Credits
Distributed by
Festival Films (Spain)
Netflix (International)

Production companies
Basque Films
Mr. Miyagi Films
Plataforma La Película A.I.E

Directed by
Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

Screenplay by
David Desola
Pedro Rivero

Story by
David Desola
Produced by
Carlos Juárez

Starring
Iván Massagué
Antonia San Juan
Zorion Eguileor
Emilio Buale
Alexandra Masangkay

Cinematography
Jon D. Domínguez

Edited by
Haritz Zubillaga
Elena Ruiz

Music by
Aranzazu Calleja

Synopsis
Goreng wakes in a concrete cell marked with the number 48. His cellmate, Trimagasi, explains that they are in a "Vertical Self-Management Center" aka "The Pit", a tower-style facility in which food is delivered via a platform that travels from the top-down, halting for a fixed period on each floor. People on lower levels can eat only what those above leave and are killed if they keep the food. People are randomly reassigned to a new level each month. In the third month, Goreng awakes on level 33 with a woman, Imoguiri, and her dog. Goreng recognizes her as the Administration official who had interviewed him before sending him down. She says that she was unaware of the horrible conditions and volunteered to enter when diagnosed with terminal cancer. Imoguiri rations her food and attempts to convince the men on level 34 to do so but is rebuffed. Two weeks pass and Goreng's threat to defecate on the food convinces them. The two argue over their methods of persuasion. One day, Miharu arrives injured, and Goreng and Imoguiri nurse her back to health. Goreng mentions Miharu's search for her child to Imoguiri, but Imoguiri says that children under 16 are not allowed into the facility. She also claims there are 200 levels in total. Goreng awakens the following month on level 202 to find that Imoguiri has hanged herself. Goreng eats her flesh to survive while plagued with hallucinations of his former cellmates. In the fifth month, Goreng is assigned to level 6. His new cellmate, Baharat, attempts unsuccessfully to escape. Estimating that there are 250 levels, Goreng convinces Baharat to ride the platform down with him and ration the food. One of the prisoners below convinces them to send a symbolic message to the Administration by leaving a single dish untouched (a panna cotta). As they descend further, they hand out portions to the prisoners, attacking those who refuse to cooperate. On the way, they encounter Miharu being attacked and try to save her, but she is killed and they are left severely injured. Goreng passes out and dreams of Baharat telling him that "the girl is the message." The next day, Goreng finds Baharat dead, having bled out from his injuries. Goreng takes the child with him when the platform arrives. They descend to the bottom of the pit, where he once again hallucinates Trimagasi, who tells him that "the message requires no bearer." Goreng gets off the platform and walks away with Trimagasi, both turning to watch as the girl ascends on top of the platform.