It's the final month of 2023 (say what?!) and from the perspective of the best streaming services that means we're in for a bunch of treats. From feel-good movies to warm your heart this winter, to 'Christmas classic' Die Hard reaching its 35th anniversary, to this: next month Netflix will debut an original movie following its December 2023 limited theatrical release – and critics are already applauding this acclaimed survival drama.
Society of the Snow is based on the real events of the 1972 Uruguayan flight crash in the remote Andes, brought to screen by acclaimed Spanish director J.A. Bayona. The movie follows the 16 survivors' stories – those being the only eventual survivors out of the original 45 on the flight – in dramatic fashion, as you can see from the trailer below, and you can watch the movie in full on Netflix from 4 January 2024.
So while there's still just over one month (at the time of writing) until Society of the Snow is streaming on Netflix, the critics' reviews are already pushing the score high – the movie has netted 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (the score aggregator site), which is a significant achievement for any movie, and great to see for one that's in the Spanish language.
Recent years have shown us some stellar non-English-language shows and movies, whether subtitled or dubbed, from Squid Game (Korean) – the spinoff show from which, The Challenge, sat at Netflix's no.1 spot for some time last month – to the also-critically-acclaimed Lupin (French). Society in the Snow is in good company and, as the trailer reveals, looks like a gritty, harrowing, moving watch – although I'll have to wait a little longer to find out and be in the right mental state of mind to take it on.
I'm not suggesting it'll be an easy watch, though: this 1972 crash has been well documented for decades given the unusual outcome of there being any survivors. As many readers will know, those who lived the full 72 days through to eventual rescue only did so by eating the flesh of their deceased fellow passengers after limited food sources depleted. The collective mind for survival appears to be Society in the Snow's angle, though, despite its R-rating (the BBFC awarded it a 15 certificate in the UK) warning viewers of its content (violent/disturbing material and brief graphic nudity).
All in all, I think it's great to see various streaming services (especially Netflix) continuing to deliver variety: while Netflix's recent price rise was questioned by many, so long as important cinema such as Society of the Snow continues to reach our screens then I'll continue to pay – especially as the new year period is always so cold in the UK. That only goes to put the harrowing real-life events of those depicted in this movie into even more poignant perspective.
