Mexico City /
In the depths of a vertical abyss, hunger and despair are woven into the shadows. El Hoyo 2 is not a simple sequel to the successful movie from Netflix; It is an even deeper descent into the bowels of humanitywhere a hierarchical system, seemingly designed to distribute resources equitably, becomes a battleground for survival. Inequality and injustice prevail here.
“Each person will make their own interpretation of the film, but it is real that they are fighting for a more just system, but everything moves in relation to the condition, context and social class from which the characters come — Milena Smit explained to MILENIO—. I think they will see her from another place and think that she is a fucking moron and that why do they get involved in that, each one will have their own perception, I am just trying to defend a character from my move.”
This dystopian world, built on increasingly hostile levels, reflects the reality of inequality. The further down the hole you go, the more violent the scene becomes and the more voracious the competition for what little is left.
The film offers a critique of the class system that, in its attempt to organize the distribution of resources (in this case food), ends up dehumanizing those who have the least. Looting and even cannibalism arise.
“The fundamental concept for me, not only in this film, but as a philosophical concept, is that: if we fulfilled the condition that makes us human, the history of humanity would be the one we have written. —said actor Hovik Keuchkerian—. From there, if you’ve eaten my macaroni, you’re going to get it. And then all this debate, damn, which is the responsibility that each of us has to assume for being alive. Empathy”.
And he added: “We automatically place ourselves in this discourse of class struggle. And for me there is a previous step, if each of the 666 people in the hole ate only their plate and did not want to eat the plate of others, nor eat the one that belongs to another by right, 666 people would live wonderfully well there; and it would not be a gloomy, bloodthirsty, or unfair place, nor would there be any criticism of any social class.”
The first installment, which premiered in the middle of the pandemic, was a global phenomenon. Confinement led millions of people to question the fragility of their own social systems. As Milena points out: “It made us think about our environment—and not only that, she says, the sequel opened the opportunity for her to join the cultural phenomenon—: it had an enormous impact and that is why I took the risk despite what it demanded at the level physical and emotional.”
Fiction that crosses reality
When it comes to fiction, the actor knows it consciously, but his body does not, it reacts to the fictional stimuli as if they were real; That can affect physical and mental health. The film also raised some questions about the boundaries between fiction and reality for its protagonist. Milena shared how this and other stories affected her well-being.
“I made the mistake that affected my mental health, taking the character home and suffering from it. I’m not saying it’s wrong, it has worked for me many times, but I wanted to try something different” and that’s why, with the help of a coach, she combined her work on set with parallel activities that would help her relax her mind.
“It is true that what happens in the hole is very dense; “I tried equine therapy, it was the beginning of starting to take better care of my mental health when I am working with characters.”
This comment highlights the physical and emotional effect that comes with working on a film as visceral as this one.
Hovik confirmed: “The brain does not understand why we are having those emotions at that moment, It is fascinating when what happens generates an emotion like in real life, even if it is a lie. It is life because it is happening. It is so powerful that the body believes it to be true, even if it is not in real life.”
The immersion of the actors in this dystopian and brutal world makes the fiction transcend the screen, becoming an emotional experience for both the performers and the spectators. In short, The 2nd hole It’s not just a movie about a broken system.; It is an exploration of the human soul, of our physical and mental limits., and how, in the face of adversity, the fight to survive can bring out the worst in ourselves.
A.J.R.
