The Netflix Sci-Fi Thriller That Will Make You Want To Escape
If you’re into the strange reality that is portrayed in A Handmaid’s Tale, then you’ll probably find Level 16 engaging. Though the reality of what’s going on behind the scenes (within the plot) is a bit different than the dim reality of the handmaids, the girls in Level 16 don’t have a much cheerier end goal.
A 2018 Canadian sci-fi thriller set in a strict all-girls boarding school
Streaming now on Netflix, Level 16 is a 2018 Canadian sci-fi thriller set in a strict all-girls boarding school. Director Danishka Esterhazy was granted complete access to an old 1930s police station in Toronto. After being told she could modify the building in any way she saw fit, Esterhazy used the old building to create a cold and gritty reality for the film.
The movie centers around two of the girls from the school
The movie centers around two of the girls from the school, Vivien (played by Katie Douglas) and Sophia (played by Celina Martin). The school is set up more like a military operation rather than a school, and the girls are given very specific parameters for completing everyday tasks like taking their “vitamins” and washing their faces … etc.
Level 16 has no windows in the building
The girls’ school in Level 16 has no windows in the building, and the girls all live on various numbered levels, depending on their progression in the school. They are told they must follow “feminine virtues” like obedience and cleanliness and avoid “vices” such as anger or curiosity.
The school is protecting them from the air outside
As far as the “students” of this school know, the school is protecting them from the air outside (which is “toxic”). Level 16 is the final level for the girls before reaching the end goal. The end goal of their education is for them to eventually be adopted by affluent people so they can go on living a happy, healthy life.
There’s something more sinister going on.
However, there’s something more sinister going on at the school. When the girls are seen as “out of line,” they face harsh and mysterious punishments, sometimes not returning at all.
Vivien suffered a horrible punishment
When Vivien and Sophia were on Level 10 together, Vivien suffered a horrible punishment for taking too much time washing her face. She bent down to help Sophia (who had dropped her face cream) and ran out of time to complete her facial routine before her allotted time expired. Vivien was dragged away screaming.
When both girls stop taking the pills they are given, the reality of their reality quickly begins coming to light.
The girls didn’t see each other again until they were reunited years later on Level 16. Upon arriving on Level 16, Vivien was warned by Sophia not to take the “daily vitamins” given to her by the school, as they were actually a heavy sedative. When both girls stop taking the pills they are given, the reality of their reality quickly begins coming to light.
Level 16 is rated R
Prepare yourself before you watch Level 16, as the truth of the school isn’t a joyous or calming one. As the truth about what Miss Brixil and Dr. Miro are really grooming the girls towards becomes clear, you won’t want your kids in the room to see it.
The movie is rated “R” and has a running time of 122 minutes. You can find Level 16 streaming now on Netflix.
