At almost the same time as the first Corona Lockdown, a philosophical horror thriller appeared on Netflix that dominated film discussions on the net for a few weeks. But is “Der Schacht” still worth watching two and a half years later?
Who hasn’t experienced this: Suddenly the whole world is talking about a certain streaming film – but once you’ve missed the hype, which usually only lasts a few weeks, it only ends up on your watchlist with umpteen other titles and you never get around to catching up. That’s why we’re now taking a look back to focus on a horror thriller that is as disgusting as it is ethical, and which was talked about more two and a half years ago than probably any other Netflix original film …
… after all, “The Shaft”, which appeared on the streaming platform “perfectly” timed for the start of the pandemic lockdowns, is still number 2 on Netflix’s official list of the most successful non-English-language films on the streaming platform. And in truth, it should even be at number 1, because the official front-runner, the German vampires-in-a-plane action horror “Blood Red Sky”, is predominantly in English. But what was it about Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s Spanish production “Der Schacht” that made it so irresistible to so many viewers?
THE RIGHT FILM AT THE RIGHT TIME
“The Shaft” plays out a metaphorical experimental set-up: The shaft, which gives the film its title, connects at least 132 floors, in each of which two inmates eke out their fate. The food is delivered by lift – whereby at the top a veritable posh buffet is served with the finest food and drinks. But while those up there on the first floors still dine like royalty, those further down are left with a few leftovers at best. Every month, the prisoners are moved to a new floor – without them even knowing what system is used…
After the DeepL description, it should already be clear: “The Shaft” simply came at exactly the right time in March 2020 – not only was there a mad streaming hype because of the lockdowns, but also thematically it just fitted perfectly with the fears and questions that most people were preoccupied with in those weeks and months. Like the protagonist in the film, many of us were also “locked in” for the first time, albeit in our homes – and what the supply situation would be like in the coming months was also still written in the stars at that point.
EVEN WITHOUT LOCKDOWN A GOOD FILM?
So some of the ideas and images of “The Shaft” particularly got under your skin when it came out, when the headlines were just dominated by toilet paper hamster purchases – but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to catch up with it now, quite the opposite. After all, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia wrote and directed the film before the pandemic – and it speaks to its universal nature that it could (and probably had to in March 2020) be read perfectly as a lockdown commentary as well. But even so, there’s still a lot in the supposedly simple premise – and you can probably even approach the film much more freely by now without being “locked up” at home yourself.
“The Shaft” is also a test of courage in this respect – because it is precisely in those scenes that take place on the lower levels that you very much have to overcome your disgust. Fine dining looks very different, despite the delicately prepared dishes at the top! But apart from that, “Der Schacht” also delivers the perfect ethics lesson with Gote inserts for all those who want to lose faith in society, humanity and all the rest in record time. A film can hardly be more nihilistic …
.. and that not some action trash or romantic kitsch, but something so abysmal and unpleasant is at number 1 and 2 respectively of the most successful non-English-language films on Netflix is somehow pretty cool. Especially when you compare “The Shaft” with the English-language top positions “Red Notice”, “Don’t Look Up”, “Bird Box”, “The Grey Man” and “The Adam Project”.
