The Platform 2020

As an elderly gourmet strolls through the vast kitchen, his discerning palate approving each delectable dish with a keen eye, a stark contrast unfolds in the depths of the Pit. Goreng (Ivan Massagué), a prisoner awakening to a new reality, is schooled by his cell-mate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) on the harsh realities of their existence. With only two inmates per level, the prisoners are periodically knocked out and relocated to another tier every month, a seemingly endless cycle. The old chef’s approving gaze gives way to a gritty reality as Goreng learns that sustenance is the key to survival in this unforgiving environment.

As the alarm sounds, a table laden with partially consumed food plummets into their cell through a gaping hole, its descent a testament to the gruesome routine of the prison. Trimagasi devours the offering with reckless abandon, while Goreng watches in disgust as the table’s remnants are methodically consumed. The weight of their situation settles upon him as he realizes that the food has been systematically distributed throughout the first 47 levels above them before finally reaching his cell.

Goreng’s revulsion is palpable as Trimagasi spits on the table, claiming its contents as their own, and drinks the remaining wine despite Goreng’s protests. As the table disappears into the depths below, the cell begins to swelter in an unbearable heat, a punishment exacted by the guards for Goreng’s transgression – his refusal to relinquish a solitary apple, now hidden away for later sustenance.

As the temperature reaches its peak, Trimagasi explains that the food belongs solely to them as long as it remains on their floor. The heat only subsides once Goreng sacrifices the apple, casting it down the hole into the abyss below. This act of surrender serves as a precursor to Goreng’s eventual revelation about his own motivations for volunteering for life in the Pit – a six-month sentence in exchange for an accredited diploma.

In a poignant turn, Trimagasi shares his own story, one marked by a momentary lapse in sanity that led him to fling his television out the window. The consequences were dire: the TV’s trajectory proved fatal for someone standing outside his apartment, prompting the old man to opt for the relative comforts of the Pit over a stay in a psychiatric hospital. As Goreng listens intently, he begins to grasp the true nature of their existence and the desperate measures they must take to survive in this unforgiving environment.

As the conversation between Trimagasi and Goreng continues, they reveal the harsh realities of their existence. The former shares that his lowest level was a staggering 132, where even the most basic necessities were scarce. Despite the bleak conditions, he managed to find ways to sustain himself, but Goreng’s pleas to conserve food fell on deaf ears. Trimagasi’s response was to urinate on those below him, taunting them with the possibility that they would soon be in his shoes. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Goreng opens up about the book he brought with him to prison - Don Quixote - while Trimagasi revealed his own coping mechanism: a knife.

As their discussion turns to the macabre ritual of cannibalism, Goreng’s initial disgust gradually gives way to desperation. His hunger eventually gets the better of him, and he joins Trimagasi at the table. However, their morbid feast is interrupted by the sudden arrival of a lifeless body plummeting down through the hole above. Trimagasi matter-of-factly explains that many prisoners above them succumb to despair when their basic needs are met, leading to a sense of hopelessness and desperation. Goreng’s indignation at Trimagasi’s callous attitude is palpable as he accuses his cellmate of killing and consuming his previous cellmate.

Trimagasi denies these allegations, revealing that his former cellmate served out his sentence and was released. He explains that their existence on the lower levels relied on scavenging the corpses that fell from above, a grim reality that Goreng struggles to accept. The arrival of Miharu (Alexandra Masangkay) brings a glimmer of humanity into this desolate world. A mother desperate to find her young child, who she believes is being held captive somewhere within the prison walls, Miharu’s monthly descents down the table in search of her offspring are marked by tragedy and loss.

As the platform continues its slow descent, Goreng finds himself increasingly disillusioned with his surroundings. His sense of morality begins to erode, and he starts to mirror Trimagasi’s cynicism. In a poignant moment of introspection, Trimagasi confides in Goreng that he has grown accustomed to his cellmate’s company, acknowledging that Goreng may not possess the same resilience needed to survive their ordeal. With only two months remaining on his sentence, Trimagasi’s words are tinged with a sense of resignation and acceptance.

As Goreng’s consciousness returns, he finds himself restrained by Trimagasi, who stands looming over him with his knife, their precarious situation now elevated to level 171. The atmosphere is chaotic, with frantic screams echoing through the Pit as desperate individuals succumb to despair, opting for a hasty descent into the abyss rather than face the unforgiving reality of their circumstances. Trimagasi’s cold logic intervenes, revealing that he had restrained Goreng to prevent his own starvation-induced demise, as Goreng’s youthful vigor and physical prowess would have inevitably driven him to consume Trimagasi’s flesh.

Tragically, Trimagasi has no intention of ending his existence peacefully; instead, he intends to slowly mutilate Goreng, allowing them to share in the meager sustenance available. Goreng’s vitriolic rebuke of Trimagasi as a murderer falls flat, as the older man shifts the blame onto those responsible for their predicament above.

As the platform descends once more, leaving behind only skeletal remains, Trimagasi commences his gruesome procedure, carving into Goreng’s leg. However, before he can complete this cruel act, Miharu arrives on the scene, wounding Trimagasi and freeing Goreng from his tormentor’s grasp. With Trimagasi now reduced to mere flesh, Goreng exacts his revenge, devouring their former tormentor alongside Miharu.

