By Scotty Ruth

WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

The popular tv series Squid Game, which was released world wide on September 17, is available on Netflix in the US. This show aims to portray the rough living conditions for lower class people of South Korea. The main character, Seong Gi-Hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, is divorced, has one daughter, and develops an unhealthy gambling addiction after being laid off from his previous job. He owes hundreds of millions of won (1 US dollar is 1177 Korean won) to loan sharks, who threaten to take his kidneys and other body parts if he does not settle his debts. Desperate, he is doing everything he can to survive and to support his mother and keep her healthy.

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

After being confronted by someone offering him a chance to win money for playing games, Seong Gi-Hun immediately is intrigued and calls the number on the back of the business card given to him. Not knowing what he is getting into, Seong Gi-Hun does as he is instructed and hops in a van driven by a man in a red jumpsuit and black mask. Once he gets into the van, Seong Gi-Hun, along with many others, is put to sleep. When he awakes, Seong Gi-Hun quickly realizes this was more than what he signed up for. 

Seong Gi-Hun, along with 455 people in the same desperate situation he is in, is forced to play kids’ games in the hope to win money. The catch is that if you lose the game of their choosing, the penalty you receive is death. Before the players even realize they’re about to die, a bullet is already through their skull. After all 456 players play the kids’ game red light/green light, the players quickly realize that they are competing for much more than just money, but to actually survive. Everyone is in shock when the first game results in a bloodbath. As art director Chae Kyoung-sun describes, the show “creates an uncanny feeling for viewers who are made to unconsciously realize they are watching a game within a show.” Its strange plot is part of what accounts for its popularity.

Red light/green light. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

This show is blowing up on Netflix and already has the most ever views on a Netflix show. 142 million different Netflix accounts watched the show in the first few weeks after its release. With Netflix having 209 million different accounts, Squid Game has captured the attention of more than 65% of Netflix’s total subscribers. The previous record for the most-viewed show is the series Bridgerton, which was seen by 82 million accounts. 

So what makes this show so popular? Is it the action-packed scenes and never having a dull moment? Or is it the nature of the show that makes you interact with the characters and cheer them on? As Katherine Goff (‘22) describes, “this show really reminds me of The Hunger Games,” with its fight-to-the-death approach. Like The Hunger Games, the show makes you keep watching as you have to know what happens next, and it leaves you on the most tremendous cliffhangers after each episode. 

Because this show is South Korean, the entire series is dubbed. For some, the use of dubbing is bothersome; however, for most, including for me, the dubbing was not that much of an issue. Goff says that “it did not bother me at all, it just took a little bit of getting used to in the beginning.” Similarly, senior Jones Brackett (‘22) mentioned that, “I honestly didn’t mind it very much; it didn’t take away from any of the scenes or events of the film.” If you are a person who can’t stand watching a show with dubbed dialogue, however, this show might not be for you. 

After watching this show, I can highly recommend Squid Game to anyone who loves nonstop action and who is not affected by gruesome violence. When asked about whether or not he would watch a second season, Brackett responds saying, “I would absolutely watch a second season, that would be absurd.” I can guarantee you it is worth the hype and will not disappoint. If you find yourself getting bored at the second episode, I recommend pushing through it. The action will quickly pick back up as you get to the third episode and further. With a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and over 140 million accounts who have seen it, you do not want to miss out.

Featured image credit: Netflix.