Society of the Snow is an incredible yet harrowing survival drama exemplifying true grit and trauma

My Score : 90/100

Based on true events and a book by the same name, Society Of The Snow follows the story of a Uruguayan Rugby team whose plane crashes in the Andes Mountains while being on their way to Chile. Society of the Snow is haunting survival drama which accounts for the 70 days of the survivors in the sea of snow between the borders of Argentina and Chile. With a spine chilling screenplay and tragic events that follow, the film never feels 150mins long. I was just a hopeless spectator of the trauma the survivors went through. As gut wrenching and painful it may seem, the film efficiently exemplifies true grit and determination for survival which kept the Uruguyans going.

The cinematography is incredibly good capturing some beautiful frames of the landscape while balancing it with tight close-ups that will evoke a sense of claustrophobia in you too. The editing is crisp and sharp wherein the length of the drama never bothered me. Director J.A. Bayona has excelled in focusing on the event rather than deep diving into character studies. His direction is top notch. Its a crime not to highlight the excellent sound design which shifts gears with tragic turn of events. Ensemble performances are fantastic and make it more realistic. The conversations are emotional and dialogues are equally well written which leaves a lasting impression.

Overall, With a runtime of 145mins Society of the Snow shines as one of the most eventful screenplays of the genre that makes you gasp for your breath at various junctures of the narrative. It is intense, harsh and quite overwhelming thus making for an intriguing and incredible watch. Survival dramas at its finest. Spain’s Official Entry to the Academy Awards this year and I cant agree more.

Instagram & X : @streamgenx

Pass me another piece of Society of the Snow. One shot of them walking the ridge made me nauseous. Mind-bending natural prison takes a while to come to light. Nice and personal, close shots keep the focus on the characters otherwise. Great crash scene. Ooohhhh my ankles.

Pretty realistic movie of the events of the tragedy of the uruguayan flight with the that crashed in the Andes in 72, showing the strive for survival and realistic events that occurred (including the cannibalism as last resort for survival when the searches were stopped).

The film closed the 80th Venice International Film Festival, and was selected as the Spanish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.

The flight was carrying 45 passengers and crew, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team, along with their families, supporters and friends. Out of the initial crash, 33 people survived but with natural exposure, starvation, infection and other causes the final number was 16. This because, two survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, climbed the 4,650-metre (15,260 ft) mountain peak on the western rim of the glacier cirque without any mountaineering gear whatsoever and hiked for 10 days into Chile to seek help, traveling 61 km (38 miles) to find a rescue team by helicopters.

On 23 December 1972, two months after the crash, all 16 remaining survivors were rescued. The news of their miraculous survival drew worldwide headlines and evolved into a media circus about the fact of cannibalism.

The director J. A. Bayona (The Orphanage, The Impossible, A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), discovered the book of one of the survivors while researching material for the Impossible and bought the rights for the book when he finished filming that movie, while taking more than 100h of interviews with the survivors, and was shoot in location around the crash site and into the actual crash site coasting mor than 60 million Euros.

The cinematography by Pedro Luque (Antbellum, Don't Breathe , Blue Beetle, The Girl into the Spider Web) is pretty gritty and realistic, and prosthetics by David Martí and Montse Ribé, Academy Award–winning special effects makeup artists of Pan's Labyrinth were used.

In general the best of the movie depicting the events, in a more than realistic way than Alive.

Score: 8.1 out of 10.0 / A-

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/society-of-the-snow-review-a-harrowing-tale/

"Society of the Snow unquestionably solidifies J. A. Bayona's status as an absurdly underrated filmmaker.

One of the most unbelievable, harrowing survival stories ever recreated, brought to life by a truly remarkable ensemble cast, breathtaking cinematography that captures the awe-inspiring yet treacherous landscapes, a deeply stirring score that tugs at the heartstrings, and a plane crash sequence like you've never seen before.

The convergence of these elements transforms an admittedly predictable survival piece into a visceral, emotionally resonant experience, urging audiences to reflect on the thoughtfully handled themes of human resilience, beliefs, and perseverance.

A must-watch, especially on the big screen if possible."

Rating: A-