Society of the Snow

"This is a fervent film, heartfelt and shot with passion and sweep."

"Bayona’s direction allows for a deeper comprehension of a tragedy that exists beyond our grasp."

"Elevated by bracingly muscular action sequences."

"A robust and riveting retelling of this extraordinary and unfathomable experience."

"Wrenching, deeply harrowing, but crucially dispenses with sappy takeaways about the triumph of the human spirit."

"The plane accident is frighteningly visceral... The long haul proves trickier from a dramatic standpoint."

"The power of the film resides in its moral even-handedness and technical virtuosity."

"A retelling that finds in the material more than just a simple tale of the perseverance of the human spirit."

"Even if we know how this ends, the inevitable catharsis is satisfying."

"The film starts to become truly fascinating in the third act, when the survivors re-acclimate into society."

"Realist cinema on a formidable level of execution."

"Bayona's approach allows... philosophical and moral questions space to breathe."

"Not since Martin Scorsese's Silence has a film so effectively asked us to consider whether faith is benevolence or a blight."

"Bayona presents this... story without any voyeurism, indeed with sensitivity and compassion."

"Bayona’s film is mournful and respectful of the dead... but also knows to give us the joy and catharsis of a prolonged rescue sequence."

"Greatly benefits from a sharp score and a script rooted in firsthand knowledge of the disaster."

"There is something more moving about seeing this performed by (Spanish-speaking actors) and more authentic to the characters."

"A sensitively directed survival drama."