Fiction v reality: Chilling Society of the Snow image shows ‘incredible’ recreation of Andes crash

It’s hard to tell which photo is real life and which is from the Netflix film

A chilling real life vs fiction image of the Andes plane wreckage depicted in Society of the Snow has been shared online.

The “harrowing” new film from director JA Bayona (The Impossible, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) charts the incredible survival of passengers whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains in 1972.

Based on a 2008 book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, Society of the Snow has won acclaim from viewers, and, since its release earlier this month, has shot to the top of the most-watched charts around the world on Netflix.

Bayona, 48, has now shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the film’s production and VFX effects alongside a real-life photograph showing the wreckage, which saw the plane’s nose torn off while mid-air. It reveals the impressive extent of which the film’s crew recreated the crash.

The Spanish filmmaker wrote on X/Twitter: “Film vs Reality. All thanks to a fantastic group of actors and head of departments – production design, costume, hair and make up, vfx, cinematography– who were able to recreate what really happened with this level of attention to detail.”

In response to Bayona’s post, many of the film’s fans sent praise on social media, with one fan stating: “Just watched #SocietyOfTheSnow and I’m blown away by its exceptional quality. The VFX are seamlessly integrated, invisible for the eyes – kudos to the incredible team behind this masterpiece!!”

Another stated: “You and your team did a great job As for the details, there were some that really blew my mind!” with others saying they wanted to re-watch the film as they “missed several details”.

“Fantastic work, I saw it on Saturday and I will have to see it a couple more times, I missed several details and now I will pay attention.

“Major shout out to all of the creatives involved,” one viewer told Bayona.

‘Society of the Snow’ alongside real-life photo of Andes plane crash (X/Twitter)

The director said that he made the film “in extreme circumstances” high up in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Granada, with additional scenes filmed in the Andes and Chile.

The crew also spent over 100 hours with the 15-remaining survivors, now all over 70, as well as the families of those who died.

At an altitude of approximately 3,500 metres in the snowy Andes mountains, the survivors faced freezing conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -35 C. The fuselage was mostly intact, and the survivors took shelter within it, cobbling together a makeshift wall using suitcases, aircraft fragments and seats.

Bayona recently recalled speaking to one of the survivors about their decision to resort to cannibalism to survive. They told him: “The first day we did it, it was horrible. We broke a taboo, we felt miserable. The second day we were in a line, waiting for our portion of the food.”

Society of the Snow is available to stream on Netflix.