Like its predecessor, The Platform 2 is complex, layered, and not an easy film to parse. The ending raises many questions, and the many ways in which this film ties into the original only add to those questions. But again, like the original, the central motif of the story revolves around one character, Milena Smit’s Perempuan in this case, and whether she dies or escapes from the Vertical Self-Management Center.

Although the film is called The Platform 2, it is not entirely clear whether it is a sequel or a prequel. At the beginning of the film, order reigns in the tower-like, vertical prison. This order is often enforced with brutality. A viewer could easily conclude that Goreng’s (Iván Massagué) actions in the first film have something to do with these changes. However, Perempuan encounters Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) from the first film as her third cellmate on level 72. Those who have seen the first film may recall that Trimagasi told Goreng that he began his stay in the prison on level 72. So perhaps this is a prequel set before the original film.

In The Platform 2, "the loyalists" carry out the order and try to make sure that everyone gets the food they want. This pits them against "the barbarians", who want to eat whatever they want when the food platform reaches their level. Perempuan initially follows the rules. However, she finds out how brutal the loyalists, led by Dagin Babi (Óscar Jaenada), are. After a violent confrontation between the loyalists and the barbarians, Perempuan tries to escape while the prisoners are knocked out and rearranged across the levels. Perempuan manages to keep herself awake by swallowing a torn piece of a painting. She then chokes on it. This prevents her from losing consciousness when the pit cleaners knock out the other prisoners with gas.

Tied to a pile of corpses, Perempuan descends to level 333. This should be the last level of the tower, but it goes further. She finds a young boy there. Driven by the guilt of having unintentionally caused the death of her boyfriend's son, she decides to take the boy with her.