Ok so what the hell even is Squid Game on Netflix and why is everyone obsessed with it?

It’s number one in the top 10 list and scores 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes

3 years ago

There’s one show everyone is talking about right now and that’s Squid Game on Netflix. Twitter is all over it, critics are backing it as the next big thing and everyone else is confused as to whether this show is actually about squid or not.

Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama and dystopian thriller series written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. It is starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Wi Ha-joon, and tells the story of a group of people who risk their lives in a mysterious survival game with a ₩45.6 billion prize. So no, it doesn’t look like it’s about some squid playing a game.

If you’re totally confused (I feel you), here’s a quick explainer of what Squid Game is all about, and all the hype surrounding the Netflix show. You’re welcome.

Everything you need to know about number one show on Netflix right now Squid Game including plot explained and trailer

via Netflix

Squid Game on Netflix is all about a mysterious and deadly survival game for people in desperate need of the prize money on offer

The show is being compared to a Korean Hunger Games. In the series, over 450 people who are all in debt are invited to play in a games style challenge tournament to win a huge prize fund and solve their money issues. All they have to do is compete in, and win, a bunch of challenges based on old games we used to play as kids. However, it soon becomes a harsh game of survival, when “losers” are brutally killed in front of the other players.

456 desperate contestants compete with each other in the mysterious and deadly survival game, involving multiple rounds of childhood games, to win ₩45.6 billion (£28m) prize money that can pull them out of their misery. The show’s main character is a cash-strapped man who has found himself constantly on the run from loan sharks and struggling to provide for his daughter and mother.

via Netflix

The full Netflix synopsis reads: “A mysterious invitation to join the game is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. 456 participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games in order to win ₩45.6 billion. Every game is a Korean traditional children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. Who will be the winner, and what is the purpose behind this game?”

Everyone is absolutely obsessed with it and it’s gone straight into number one on Netflix

Critics and online reviews are all over Squid Game, and it currently sits with an impressive 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes – you can’t really argue with that. Plus, Twitter is currently obsessed with the show, with loads of viewers sharing their opinions.

NME has reviewed the show, saying: “Thematic intelligence aside, Squid Game is also a white-knuckle watch, thanks to its visceral competition element. The twists, rules and set-ups of the games are finely calibrated to elicit maximum tension and excitement.” The i newspaper says: ‘The main reason viewers are sticking with the series is because the characters are complex, interesting and in all cases – even the baddies – entirely captivating. As the games progress, you find yourself attached to certain players and hoping for the demise of others.”

via Netflix

A co-CEO of Netflix has said the show could become the “biggest ever” series on Netflix. Ted Sarandos confirmed in a conference this week that the series is currently number one worldwide and “will definitely be our biggest non-English language show in the world”, adding there’s “a very good chance it’s going to be our biggest show ever.”

But just a heads up, people are commenting on how extremely gory this show is. Slate Magazine says: “There are literally hundreds of such deaths in the show’s nine episodes, with a bonus dissection scene, if what you really crave is to see some intestines.”

The Guardian adds: “If you can stomach the events of the first episode, what follows is a tightly written horror thriller that has captivated viewers.” The review continues: “Masterful cliffhangers give the series a requisite binge-worthy appeal and the set pieces are hideously inventive, but it’s the show’s eclectic cast that keeps viewers watching.”