Netflix’s movie The Platform (El Hoyo) talks about these difficult questions in a very powerful way. The story is violent, but it makes us think deeply about our world. The atmosphere of the movie plays an important role, and the locations chosen for filming helped to create a dark and intense mood. If you’re curious about where The Platform was filmed, let’s explore the places below.
Where was The Platform filmed?
The Platform makes us think about many problems in society, especially the gap between rich and poor. One of the main things that stands out is how the movie feels like it could happen anywhere in the world. Though the movie was filmed in Spain, it never mentions the name of a city or place. This helps the film feel universal. No specific city is highlighted, which helps the audience from any country feel connected to the story.
But, if we need to be exact, the movie was filmed in Bilbao, Spain. The whole film was shot here, even though the location is never directly mentioned in the movie.
Bilbao, Spain
In The Platform, the story takes place in a confined, closed space—so no outdoor locations were needed for filming. The prison where the characters are trapped was specially built on a set, and everything in the movie was filmed indoors. The director, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, wanted the prison cells to feel tight and suffocating. He wanted the viewers to feel trapped, just like the prisoners.
The Set Design
The entire set was built inside a Red Cross facility located in a port in Bilbao. The design of the set was carefully planned to fit the needs of the story. The prison, called “The Hole” in the movie, has 333 floors. But for the movie, the filmmakers only built two real levels. The appearance of more levels was created later through special effects in post-production.
Each time the main character changed floors, the set was modified to make it look like a different level. The goal was to make it seem like the prison stretched endlessly downward, giving a sense of hopelessness and fear.
By shooting the film in this controlled setting, the creators of The Platform could focus on the intense emotions and atmosphere of the story. The confined space, paired with the themes of inequality and survival, made for a gripping, thought-provoking experience.
Official Trailer
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) – The Platform
Q: Where was The Platform filmed?
A: The Platform was filmed entirely in Bilbao, Spain. The set was built indoors at a Red Cross facility in the port of Bilbao to create the prison environment.
Q: When was The Platform filmed?
A: The filming of The Platform took place in 2018. The movie was shot over several weeks, focusing on indoor sets specifically designed to reflect the movie’s prison setting.
Q: When was The Platform released?
A: The Platform had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, 2019. It was later released on Netflix on March 20, 2020.
Q: Who are the main cast members of The Platform?
A: The main actors in The Platform are Iván Massagué, who plays Goreng, the lead character. Zorion Eguileor plays Trimagasi, an older prisoner who is Goreng’s cellmate at the start. Antonia San Juan plays Imoguiri, a former worker in the prison system who ends up as a prisoner herself. Emilio Buale Coka plays Baharat, another prisoner who tries to escape the system. Alexandra Masangkay plays Miharu, a mysterious woman who rides the platform searching for her child. Together, their performances make the movie intense and thought-provoking.
Q: What is The Platform about?
The Platform is a dystopian thriller about a vertical prison where food is distributed on a platform, starting at the top levels and moving downwards. The lower the prisoners are, the less food they get, highlighting themes of inequality and survival.
