Netflix's Newest Horror Movie Is Freaking Everyone Out

Oh, Netflix... don't ever change.

Social media is flipping out over the Spanish sci-fi/horror flick The Platform, which secured its stateside release through the venerable streamer. The flick is being called a perfect parable for our troubled times, not to mention a taut, unblinking, merciless thriller.

As of late, Netflix has been regularly shouldering its way into the national spotlight with the kind of original content that seems specifically calibrated to grab the eyeballs of millions of people all at once. First, on February 13, there was Love is Blind, an apologetically melodramatic and ridiculous "reality" series focused on a batch of couples who date, court, and make the decision as to whether or not to get married without ever actually, you know, seeing each other. Then, on March 20, there was Tiger King, an original docuseries focused on private zoo owner Joe Exotic and a cast of insane caricatures who are, improbably, real live people.

Now, there's The Platform, which as of this writing has earned an 82% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and which has people in disbelief over how ridiculously timely it is — not to mention well-crafted, well-acted, and relentlessly disturbing. American audiences aren't likely to recognize much of the cast, but that will only lend even more gritty authenticity to the proceedings.

So... what is The Platform all about, anyway?

The movie centers on Goreng (Iván Massagué), a resident of the Pit, which is a prison constructed like a tower of indeterminate height (or depth; it's hard to say). Each level has massive holes in its floor and ceiling, through which the titular platform descends every day. On this platform is enough food for all of the Pit's prisoners — but the inmates near the top are free to take as much food as they want, often not leaving enough (or any at all) for those on the lower levels.

Throughout the film, Goreng finds himself assigned to different levels of the Pit, sharing space with roommates like the duplicitous Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) and Imoguiri (Antonia San Juan), the official who sent him to the Pit in the first place. Also figuring heavily into the movie's increasingly alarming narrative: the mysterious figure of Miharu (Alexandra Masangkay), a woman who rides the platform, searching the Pit's various levels for her child.

Of course, Goreng is eventually confronted with violence, cannabalism, and other unspeakable (and, frankly, unprintable) situations — all while trying to figure out just how far down the levels go, and attempting to get the prisoners to cooperate rather than working against each other. The film sports a bizarre final reveal that will leave you scratching your head — and wondering just what kind of message we should be sending to those on the top levels of our own (metaphorical) Pit.

It's easy to view The Platform as an allegory for class warfare, an issue which has gained more and more political prominence over the course of the last decade or so. On its surface, it can also be seen as a simple, stark message to those lamenting the rampant income inequality and seeming lack of empathy in today's world: it's not as bad as you think it is.

This seemed to be the takeaway for several Twitterers, including @HansGr00ber, who wrote, "If you want to watch a grim film about being confined in a nightmare prison without food I suggest watching The Platform on Netflix. It's pretty good," with tongue planted firmly in cheek. User @katevaldez was a little more succinct: "Crazy s**t," she wrote. "Food will never be the same again."

User @kathdeclaw posted a strong recommendation, along with an equally strong warning. "Just finished watching [The Platform on] Netflix and I'm wrecked and.. I need to lie down. You know it's a good one when it's that impactful. It was extreme and hard to watch but has a relevant message apt in these desperate times. 12/10 highly recommended."

User @steph_bonchi echoed the sentiment. "I can't believe The Platform was only 1hr 35 minutes," she wrote. "It felt like 2 – 3 hours simply because of how heavy, gruesome, irky and painful it is to watch. It was torture and I couldn't blink for fear that I would miss a second."

The Platform is strong stuff, indeed — but for fans of jolting horror looking for an escape into a world even more crazy-ass than our own, it should be a welcome salve. A gory, nerve-wrenching, really messed-up salve.