Imagine being given a chance to win money and pay off debts by playing a game! The only catch is that losing costs you lose your life.
On Sept. 17, 2021, a brutal thriller series smashed charts on Netflix. This series was none other than Squid Game. Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series quickly became Netflix’s most-watched series, winning a number of awards.
The series revolves around a secret contest where 456 players compete against each other for a cash prize of 45.6 billion won. The players have to navigate through a series of classic Korean children’s games to have a chance at winning. However, these games each possess a thrilling consequence. Losing the games results in an instant death penalty. While terrifying, this aspect leaves viewers craving more.
The story of Squid Game follows the main character Seong Gi-hun. Viewers follow him as he progresses through the games, making and losing friends along the way. Throughout his journey, it’s revealed how the contestants participating are all suffering fromsome kind of financial hardship, Seong Gi-hun included. When the players learn about the cash reward, it brings out a different side in the players. Even after learning about the death penalty, contestants chose to continue playing because the cash prize was just too great to pass on. The series really portrays the desperation that arises due to poverty and the lengths people would go to improve their conditions.
Hwang Dong-hyuk did an exceptional job creating a bond between the viewer and the characters. In shows like Squid Game where characters could be killed off at any moment, having a favorite character is tough. This is best shown in the “marble game,” episode four of the first season. This episode was one of a kind, containing twists and turns that caught viewers off guard and was arguably one of the saddest episodes in the series.
The end of season one left viewers on a cliffhanger with an almost guaranteed second season. Three years later, this finally became a reality. On December 26, 2024, season two was officially released.
The release of season two was exciting, but many doubted its originality. While waiting for the second season, many worried it would be too similar to the previous season. People were on the right track, but not exactly correct. After reviewing the series, similarities did occur, but the directors found a way to change things up. For example, the first game played in season two was red light green light, just like in season one. However, everything after this was completely different, even including a new voting system in-between games. Besides this, new characters definitely made the story different with conflicting personalities and ideas. A main difference in personalities was our main character Gi-hun. Being re-entered into the game, he had a different view than he did in the first season. Now that he had already won, he was more focused on saving people than trying to win. This led to the meme and popular audio, “I’ve played these games before,” being created.
The second season did not disappoint and left with a cliffhanger, as well as a release date for season 3, scheduled for June 2025. If you are desensitized to gore, or just looking for a scary and exciting series to watch, check out Squid Game for a fast-paced watch that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
