March Movie Pick: 'Society of the Snow'

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This movie will haunt me till the end of time. With my biggest fear of dying in an airplane crash coming to life here in a way that will penetrate the strongest minds, this movie cements itself as one of the best movies Netflix has ever put out there. The movie goes further, exploring what if the crash is not the scariest and most brutal thing you will experience but only the beginning. We can't assume that just because we've faced one challenge, we're shielded from others. This story is even more disturbing because it is a recreation of a real-life event that took place in 1972. I will be careful not to spoil anything during this post in case you want to watch it and get familiar with the story as you should, piece by piece.

The other day I flew from Bulgaria and of course, we chose this movie to celebrate my landing the same night. I've never seen a plane crash like this one. Now, we have to go to Scotland and yesterday I discovered that we have to change two airplanes in one day. I exploded into a childish tantrum that lasted for hours, asking how did this happen. I was pretty sure that we are going to take a train to Amsterdam and then an airplane. You can see that I am still annoyed and worried, and after this movie, I don't know how to overcome it. Please do not watch this movie if you have the slightest fear of flying.

The instinct of survival and how it kicks in here is brutal to watch. The things those men went through were some of the worst nightmares you will ever imagine. The cold, the starvation, losing loved ones right in front of you in the most horrific way, I mean, this movie really shows what happens. I trust Netflix that at this point in time, they are not mixing fiction in this type of storytelling, because the story itself is raw enough not to be changed into something else. This story is about surviving against the worst odds. Going against unimaginable circumstances, fighting for your life until the end. This story is about the human spirit and the power that it has. And as long as you can move past the gruesome details, which I am not going to lie, is hard, you will acknowledge the power and determination of life.

I recall watching 'Yellowjackets,' but upon reflection, I feel they mishandled the portrayal, and it lacks the respect this brutal real-life tragedy deserves. It now appears more like a cash grab exploiting the suffering of those involved. During 'Society of the Snow', you are so consumed by the story that you don't think of these actors as actors. All of them did an amazing job, as well as the director J. A. Bayona. And bravo to Netflix for widening the doors for art in its original language. Movies like this one and shows like 'Squid Game' introduce us to some different cultures and stories in a new and fresh way, and for that, Netflix is still the boss of streaming.

Iliya Badev

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