--- title: "Society of the Snow: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/society-of-the-snow/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/society-of-the-snow" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Society of the Snow (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 22 reviews: 17 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Society of the Snow a harrowing, compassionate survival drama, with praise clustering around Bayona’s handling of the crash and his attention to the survivors’ bonds. The photography, editing and sound make the disaster feel frighteningly immediate, while the performances give the prolonged ordeal a human focus. Many reviews value the film’s spiritual concerns and its refusal to turn suffering into spectacle, finding tenderness in the camaraderie and disagreements. The reservations concern pace and psychological depth, though the spread runs from strongly moved to distinctly unconvinced. The Hollywood Reporter finds that the extended middle section drags, while IndieWire regards the characters as too psychologically schematic for the emotion to register fully. Slant Magazine offers the sharpest dissent, arguing that the reverence and restraint praised elsewhere weaken the impact. Even among the less persuaded critics, the disaster sequences and haunting visual details earn respect. ## Vulture — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2024. Hadadi finds the film transcendent, praising its thoughtful exploration of faith and survival. She especially commends the performances and the tenderness among the survivors. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-society-of-the-snow-has-existential-bite.html?amp=&=) ## Empire — Amon Warmann Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2023. Warmann finds the film affecting, praising Bayona’s handling of a grand survival story with an intimate human focus. He especially singles out the visceral crash sequence and the deeply felt camaraderie and disagreements among the survivors. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/society-of-the-snow/) ## Little White Lies — Emma Fraser Rating 3/4/4. 16 February 2024. Fraser calls it a visceral, harrowing survival drama that is also deeply human. She praises Bayona’s striking visual spectacle and the compassion with which the survivors’ ordeal is depicted. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/society-of-the-snow) ## Radio Times — Matt Glasby Rating 4/5. Glasby finds the survival thriller surprising and sensitive, and notably faithful to the historical ordeal. He praises its close adherence to survivors’ accounts and its use of interviews with those who lived through it. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2i7sg7/society-of-the-snow) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2024. The review regards the film as a compassionate and emotionally powerful retelling of the disaster. It particularly praises the balance between the crash’s dynamic action and the survivors’ prolonged psychological and emotional struggles. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/society-snow-survival-thriller-compassionate-retelling-andes-flight-disaster-story) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2023. Festival review. Lodge finds the film gripping and emotionally powerful, though its story offers few surprises. He praises Bayona’s visceral crash sequence and the film’s humane focus on the survivors’ bonds. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/festivals/society-of-the-snow-review-1235718496/) ## Los Angeles Times — Mark Olsen Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. Olsen finds the film a gripping, spiritually inflected account of collective survival rather than a simple tale of perseverance. He praises Bayona’s visceral crash depiction and his focus on the survivors’ emotional struggle. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-22/society-of-the-snow-review-bayona-crash-survival) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. Bradshaw finds Bayona’s retelling fervent, heartfelt and powerfully told, despite overlooking some of the Andes ordeal’s darker mystery. He praises the film’s passionate, assured storytelling and its focus on the survivors’ agony and resilience. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/19/society-of-the-snow-review-cannibalism-in-the-ice-in-incredible-real-life-survival-tale) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 January 2024. The review presents the film as a harrowing, ultimately affecting survival drama. It singles out the visceral depiction of the crash and the survivors’ ordeal. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/movies/society-of-the-snow-review.html) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2023. Festival review. The visible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It identifies the film’s true-life Andes plane-crash story, but no specific praise or complaint is accessible. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/society-of-the-snow-venice-review/5185290.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2023. Festival review. Rooney finds the film uneven but ultimately effective, though its extended middle section drags. He praises the visceral crash sequence and the respectful, unsensational treatment of cannibalism. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/society-of-the-snow-review-j-a-bayona-netflix-1235591240/) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating C+. 21 December 2023. Lattanzio finds the film visually powerful but too psychologically schematic to make a strong emotional impact. He praises the harrowing disaster sequences and especially Michael Giacchino’s tense score. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/society-of-the-snow-review-j-a-bayona-1234904147/) ## The AV Club — Courtney Howard Rating C+. 3 January 2024. Howard finds this adaptation respectful and possibly the best version yet, but incomplete and insufficiently deep. She praises Enzo Vogrincic’s performance and the film’s atmospheric cinematography and score. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/society-of-the-snow-review-another-take-on-a-harrowing-1851133176) ## Slant Magazine — Steven Nguyen Scaife Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2023. The critic finds the film’s reverence and restraint ultimately weaken its impact. They praise the haunting visual moments that capture the survivors’ fear and disorientation. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/society-of-the-snow-review-j-a-bayona/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2023. Festival review. Hammond finds Bayona’s account a stunning, spiritual story of survival and humanity. He especially praises the crash sequence’s startling realism and Pedro Luque Briozzo Scu’s cinematography. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/09/society-of-the-snow-review-j-a-bayona-1972-uruguayan-rugby-team-airplane-crash-closes-venice-film-festival-1235540481/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2023. Festival review. Wilkinson finds the film gripping and moving, praising Bayona’s restrained, tense account of collective survival. She singles out the visceral crash sequence and sound design for their impact. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/society-of-the-snow-2023-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## /Film — Rafael Motamayor Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2024. The critic finds the film a spectacular, heartbreaking drama that offers a distinctive retelling of the Andes disaster. They single out its focus on the dead and their sacrifices rather than treating cannibalism as mere sensationalism. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1487975/netflix-society-of-the-snow-andes-disaster-survival-story/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 81/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2024. The review frames Bayona’s film as a harrowing, soulful survival drama. Its headline emphasizes the human story of surviving in the mountains. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/society-of-the-snow-review-j-a-bayonas-disaster-in-the-mountains-drama-is-a-harrowing-soulful-story-of-survival-20240102/) ## Digital Spy — Mireia Mullor Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 January 2024. The critic finds the film a formidable, humanist survival drama that handles the tragedy with care. They praise its large-scale production, especially the terrifying crash sequence and convincing physical detail. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a46272578/society-of-the-snow-review/) ## Film Stories — Ryan Lambie Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2024. Lambie finds the film a chilling, existential survival story that is bleak but ultimately compelling. He particularly praises the plane-crash sequence for its claustrophobic photography, dizzying editing and aggressive sound design. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/society-of-the-snow-review-chilling-true-life-survival-horror/) ## Paste — Brianna Zigler Rating 7.5/10. 5 January 2024. Zigler finds the film a brutal, thoughtful, and suitably restrained account of the tragedy, rather than a feel-good survival story. She praises Bayona’s horror-informed direction for conveying the crash and the survivors’ suffering without softening the dead’s humanity. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/netflix/society-of-the-snow-review) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating 7/10. 22 December 2023. The review finds the film gripping and emotionally profound, grounded in the humanity of its characters. It praises the immersive technical craft but says recurring narration can be reductive. [Read the review](https://collider.com/society-of-the-snow-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/society-of-the-snow.md