Review: 'Society of the Snow' tells the impossible human survival story with finesse & absolute effect

Society of the Snow (La sociedad de la nieve)

"What happens when the world deserts you?" One of the first lines in Society of the Snow (SOTS) has a character voiceover asking this question. It has you questioning humanity, having blind faith and being hopeful when chances aren't just bleak but borderline impossible. Netflix's upcoming film, Society of the Snow, is about a story where a rugby team, along with a few other passengers, were travelling from Uruguay to Chile and due to extremely unfavourable weather while flying over the mountain ranges of the Andes, their plane crashed. What follows is the survival story of an eventual count of 16 people who lived (barely) through insurmountable odds for almost seventy days right in the middle of nowhere. Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here's what I thought about it-

Humanity, Hope, Wonder & Nothingness

Society of the Snow is an incredibly deep and fabulously intricate portrait of the unthinkable. Throughout the token tropes of any survival story that you see, SOTS never deviates from the soul and the rustic nature of this story. To begin with, the crash, when it happens, might just be one of the most brilliantly shot crash sequences ever where the shots taken are so raw and authentic that you do find yourself being shocked and bamboozled, feeling that this is actually happening right in front of you. 

What's rather clever about the screenplay here is the shift in demeanor that this young group of lads have to adapt to involuntarily. Shown to be an athletic young rugby team, they are everything we have all been in our 20s - reckless, mischievous and, of course, attracted to every other girl. These scenes in the beginning firmly establish and prepare you further for the magnitude of the shift they need to adapt to after the crash.

The contrasting individuals and their approach to a crisis situation are also finely crafted. Another striking thing about it is no matter who is the youngest or oldest, the one basic need of survival mounts all the other disagreements. The humanity inside and the blind hope of help coming along keeps them going. Mesmerizing drone shots of the Andes are captured deliberately to reflect on how something so beautiful and serene becomes a case of nothingness and menace for humans when situations change.

The Soul, The Screenplay & Other Things

As known, the story is a real story and adapted from the book La Sociedad de la Nieve (translated to Society of the Snow) by Pablo Vierci. Director J. A. Bayona, Vierci himself and the entire crew seem to have put their heart and soul into making sure that neither the technical departments of the film falter nor the heart and soul of the story also doesn't lose meaning. 

The surroundings, the makeup and prosthetics, the locations, the mood - each and everything is so spot on that there isn't one moment of question that would lead you to come out of the heart-wrenching tale on display. A lot is because of the fact that the majority of the actors here are composed of Uruguayan and Argentine actors, most of whom are newcomers. There is a sense of authenticity and willingness to cross the limits seen here, which might be a factor with seasoned actors.

The screenplay has the monumental task of being engaging enough after a point of time when the shock value gets lesser. Once you've seen the survivors and their struggles, it might be tough for you to hang on as a viewer, but it never loses the plot entirely, just doing enough to keep you hooked. 

I would admit that the runtime of almost two hours and twenty minutes became a minor factor, especially in the third act and right before the rescue portions. 

But these guys held on without anything for seventy-odd days, you just need to hold on for an extra few minutes.

The Verdict

Society of the Snow dabbles between being extremely engaging and demanding your attention to having you flinch for a few scenes and feel choked and gut-wrenched - but the overall outcome is worth it. It might be one of the best films I have seen in recent times, and I cannot wait to re-watch portions of it when it drops on Netflix.

It is scheduled to be released theatrically on 15 December 2023 before streaming on Netflix on 4 January 2024.

Rating - **** (4/5)