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Society of the Snow

Play trailer 2:28 Poster for Society of the Snow R Released Dec 22, 2023 2h 24m Drama Adventure Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 156 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which had been chartered to fly a rugby team to Chile, crashed in the heart of the Andes. Only 29 of its 45 passengers survived the accident. Trapped in one of the most hostile and inaccessible environments on the planet, they have to resort to extreme measures to stay alive.
Society of the Snow

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Society of the Snow brings masterful technical skill to bear on its tale of real-life tragedy, but none of that spectacle comes at the expense of its simple, powerful message.

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Audience Says

An outstanding recreation of a grueling true story, Society of the Snow isn't the first film to dramatize these events, but it might be the best.

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Critics Reviews

View All (156) Critics Reviews
Udita Jhunjhunwala Livemint J.A. Bayona's film captures the horrors of a plane crash in the Andes as well as the resilience of the human spirit. Jun 24, 2024 Full Review Rafer Guzman Newsday This is a hard movie to watch, but that's because it's an honest depiction of a harrowing ordeal. Rated: 3/4 Apr 8, 2024 Full Review Emma Fraser Little White Lies Bayona ensures this is now the definitive version of this air disaster. Rated: 4/5 Feb 16, 2024 Full Review Nelson Acosta Koimoi Bayona uses his many talents as a director to lead his team into a frightening and hopeful place in this survival tale of man against nature. Rated: 4/5 Jul 3, 2024 Full Review Barbara Goslawski Exclaim! Society of the Snow rises above a run-of-the-mill survival story. Rated: 7/10 Apr 4, 2024 Full Review Silvia Mariscal Film Inquiry Society of the Snow delivers a powerful narrative that transcends the screen, prompting audiences to contemplate the depths of human endurance and compassion in the face of adversity. Apr 2, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (436) audience reviews
Valerie This was beautifully shot and gave a poignant and non-sensationalized account of this true story. The acting was incredible and I appreciated how they acknowledged every person in the crash. I hope the survivors felt that this successfully represented their experience. Seeing the pictures of the real survivors at the end made me cry, plus the scene where the father is reading the names of the survivors and his son is one of them. *tears* Bravo to this excellent film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/07/24 Full Review danish Inspiring. Beautifully shot. Oscar winner. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/24/23 Full Review Audience Member An extremely bleak and harrowing atmosphere with brilliant storytelling. Most definitely worth the watch. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/23/24 Full Review castillo c I liked the movie because the passengers do not lose hope to returt home. each passenger clings to the reinforcements to not die Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/08/24 Full Review Darío C This film is a complete masterpiece. From beginning to end. Portraying a true story that gets you shivers down the spine, this fantastic work creates a captivating atmosphere. You cannot not watch this movie. Brings tears. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/19/24 Full Review Ben D Survival stories, especially those that actually happened, are far more terrifying than anything I watch during my annual “Horror Fest,” and Society of the Snow might be the most visceral and well-made. This is a recounting that is so horrific that details were removed, not added, to bolster the final story. An elite Rugby team from Uruguay charters a flight to Chile in October 1972. However, being the Southern Hemisphere, this is still in the thick of Winter and given a handful of miscommunications and poor decisions, the flight crashes into the Andes Mountains. The elements and lack of food and overall supplies create a godforsaken atmosphere for the survivors, who have to resort to the most stomach-churning resolutions merely to prolong their suffering in the hopes of a rescue that is likely never going to come. This is one of the stories that pushes the human will to live far beyond anything imaginable. It’s shocking that the runtime is 144 minutes and is 95% focused on the survivors and never becomes mundane. There aren’t multiple POVs from loved ones back in Uruguay or the reaction to the crash in other parts of the world. The plot is extremely focused, to the movie’s benefit. It’s graphic only when it needs to be — and here, where the injuries to both those who perished on impact or over 2 months later, were apparently significantly more disturbing than anything that is shown on screen. A pertinent aspect of the survivors is that they were vast majority young, athletic men from the same team. The test of their bond, roles to stay alive, and ultimate sacrifices, give the plot a different element than one of forging new bonds, as is typically the case, amongst a sundry group of crash victims. Numa’s (Enzo Vingrincic’s) note to his friends, while on the cusp of death, may be the greatest use of a Bible verse I have ever seen put on screen: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13. When you understand the literalness of this final message, your core freezes over. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, must-watch movie. I highly recommend pairing it with the Three-part podcast series from The Last Podcast on the Left. As I write this, The Society of the Snow is my top movie of 2023. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Society of the Snow

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis In 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which had been chartered to fly a rugby team to Chile, crashed in the heart of the Andes. Only 29 of its 45 passengers survived the accident. Trapped in one of the most hostile and inaccessible environments on the planet, they have to resort to extreme measures to stay alive.
Director
J. A. Bayona
Producer
Belén Atienza, Sandra Hermida
Screenwriter
J. A. Bayona, Nicolas Casariego, Jaime Marques Olarreaga, J. A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques Olarreaga, Nicolas Casariego
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
El Arriero Films, Apaches Entertainment, Cimarrón Cine, Benegas Brothers Productions, Telecinco Cinema
Rating
R (Violent/Disturbing Material|Brief Graphic Nudity)
Genre
Drama, Adventure, Biography
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 22, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 4, 2024
Runtime
2h 24m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos