Rating: R | Runtime: 144 minutes
Release Date: December 15th, 2023 (Spain/USA)
Studio: TriPictures / Netflix
Director(s): J.A. Bayona
Writer(s): J.A. Bayona & Bernat Vilaplana and Jaime Marques-Olarreaga & Nicolás Casariego / Pablo Vierci (book)

Out here, we are an anomaly.

Director J.A. Bayona is no stranger to survival films. The Impossible was a harrowing experience to watch on the big screen and his latest Society of the Snow isn’t far off. Before we get to the drama of what the remaining passengers from chartered Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 must endure to stay alive, however, we are also reminded that Bayona is mostly known as a horror filmmaker. It might only happen in a flash, but his rendering of the crash is loud, violent, and unforgettably intense. You’d be forgiven for closing your eyes.

Whether you’re familiar with the true story or can simply read between the lines and presume what inevitably becomes necessary for these men and women to survive months in the desolate snow of the Andes mountains without a food supply, know that Bayona does well to keep that aspect of the horror (mostly) off-screen. Knowing what must be done is enough to give those on-screen nightmares. It’s enough to shake the faith of those who try to hold out until the last possible moment. The real horror is when they become inured to what they’re doing.

Based on Pablo Vierci’s novel, the fact there were survivors at all is enough to make the film worthwhile. The ensemble cast is wonderful. The choice of a narrator (Enzo Vogrincic’s Numa Turcatti) is impeccable for supplying an empathetic heart and resonant perspective. And Bayona never hits the breaks after that initial crash with nights caught in the elements, avalanches, and would-be escapes following it. He also does a great job focusing on characters in ways that make you believe they might make it only to have them be the next ones coming to a tragic end.

It’s no surprise it’s on the Oscar shortlist. With fantastic production design, solid marks in all technical aspects, and a compelling narrative that fearlessly allows some nihilism to sneak in amongst the usual “miracle” talk, Society of the Snow delivers on genre expectations and cinematic scale. Is it one you’ll want to soon revisit? No. Harrowing experiences can entertain, but the emotional toll here is steep and the taboo subject matter hardly something audiences are clamoring for. That’s why surviving is only the first step for these Uruguayans. Just because they go home doesn’t mean part of them didn’t die out there in the snow.

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A scene from SOCIETY OF THE SNOW; courtesy of Netflix.