It looks like Netflix has another global hit on their hands with Squid Game. The Korean drama’s first season was released worldwide on September 17, and it has already become one of the streaming giant’s biggest international successes.
It shot up into the Top 10 on the platform’s charts since its debut and currently occupies the top two spots in various countries. Squid Game has also reportedly become the first Korean series to rank No 1 on Netflix’s US most-watched list.
In the hit show, 456 contestants who are in desperate need of money join a deadly survival game in order to win 45.6 billion Korean won, which is around US$38.6 million. Social media users are comparing the show to the Hunger Games and James Wan’s Saw movies. Like those films, the series pits people against each other and places them in deadly situations they have to figure out how to escape from.
The thriller provides plenty of brutal gore, violence, and suspense, so if you’re into that sort of thing, look no further. It also provides thought-provoking, emotional viewpoints about society, showing how wealth disparity can often lead people to do the unthinkable for money–even at the expense of their own lives.
Not even two weeks after its release, the show is already sparking TikTok challenges, building a buzz among Twitter and Instagram users, and being binge-watched by millions around the world. In case you haven’t tuned in just yet and are in need of some more info before diving in, here’s all you need to know about Netflix’s latest hit show Squid Game.
What is 'Squid Game' about?
A secret group identifies 456 people in South Korea who are in debt or in dire need of money. The group then sends those people mysterious invitations to join the “Squid Game”. The chosen ones are from all walks of life–some rich, some poor. Some of them are deathly ill, some are in danger of losing their family’s home, while main character Seong Gi-hun is attempting to gain custody of his daughter before she leaves for the United States.
The participants are drugged and taken to a secret location to compete against each other in challenges that are based on popular childhood games. Things take a dark turn when they learn that the consequence for losing any of the games is death or “elimination”, as they call it. The winning prize is valued at 100,000,000 Korean won for each participant and 45.6 billion Korean won in total, which is currently valued at around US$38.6 million.
What do I need to know know before watching ‘Squid Game’?
The show is rated TV-MA for a reason. The comparison it’s receiving to the Hunger Games and the Saw series is also not by accident, and it might be even more extreme than both of those franchises combined at times.
It also has similar themes as the short story The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, and some fans are pointing out the likeness between Squid Game and the 2014 Japanese movie As The Gods Will.
It can be uncomfortable to watch as the characters scramble for survival as they also grapple with their personal despair outside of the games.
Some of the players are also not entirely innocent people–some are criminals, gamblers, thieves, and at times it feels conflicting to still root for them to make it out alive.
Watching them make bad decisions prior to entering the games is often stressful, and it’s right up there with anxiety-inducing movies like Uncut Gems. If you enjoy being on the edge of your seat and nail-biting while watching TV, then hit play. If not, watch at your own discretion.
The nine-episode Netflix original series is South Korean, but a dubbed version in English, as well as English subtitles, are also available.
The dubbing might take some getting used to but the voice actors make it so that it doesn’t take away from the show. All one-hour episodes are available for streaming now on Netflix.
What made the Netflix show go viral?
Sometimes the popularity of these shows is all about word of mouth. The show got the homepage treatment on Netflix as soon as it dropped on September 17, 2021, but there wasn’t much promotion or press surrounding it in the United States.
The show began catching steam and people started tweeting and talking about the show on social media. The online reactions helped it get the attention of even more viewers, and it helped it skyrocket to the top of the Netflix charts.
Will there be a ‘Squid Game’ Season 2?
The show’s writer and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Variety that he might return to movies following Squid Game’s popularity. But in the event that he does go for a second season, he said he will bring on some help.
“I don’t have well-developed plans for Squid Game 2,” the director told the magazine. “It is quite tiring just thinking about it. But if I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I’d consider using a writers’ room and would want multiple experienced directors.”
Squid Game is available for streaming now on Netflix.
It took 10 years to make the show
The series’ creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, first came up with the plot for the show a decade ago while living with his mother and grandmother. The Wall Street Journal reported on October 4 that due to the show’s premise being so violent in nature, local studios rejected the show and the director struggled to find work.
According to the newspaper, Dong-hyuk was forced to stop writing the script because he sold his laptop for $675. Netflix then began producing the series just two years ago, and Hwang believes it’s because people are different than they were when he first wrote the script, saying, “The world has changed. All of these points made the story very realistic for people compared to a decade ago.”
He told The Korean Times that it was difficult to get studios on board because of its “bizarre” plot but the content is more acceptable now.
“After about 12 years, the world has changed into a place where such peculiar, violent survival stories are actually welcomed,” he said. “Making the story into the series was still an adventure, just as it was about a decade ago. I knew that it would be all or nothing; either a masterpiece or a quirky flop.”
The show’s creator also told the newspaper that he knows the positive and negative side effects of having such a hit show. “It’s the acknowledgment of a lifetime, yet it is also a label that will follow me around. From now on, anything I do will be compared to ‘Squid Game,’ which to me is both a burden and an honor,” he said.
Netflix is getting sued over ‘Squid Game’
Netflix was hit with a lawsuit on October 1 over Squid Game’s popularity. A spokesperson for SK Broadband, a South Korean Internet service provider, said the company is suing Netflix to pay for the increased network traffic and maintenance work caused by the massive viewerships the streamer has been generating. The lawsuit comes after a Seoul court said Netflix should compensate the internet service provider for the network usage.
Reuters reported that Squid Game and other Netflix shows have made the streaming giant the second-largest data traffic generator after YouTube in South Korea, but they do not pay network usage fees. Companies like Amazon, Apple, and Facebook are among those who do compensate SK Broadband. Netflix said it will be reviewing the claim and will also find ways to work with SK Broadband to make sure their customers' services are not affected.
News article from: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300424741/why-squid-game-could-become-netflixs-biggest-show-ever