Society of the Snow

In 1972, a Uruguayan flight carrying a rugby team crashed in the remote heart of the Andes, forcing survivors to become each other’s best hope and do everything they must to survive a living hell, even if it meant doing the unthinkable.

The terrors that surround the events of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 are well known and documented, with numerous television documentaries, plays, books and even music recalling the fateful incident. Society of the Snow is an adaptation of Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name, which documents accounts of all 16 survivors of the crash, many of whom Vierci knew from childhood. Frank Marshall’s film 1993 movie Alive brought the devastating story into living rooms, but not even that re-creation can compare to the visceral experience that director JA Bayona has created.

On the face of it, a clear distinction between Society of the Snow and Alive is that Bayona has made certain his movie is Spanish-language. The director clearly had a desire to make it as authentic and faithful as he possibly could, and also made time to consult source material to create an entertaining spectacle, whilst also maintaining the highest level of respect for those involved. The cast connected with their real-life counterparts and surviving relatives during rehearsals and the movie was shot over almost half a year chronologically so the actors could lose weight and grow their hair in real time. In short, the commitment to the project was second to none and it paid off.

Of all the stories and documentaries about the incident, nothing can truly prepare you to witness it first-hand in this cinematic presentation. Cinematographer Pedro Luque creates one of the most horrifying plane crashes you will ever witness in cinema, giving the viewer a taste of what is in store over the subsequent two hours. Brace for impact. You feel every biting cold breeze, the setting of each sun as another dreaded night arrives without sign of rescue and the last breath of life as another passenger slips away. The cannibalism, for which this historic tragedy is renowned, by the end of the movie becomes second nature, coming in the form of limited gore out of respect.

Society of the Snow is an inspirational story of resilience, companionship, ethics and sheer survival that rips your nerves to shreds. The story alone is enough to put you on edge for the duration of the film, and although it may be slightly overlong, Bayona has struck the right chord in showing this traumatic ordeal in a form you can fully appreciate. Each character fights multiple battles, showing that when it is a matter of life and death, the emotional toll can often be heavier than the physical strain of the freezing Andes mountains.

Guy Lambert

Society of the Snow is released on Netflix on 22^nd December 2023.

Read more reviews from our Venice Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Venice Film Festival website here.