The real reason Squid Game creator used children’s games for such a violent show

Squid Game season three ended with what might just be the most brutal challenge in the entire series, Sky Squid Game. And honestly, it wasn’t just that final round. Pretty much every game across all three seasons has been cranked up to maximum intensity, whether it’s physically painful, emotionally devastating, or (usually) both.

Well, Squid Game is thrilling, shocking, and honestly kind of addictive to watch. But its core concept, mixing playground classics like marbles and jump rope with high-stakes violence, has caused plenty of debate. Especially since the show has become so popular with kids, despite being clearly meant for adults.

Park Gyu-young, who plays the pink-suited guard, Kang No-eul, shared how the show’s been received back home in South Korea. “People in Korea are really proud of the success of the series,” she said. “I’m confident that K-content and K-culture will continue to thrive on the global stage.” Even with a 15 rating for violence and mature themes, some people have taken things a little too far. There have been reports of kids playing Squid Game-style games in school playgrounds. No surprise really, given how iconic those scenes have become.

So, why did the creator use children’s games in such a violent show?

via Netflix

Speaking on The One Show, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained his thinking. “The big contrast between the innocence of a kid’s game and the brutal consequence of failure, like death, is something I believe can be very compelling to people all over the world,” he said. In other words, it’s the shock factor, taking something so familiar and safe, and flipping it into something terrifying. It’s uncomfortable, but it grabs your attention.

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Lee Byung-hun, who plays the chilling Front Man, added that the cast were nervous about how people might react. “The storyline is amazing. It’s basically about loss of humanity,” he said. “We were concerned about that, but I think people around the world, they relate to this kind of social, political matters.” So while the games are dramatic and over-the-top, the message behind them is meant to hit close to home. It’s about how far people will go to survive in a broken system.

So yes, the games are extreme. And yes, it’s a lot to take in. But that’s kind of the point. The contrast between childhood innocence and adult desperation is what gives Squid Game its edge, and keeps us all watching, even when we can’t believe what we’re seeing.

Squid Game is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.