Society of the Snow (Spanish: La sociedad de la nieve) is a 2023 survival drama film directed by J.A. Bayona, based on Pablo Vierci’s 2008 book of the same name. It dramatizes the 1972 Andes flight disaster, in which Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 — chartered by an amateur rugby team, the Old Christians Club, and their friends and family — crashed in the Andes mountains, forcing the 29 initial survivors to endure more than two months in one of the most hostile environments on Earth. The film closed the 80th Venice International Film Festival, opened in theaters in Uruguay, Spain, and the U.S. in December 2023, and began streaming on Netflix worldwide on January 4, 2024.
Quick Facts
| Title | Society of the Snow (La sociedad de la nieve) |
| Director | J.A. Bayona |
| Based On | “La Sociedad de la Nieve” by Pablo Vierci (2008) |
| Composer | Michael Giacchino |
| Producers | Belén Atienza, Sandra Hermida, J.A. Bayona |
| Release Dates | September 9, 2023 (Venice); December 15, 2023 (Spain theatrical); December 22, 2023 (U.S. theatrical); January 4, 2024 (Netflix) |
| Running Time | 144 minutes |
| Soundtrack Album | Netflix Music, January 4, 2024 (28 tracks, 70:55) |
Who Composed the Society of the Snow Soundtrack?
Michael Giacchino composed the score for Society of the Snow — his first Spanish-language film. Giacchino is an American film, television, and video game composer, best known for scoring Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Rogue One, and multiple entries in the Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Jurassic World franchises; Society of the Snow reunited him with director J.A. Bayona, with whom he previously collaborated on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).
Giacchino has said Society of the Snow was one of the most emotionally demanding scores he has written. He recorded the music with a minimal, brass-free orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London, and employed a choir singing in Mapuche, an indigenous Andean language, which he described as “the voice of the people who didn’t come back.” Out of respect for the real survivors and victims, he also chose not to use the playful pun-based track titles that are a trademark of his other scores.
He was previously honored with the Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and two Grammy Awards for his score to Pixar’s Up (2009), plus a separate Grammy Award (Best Score Soundtrack Album) for Ratatouille (2007) — three Grammys in total across the two films. He also holds a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the pilot episode of Lost (2005).
Society of the Snow Soundtrack: Full Track List
Netflix Music released the official 28-track soundtrack album on January 4, 2024, with a total runtime of 70:55. Two tracks were released early as singles: “Found” on September 8, 2023 (the day before the film’s Venice premiere), and “Andes Ascent” on November 10, 2023.
| # | Track |
|---|---|
| 1 | Leaving Home |
| 2 | Crash |
| 3 | Barren |
| 4 | Alien World |
| 5 | Flashback |
| 6 | First Scout |
| 7 | Susy Passes |
| 8 | News Radio |
| 9 | What Do I Become |
| 10 | The Second Expedition |
| 11 | Trapped |
| 12 | Today Is My Birthday |
| 13 | What’s the Limit |
| 14 | I See the Sky |
| 15 | A Plan to Cross the Mountains |
| 16 | Arturo’s Death |
| 17 | Setting Out |
| 18 | Heading Back |
| 19 | Take Home the Love |
| 20 | Nando Returns |
| 21 | Radio Failure |
| 22 | Sleeping Bag |
| 23 | Numa Accepts His Place |
| 24 | Andes Ascent |
| 25 | Onward |
| 26 | Over the River |
| 27 | Found |
| 28 | Home |
The additional songs and the full original score are available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major platforms.
Where to Stream Society of the Snow
Society of the Snow is streaming worldwide on Netflix. It had a limited theatrical run in Uruguay, Spain, and the United States in December 2023 ahead of its Netflix premiere on January 4, 2024, where it became one of Netflix’s biggest non-English-language films, drawing 51 million views in its first 11 days and over 103 million by mid-2024.
Cast of Society of the Snow
The film’s largely Uruguayan and Argentine cast, most of them newcomers, includes:
- Enzo Vogrincic as Numa Turcatti
- Matías Recalt as Roberto Canessa
- Agustín Pardella as Nando Parrado
- Tomas Wolf as Gustavo Zerbino
- Diego Vegezzi as Marcelo Pérez del Castillo
- Esteban Kukuriczka as Adolfo “Fito” Strauch
- Francisco Romero as Daniel Fernández Strauch
- Rafael Federman as Eduardo Strauch
- Felipe González Otaño as Carlitos Páez
- Agustín Della Corte as Antonio “Tintín” Vizintín
- Valentino Alonso as Alfredo “Pancho” Delgado
- Simón Hempe as José Luis “Coche” Inciarte
- Fernando Contigiani García as Arturo Nogueira
- Benjamín Segura as Rafael “el Vasco” Echavarren
- Rocco Posca as Ramón “Moncho” Sabella
- Luciano Chatton as Pedro Algorta
Awards and Reception
Society of the Snow received widely positive reviews (90% on Rotten Tomatoes from 160 critics; 72/100 on Metacritic). It won 12 awards at the 38th Goya Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Bayona, and Best Original Score for Giacchino, plus 6 awards at the 11th Platino Awards. At the 96th Academy Awards, the film earned two nominations — Best International Feature Film (representing Spain) and Best Makeup and Hairstyling — though it did not win either. Giacchino’s score was shortlisted for Best Original Score at the same ceremony but was not nominated; it did, however, win the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Score in an Independent Film (Foreign Language) in November 2023.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Society of the Snow soundtrack?
Michael Giacchino composed the score, his first for a Spanish-language film, reuniting him with director J.A. Bayona after Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Did Society of the Snow win any Oscars?
No. It was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 96th ceremony — Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling — but didn’t win either. It fared better at the Goya Awards, winning 12 prizes including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Score.
How many tracks are on the Society of the Snow soundtrack album?
The official Netflix Music album has 28 tracks and runs 70 minutes and 55 seconds, recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Is Society of the Snow based on a true story?
Yes. It dramatizes the 1972 Andes flight disaster, based on survivor accounts collected in Pablo Vierci’s book “La Sociedad de la Nieve.”
Where can I watch Society of the Snow?
It is streaming worldwide on Netflix.
Related reading: Browse more on our Movie Soundtracks hub, or see what else is streaming on Netflix.