'The Platform 2's confusing ending explained, and yes there is a connection to part one
Contains spoilers for 'The Platform 2'
MADRID, SPAIN: 'The Platform 2', released on Netflix on Friday, October 4, retains the setting of the original film as it dives back into the same horrifying vertical prison that thrilled us in the COVID-19 phase. The sequel makes a notable addition- the prisoners now have a new system where they can only eat the food that they requested before entering the prison. If they take anything else from the platform, they have to face deadly consequences.
The law and order in the latest film seem fair at first until Perempuán (Milena Smit), the protagonist, discovers the facade behind it. She learns about Dagin Babi (Óscar Jaenada), who misuses his authority to punish her without cause. This prompts Perempuán to fight back as she doesn't want to be just another pawn in this heavily flawed system.
Does Perempuán escape from the prison in 'The Platform 2'?
Perempuán knows a way to escape, thanks to her previous cellmate, who told her about a gas that puts all the prisoners to sleep when the prison is reset. The plan is to play dead and head down the levels with the corpses.
Perempuán gets a chance to execute this plan after Babi and his followers are killed. She consumes a material that makes her appear unconscious. But as she heads to the lowest level, she finds a child trapped and decides to save him. Her decision to save him serves as a major turning point for her character. She sees it as a chance at redemption and the scene also highlights how she risks everything for another human being, especially in a place where selfishness is a necessary trait for survival.
Towards the end of the movie, we see her beaten up and being descended into the darkness with the child. It appears that she is dead but the child lives, as one of the movie’s characters says, he has a future ahead of him. In the end, the film isn't about Perempuán survival but her attempt to ensure someone else’s survival in a way that she couldn’t do for her own.
'The Platform 2' brings a familiar face from the original film
A big twist awaits in the second half of the film. Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor), who appears in the original movie as Goreng’s cellmate, reappears in the sequel. In the original movie, he told Goreng that he started on level 72. And guess what? In the sequel, we see him and Perempuán on Level 72 when she wakes up after her previous cellmate is killed by Babi.
So does this mean, that the events of 'The Platform 2' happened before the events of the first film? Our doubts are fuelled by the end credits where we see a scene from the first movie- Goreng and Trimagasi's conversation. The film ends with Goreng turning as he hears Perempuán's voice. Their meeting hints that they share a past, oustide of prison.
'The Platform 2' is now streaming on Netflix