As the table continues its relentless descent, Goreng begins to hallucinate conversations with the now-integrated remnants of Trimagasi, while also indulging in a twisted fantasy with Miharu. Barely clinging to life, Goreng struggles through the remainder of the month, his mental state increasingly fragile.

Finally, as the days tick by, Goreng awakens anew, this time alongside Imoguiri (Antonia San Juan), a mysterious individual accompanied by her loyal canine companion. Their surroundings have shifted dramatically, now situated on level 33. Imoguiri’s enigmatic presence belies a complex past, having once worked for the administration governing the Pit and the outside world. Her words are laced with wisdom as she reveals that there exist 200 levels beneath their feet, and that if only each inmate consumed what they truly needed, rather than gorging on the meager offerings, the Pit’s inhabitants could reach the bottom.

Imoguiri’s philosophical musings propose a tantalizing prospect: if the prisoners in the Pit were to demonstrate selflessness and sacrifice for one another, their actions would serve as a beacon of hope, inspiring those outside to follow suit. As the table plunges once more into the depths, Imoguiri’s pleas for moderation fall on deaf ears, her words lost amidst the chaos and despair that has come to define the Pit.

In the days that followed, Imoguiri’s pleas to ration food fell on deaf ears, until Goreng (played by) threatened to sully the provisions, prompting some level-below prisoners to take heed. However, their efforts to persuade those above were met with resistance, and Imoguiri began to believe that Goreng was the key to uniting the prisoners in a shared sacrifice for the greater good.

Tragedy struck when Miharu (played by), once a prisoner of hope, was found lying deathly ill on the table. Goreng and Imoguiri tended to her, but upon her recovery, she brutally murdered Imoguiri’s canine companion. As Miharu descended into madness, killing another convict who dared to assault her, Imoguiri revealed that Miharu had entered the Pit voluntarily, trading her innocence for a chance to become the “Asian Marilyn Monroe.” To prove her own trustworthiness, Imoguiri bared her soul, confessing that she had signed up solely to help those trapped within the Pit’s depths. The weight of her revelations sent Imoguiri into a deep depression over the loss of her beloved dog.

The fates dealt Goreng another cruel blow on Reassignment Day, depositing him on level 202. As he regained consciousness, he was met with the ghastly sight of Imoguiri’s lifeless body, suspended from the ceiling like a macabre warning. The administration’s lies about the Pit’s true depths had finally caught up to her, and Goreng was left to grapple with the gruesome reality that there were still more levels below him. In a desperate attempt to fill the void, he turned to cannibalism once more, consuming Imoguiri’s remains.

As Goreng’s madness consumed him, he began to hallucinate conversations with Imoguiri and Trimagasi (played by), who had become an integral part of his psyche. The duo proclaimed Goreng the messiah, their voices echoing through the darkness like a maddening mantra.

The next month brought a new chapter in Goreng’s descent into chaos. On level 6, he found himself shackled to Baharat (Emilio Buale), a man driven by faith and the promise of freedom. Baharat clutched a rope, his eyes fixed on the distant light of the Pit’s topmost tier, where salvation awaited. The prisoners above responded with scorn and ridicule, defiling Baharat with their waste. Goreng, calculating that there were roughly 250 levels yet to traverse, proposed a bold plan: descend onto the platform, distributing food at each level in an attempt to outmaneuver the system. If they succeeded, they would have beaten the Pit’s unforgiving mechanism; if they failed, they could simply ride the platform back up, biding their time until another opportunity arose. Baharat, fueled by his faith, agreed to the plan, and together they prepared for the battle ahead, armed with nothing but determination and a deep sense of desperation.

As Goreng (actor name) and Baharat’s (actor name) downward trajectory unfolds, they fiercely outmaneuver their fellow inmates, eventually arriving at a level where a sage individual acquainted with Baharat awaits. This wise mentor imparts crucial guidance: to guarantee the conquest of the Pit, at least one exquisite dish must be sent back to the platform uneaten, serving as a testament to their triumph. Goreng and Baharat select a flawless pana cotta, expertly crafted to convey their message.

Their efforts yield dividends as they navigate the descent, successfully convincing the prisoners to ration their food supplies. The duo soon encounters Miharu (actor name), who is brutally assaulted by two ruthless inmates. Goreng and Baharat intervene, dispatching their attackers, but not without sustaining grievous wounds themselves. Tragically, Miharu succumbs to his stab wounds.

As they continue their perilous journey, the pair encounter a multitude of lifeless or mentally shattered individuals on the lower levels. The platform eventually halts at level 333, which Goreng and Baharat believe marks the final destination. Instead, they find Minaru’s (actor name) child, prompting them to disembark. With pana cotta in hand, they share a moment of quiet reprieve with the child before falling asleep.

Upon awakening, Goreng finds Baharat deceased, his wounds having proved fatal. The platform, now devoid of sustenance, resumes its descent, eventually stopping at their level once more. Goreng tenderly cradles the child to sleep and then, with a heavy heart, ushers them onto the platform. As the platform begins its ascent towards the top, where a faint glimmer of light signifies the surface, Goreng encounters Trimagasi’s (actor name) ethereal presence once more.

The enigmatic spirit reveals that Goreng’s odyssey has reached its culmination and that the child is now the vital messenger destined to convey their message to the administration. Though torn between his desire to remain with the child and the need for it to rise alone, Goreng ultimately relinquishes his hold on the platform as Trimagasi assures him of the child’s success in delivering their message, leaving Goreng with a bittersweet smile.