Society of the Snow: J.A. Bayona’s powerful film tells the (true) ultimate story of survival, as it looks into a group of passengers who survive an airplane crash in the Andes and their efforts to be found and rescued. The story is incredible, horrible, and inspiring all at once, a triumph of the human spirit and the will to survive. Their existence was predicated on a hard decision, one that had to be made time and time again, never becoming any easier, and never showed judgementally. The film is truly an ensemble piece, with its very large cast, alas too many to mention individually, all equally efficient. Aesthetically, the film is exceptional: cinematographer Pedro Luque captures the expansive vistas (equally beautiful, serene, and averse to life), the tight quarters where they lived, and the suffering faces all beautifully. The action sequences are short, intense, and well put together by editors Andrés Gil and Jaume Martí. Composer Michael Giacchino contributes with a score that manages to be beautiful, intense, and emotional. Sound design and the transformative make-up work are also top-notch. This is a hard sit, but a worthy one.