Squid Game
Squid Game, an allegory about modern capitalist society, debuted as a Netflix Original on September 17, 2021. The show has already reached global number 1 series on Netflix. The original script was written in 2009 by Hwang Dong-hyuk with planning for the show beginning in 2008.
Hwang Dong-hyuk, who is also the director, wanted to create a show that undermines modern capitalism by forcing ‘players’ into an extreme competition for their life and to show what people would be willing to do to save themselves from their crippling debt. In the show, 456 South Koreans are selected to join a game. This is because they are all in financial ruin due to debt, fraud, and poverty. Most contestants decide that they would rather risk death than going back to their lives in the outside world.
The “players,” as they are called, are confronted by a representative who introduces them to the idea of jeopardizing their own bodies for a cash prize. Participants are eased into the idea, not knowing that the price of losing would turn from slight torture and discomfort, into death. Since the cooperation used a seemingly innocent strategy such as this, many people signed up for the games.
The show’s Season One script includes a generally small inner circle of main characters. The actors showcased include Lee Jung-Lae as Seong Gi-Hun, Hoyean Jung as Kang Sae-Book, and Park Hae Soo as Cho Sang-Woo. Each character has their own unique circumstances that they use as fuel to keep themselves going in the games. For example, Seong Gi-Hun plays for his mother who is gravely ill, Kang Sae Byeok plays for her little brother because they don’t have parents, and Cho Sang-Woo plays because of his fraud and debt that accumulated in his financial success. Bonds are built and broken between these characters and the viewers as the show progresses. Who starts as a favorite may not end up that way.
In the two weeks, it has been available to Netflix users, the show has received high praise by critics and everyday viewers alike. The first season has received a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes as well as an 8.3/10 on IMDB. With the success of season one, rumors of a second are already appearing on social media and on news websites. Co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, said: “It’s only been out for nine days, and it’s a very good chance it’s going to be our biggest show ever.” At this time there has been no confirmation about a second season from Netflix or Dong-hyuk, but it’s clear that viewers are ready to keep playing.