selves when a significant change in their surroundings forces them to make increasingly desperate decisions.
A follow-up movie to
Coherence
is under development.
While playing around with abstract sci-fi ideas, both movies explore the darker aspects of human nature, highlighting how existential threats can either bring out the worst or the best in humanity. The two films highlight how one’s reality is a mere reflection of one’s perception. While The Platform captures this by showing how different prisoners have varying philosophies on scarcity and privilege, Coherence shows the same by portraying every decision taken by a character forks a significantly distinct alternate reality.
Coherence is a 2013 American sci-fi thriller film written and directed by James Ward Byrkit. The film follows a group of friends whose dinner party is disrupted by a series of strange events that challenge their perceptions of reality. As the night unfolds, the group begins to experience a series of bizarre occurrences that question the nature of their identities and relationships.
Director James Ward Byrkit
Release Date August 6, 2013
Studio(s) Bellanova Films , Ugly Duckling Films
Writers James Ward Byrkit , Alex Manugian
Cast Emily Baldoni , Maury Sterling , Nicholas Brendon , Lorene Scafaria , Elizabeth Gracen
Runtime 89 Minutes
Budget 50000.0
Main Genre Sci-Fi
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9 The Raid (2011)
Directed by Gareth Evans
Although the social commentary in Gareth Evans’ The Raid is not as deep as The Platform 2’s, the movie presents a similar vertical setting. Like The Platform 2’s characters, the ones in The Raid have to navigate through different levels of a high-rise building, facing increasingly dangerous enemies at each level. Similar to The Platform movies, this vertical setting allows The Raid to gradually increase the tension of its action and drama while keeping viewers guessing what will happen next. Both movies also take a no-holds-barred approach towards portraying brutal action sequences.
In the slums of Jakarta, Indonesia, a squad of elite law enforcement officers are tasked with infiltrating a high-rise apartment building, to bring in the dangerous drug lord that runs the place.
Director Gareth Evans
Release Date March 23, 2012
Writers Gareth Evans
Cast Iko Uwais , Joe Taslim , Yayan Ruhian , Pierre Gruno , Ray Sahetapy
Runtime 101 minutes
Budget $1.1 million
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8 V For Vendetta (2005)
Directed by James McTeigue
Both V for Vendetta and The Platform 2 unfold in harrowing dystopian settings with flawed social structures. While the characters in V for Vendetta face the rule of a totalitarian regime, the ones in The Platform 2 struggle to survive in a brutal prison system ridden with inequality. In both, some characters take it upon themselves to fight against the overarching oppressive systems.
Although both V and Dagin Babi mean well, their methods are extreme, violent, and morally questionable, raising discussions surrounding the ethical consequences of seeking radical justice.
The titular character V in V for Vendetta sets out on a quest to dismantle the corrupt government and even prompts others to join his rebellion. Similarly, Dagin Babi in The Platform 2 creates a group of “Loyalists” who promote solidarity in the prison system. Although both V and Dagin Babi mean well, their methods are extreme, violent, and morally questionable, raising discussions surrounding the ethical consequences of seeking radical justice.
Based on the comic series by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta is directed by James McTeigue with a screenplay by the Wachowskis. The film stars Natalie Portman as Evey Hammond, a young woman living in a dystopian future who becomes involved with the vigilante V, an anarchist working against the Fascist government and attempting to rally support from the general population. Hugo Weaving portrays V, with a further cast that includes Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, and John Hurt.
Director James McTeigue
Release Date March 17, 2006
Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures
Writers Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski
Runtime 132 minutes
Budget $54 million
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7 Parasite (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon-Ho
Although Parasite and The Platform 2 belong to distinct genres, they share many thematic parallels. For instance, both movies highlight how social inequalities and class struggles prompt the lower class to resort to extreme measures for survival. In both films, characters struggle to grapple with the idea that their worth is dictated by their wealth or the amount of food they have access to. The Bong Joon-ho movie should be on every viewer’s watchlist who enjoyed The Platform 2 because it does an even better job at capturing these themes and is subtle with its satire.
Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite follows the impoverished Kim family, who live in a small apartment and consistently struggle to make ends meet. After they chance across the gullible and wealthy Park family, the Kims ingratiate themselves through lies and deceit, earning themselves jobs taking care of the household. However, their newfound luck is built on an ever-growing foundation of mistruths – one that threatens to fall down around them at any moment.
Director Bong Joon Ho
Release Date November 8, 2019
Studio(s) Barunson E&A
Distributor(s) CJ Entertainment
Writers Jin Won Han , Bong Joon Ho
Cast Yeo-Jeong Jo , Myeong-hoon Park , Jeong-eun Lee , Sun-kyun Lee , Ji-so Jung , So-dam Park , Keun-rok Park , Kang-ho Song , Ji-hye Lee , Woo-sik Choi , Seo-joon Park , Hye-jin Jang
Runtime 132 minutes
Budget $15 million
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6 Elysium (2013)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Both Elysium and The Platform 2 give viewers a glimpse of two distinct worlds. While one world lives in complete abundance, caring little about survival, the other is characterized by extreme scarcity and desperation. The class divide between the two worlds in both movies is challenged when characters take it upon themselves to rise in the ranks and destroy unfair socioeconomic structures.
Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Elysium
64%
58%
The Platform 2
35%
26%
With Matt Damon as its lead, Elysium is not as brutal as The Platform. However, it still manages to capture the harsh realities of a divided society and the lengths its people are willing to go to for survival. Elysium is more straightforward and far less abstract compared to The Platform, but its social commentary is still powerful and emotionally resonant.
Neil Blomkamp’s first film since District 9, Elysium, is a post-apocalyptic action film set in the year 2154, where the people of Earth live in desolation. Those fortunate enough to be wealthy live on Elysium, an orbiting space station that contains state-of-the-art medical facilities and all the comforts a human could want. Secretary Rhodes aims to protect this utopia from Earthly outsiders using strict anti-immigration policies. When protagonist Max sees his life take a turn for the worse, he has no choice but to embark on a mission to save his life that may bring equality to these polarized worlds.
Director Neill Blomkamp
Release Date August 9, 2013
Writers Neill Blomkamp
Runtime 109 minutes
Budget $115 million
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5 The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Directed by James DeMonaco
Both The Purge: Anarchy and The Platform 2 are follow-up films that criticize oversimplified societal structures. While The Purge: Anarchy portrays the chilling moral implications of a lawless night in the United States, The Platform 2 shows what happens when the distribution of resources is not carefully organized among citizens. As they progress, the two films create a sense of dread and tension by highlighting the lengths people will go to survive under extreme circumstances. They also feature righteous protagonists who hold on to their moral compasses despite their dire circumstances.
As the sixth annual Purge commences, Leo Barnes plans to avenge the death of his son. However, he instead finds himself helping to protect four strangers: married couple Shane and Liz; single mother Eva; and Eva’s teenage daughter Cali.
Director James DeMonaco
Release Date July 18, 2014
Studio(s) Universal Pictures
Distributor(s) Universal Pictures
Writers James DeMonaco
Cast Frank Grillo , Carmen Ejogo , Zach Gilford , Kiele Sanchez , John Beasley , Jack Conley , Michael K. Williams
Runtime 104 minutes
Budget $9-11 million
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4 Cube (1997)
Directed by Vincenzo Natali
Cube not only unfolds in a confined setting like The Platform but also adopts similarly abstract ideas and leaves a lot to a viewer’s interpretation. As its title suggests, it is set inside a massive cube-like structure, and its characters must navigate its traps and inner workings to find their way out. Unlike the pit in The Platform, the structure in Cube is not a self-imposed prison for the characters. However, it forces them to question everything they know about their identities, social hierarchies, and perceptions of the meanings of their lives.
Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Cube is a 1997 Science Fiction and Horror film starring Nicky Guadagni, Nicole de Boer, David Hewlett, and Andrew Miller. The plot sees a group of people mysteriously waking up in a cube-shaped room, only to realize they are trapped in a labyrinth of cubes, some of which feature deadly traps.
Director Vincenzo Natali
Release Date September 11, 1998
Writers Vincenzo Natali , Graeme Manson , André Bijelic
Cast Nicole de Boer , David Hewlett , Andrew Miller , Julian Richings , Maurice Dean Wint
Runtime 90 minutes
Budget $350 thousand
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3 Snowpiercer (2013)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette, Snowpiercer sets its story inside a moving train that carries the last remnants of humanity. The privileged in the front sections of the train live like the ones in the upper levels of the pit in The Platform 2. Meanwhile, the ones in the last few carts on the trains are as desperate and impoverished as the inhabitants of the lower levels in The Platform 2.
In both narratives, stark social divides dictate the quality of life between individuals, encouraging the less privileged to start rebellions. The Platform 2’s ending moments are far more abstract than Snowpierecer’s. However, both films feature ambiguous closing arcs that prompt viewers to think about them long after their credits stop rolling.
Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The narrative takes place aboard a perpetually moving train carrying the last remnants of humanity after a failed climate-change experiment freezes the planet. Chris Evans stars as Curtis, who leads a group of lower-class passengers in a rebellion against the oppressive elite at the front of the train. The film explores themes of class struggle and survival.
Release Date July 11, 2014
Writers Bong Joon Ho , Jacques Lob , Benjamin Legrand , Jean-Marc Rochette
Runtime 126 Minutes
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2 Battle Royale (2000)
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Despite having an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, the Japanese movie Battle Royale remains underappreciated. Based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushun Takami, the movie follows a group of junior high school students who must fight to death in a game orchestrated by a Japanese totalitarian government. While its core concept may seem a little too familiar, Battle Royale, like The Platform 2, grips viewers with its raw and visceral portrayal of humans being treated as lab rats by powerful forces and humanity’s desperation in the face of survival scenarios.
The dystopian action movie Battle Royale takes place in a future Japan, where a group of high school students fight to the death in a deserted island until only one survivor remains. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, the 2000 film gave rise to a whole genre of similar stories such as the Hunger Games books and movies, as well as the video game Fortnite.
Director Kinji Fukasaku
Release Date December 16, 2000
Writers Koushun Takami , Kenta Fukasaku
Cast Tatsuya Fujiwara , Aki Maeda , Tarô Yamamoto , Takeshi Kitano , Chiaki Kuriyama , Sosuke Takaoka
Runtime 114 Minutes
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1 Circle (2015)
Directed by Aaron Hann & Mario Miscione
Unlike the characters in The Platform 2, who willingly volunteer to enter the pit, the ones in Circle suddenly find themselves in a macabre game that forces them to determine who among them deserves to live. As seen in The Platform 2 as well, the desperation to survive compels the characters in Circle to plot against one another, even if it means they have to cross many moral boundaries. Through this survival game setup, Circle dives deep into the human psyche and examines how one’s primal instinct to survive can lead one to betray all values and morals.
Since the titular setting automatically kills individuals in Circle, it is not as violent and stomach-churning as The Platform 2. However, it never leaves a dull moment with its twists and intriguing examinations of human nature. Like The Platform 2, it also ends on an ambiguous note, intentionally leaving audiences with more questions than answers.
Circle is a psychological thriller film directed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione. Set in a mysterious chamber, the story revolves around a group of 50 strangers who must decide who among them deserves to survive while facing harsh ethical dilemmas. As tensions rise and alliances form, each individual must confront their morality in a high-stakes game of life and death.
Director Aaron Hann , Mario Miscione
Release Date October 16, 2015
Writers Aaron Hann , Mario Miscione
Cast Michael Nardelli , Carter Jenkins , Lawrence Kao , Allegra Masters , Julie Benz
Runtime 87 Minutes
Main Genre Mystery
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