Carly Newton
“Squid Game” is Netflix’s latest success story.
The South Korean-based show was released on the streaming service Sept. 17 and became an overnight sensation across the world.
In the world of “Squid Game,” people in debt are invited to compete in deadly children’s games to win millions of dollars. Throughout the nine-episode series, the audience goes through a variety of emotions as the show turns more and more morbid.
As of Oct. 25, “Squid Game” has become the most watched show in Netflix history. This could be an indication of what’s to come for the future of Netflix.
Could more foreign television shows and movies be added? Audiences are hopeful.
The reality is that Hollywood has become saturated with remakes of the same material with the same actors and actresses, because of this, the originality of “Squid Game” was a breath of fresh air. This is undoubtedly one of the many reasons that the show has been such a hit in the United States especially.
Netflix should look to continue adding as many foreign works as possible.
“Squid Game” is not for the faint hearted. It has a lot of blood and gore, but the story is gripping and heart-wrenching. It’s tough getting attached to certain characters once it’s learned that only one of them will survive the games.
The first game that’s played is “Red Light, Green Light.” A giant doll is in charge of the game — when the doll’s back is turned, the players can move to try and get past her, if they are seen moving when she turns around, they get shot dead.
This was heartbreaking to watch.
Up to this point, the players weren’t certain how the games would play out. Naturally, there was a lot of panic once they figured out that losing a game meant they would die.
The players soon came to the conclusion that they did not want to continue playing. If they wanted out, they would need the majority of the players to agree to end the games — which they got.
When the surviving players tried to return to normalcy, they soon realized that their money problems weren’t solvable, and they chose to return.
Their decision to return, knowing that they would most likely die, was baffling. But a lot of the players knew they didn’t have a life worth going back to. “Squid Game” did a good job of highlighting how much money plays a role in today’s society — people would choose death over debt.
This concept is entirely believable. There have been plenty of people in real life who have gone to great lengths to acquire money and riches.
Over the course of the six games played, the beloved characters must pick and choose what lengths they are willing to go to in order to win.
The audience will watch normal people rely on their animalistic instincts to survive — there is not a better show on Netflix that highlights the best and worst of humanity quite like “Squid Game.”
