Spanish director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s innovative dystopian thriller The Platform was conceptually intriguing enough to spur a series of discussions involving the philosophical and psychological implications of survival in a vertical prison that imitates the social hierarchy. As a cherry on top, the movie also featured a number of interesting characters as prisoners, all burdened with their sins, having their own personal motivation and ideology—which inevitably evolved over the course of their quest for survival. While the number of key characters has been reduced in the sequel, with a noticeable lack of that x factor in the leads, a different approach to the narrative offers characters a much more varied perspective this time around. Additionally, old cast members reappear in this installment as well in various capacities, much to the delight of fans of the first movie.
Zamiatin, Played By Hovik Keuchkerian Burgui
Former heavyweight boxing champion turned actor Hovik Keuchkarian plays the role of Zamiatin in The Platform 2, whose tragic past acts as the emotional crux of the movie. Viewers who have seen the Assassin’s Creed movie with Michael Fassbender in the lead role might recognize Hovik, as in the movie he played the role of nefarious Templar, Ojeda. From his appearance, Zamiatin’s nature can be mistaken to be that of a hulking brute, and he tries to pretend so as well. However, in reality, Zamiatin is too scared to even take up arms to defend himself if need be. Zamiatin’s vice is his lack of discipline, which led him to become alienated from his family, and as seen in the movie, he struggles to abide by the law of the loyalists as well. Zamiatin seeks to make amends with his family, despite the fact that they sent him to that hellish Pit for rehabilitation, and is afflicted by guilt and remorse. Zamiatin’s fragile mental state brought about his tragic end, as his self-loathing got the better of him and Zamiatin ended up taking his own life. Taking into consideration how people turn out after going through the harrowing experience in the Pit, Zamiatin never put others in danger for his own sake and ultimately was a rather pitiable figure who simply wasn’t cut out for a life like this. Zamiatin’s death continues to haunt his cellmate turned friend, Perempuan, and acts as moral guidance even after his demise.Â
Perempuan, played by Milena Smit
Milena Smit portrays the role of Zamiatin’s cellmate Perempuan, an artist with a troubling past, and like Goreng in the first iteration, Perempuan is our guide in The Platform 2, as through her experience we get to learn about the existing system in the Pit. Perempuan is rather reserved and observant; even though she later warms up to Zamiatin and sympathizes with his plight, she doesn’t reveal anything about her past to him—or anyone for that matter. Perempuan is a renowned artist but seemed to have lacked humane sensibilities as her wilful negligence resulted in the death of a kid, and she did everything in her power to avoid accountability. It is only through her experience inside the Pit that she learns to accept her flaws and, at the end, saves one of the kids sent into the Pit, thereby redeeming herself to some extent.
Unnamed Level 51 Prisoner, Played by Natalia Tena
Natalia Tena is a familiar face, having played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter movie series and Osha in Game of Thrones previously. Her unnamed character becomes a cellmate of Perempuan during the third month of her stay in the Pit, and it is her counsel that allows Perempuan to be aware of the truth of the loyalists. Even though Natalia’s character meets a harrowing, tragic end at the hands of the loyalists, her guidance helps Perempuan attempt an escape from the Pit, with her eventually redeeming herself by saving the kid.
Dagin Babi, Played by Óscar Jaenada
The fanaticism of organized faith turns out to be an even more severe threat than the other obstacles in the quest for survival, and Dagin Babi, the fierce, sadistic loyalist leader played by Óscar Jaenada, showcases exactly why. Óscar Jaenada boasts a prolonged acting career encompassing two and a half decades of silver screen and small screen roles, and nerdy fans might remember him from the Vertigo comic-book movie The Losers, where he played the role of Carlos ‘Cougar’ Alvarez. Despite having relatively little screentime, Óscar’s portrayal of Dagin Babi left quite an impact.
Trimagasi, Played by Zorion Eguileor
Among the returning cast, Zorion Eguileor’s cunning, opportunistic, sadistic Trimagasi is quite easily the fan favorite. The Platform 2 acts as a prequel to its predecessor, and Trimagasi is a newcomer inmate in this venture who shares Level 72 with Perempuan during her final month in Pit. It is revealed that Perempuan helped Trimagasi learn the ropes as a prisoner in the Pit, and he carried her lessons later on, as shown during his interactions with Goreng in The Platform.
Goreng, played by Ivan Massagué
Lastly, Goreng, the protagonist from The Platform, played by actor Ivan Massagué, makes a cameo appearance in the sequel as well. The mid-credits scene of The Platform 2 directly connects with its predecessor, as it is revealed that Goreng and Perempuan know each other, although it remains unclear whether any of them are alive or if the basement of the Pit, where they meet, is a metaphorical afterlife.