We all have memories of the TV scenes that are so sad that just the thought of them makes you cry. Watching Squid Game is such a visceral experience, but in a way that we’re not used to when it comes to television. Who wants to feel like they missed out? (As someone who finished the season and may never smile again, maybe it’s OK to miss out!) Especially as it’s caught fire this last week, Netflix has dutifully made sure it shows up on as many home screens as possible. Then there’s the age-old reason: Curiosity kills the cat-or, in this case, the human spirit, which no longer exists after watching. I think it’s so effective, especially in a genre that is so extreme in its gore, that it masquerades as “fun.” It’s black comedy at its bleakest, a tonal juxtaposition that is to be admired. From the way the set pieces are laid out, the framing of certain (spectacular) shots, and the music cues, there is a morbid whimsy purposefully injected into the show.
I think there’s a certain appeal in watching something that is so meticulously drawn.
Watching the nine episodes is an intense experience. “There’s a certain thrill to being as shocked and as horrified as the characters in each episode of the series.” More than one person has described the show to me as “fun,” which is absolutely wild. Someone convinced me to traumatize myself with this show, so now I’m going to pass that on, until we’re all collectively disturbed together. And then clicked play on the next one.) That’s intoxicating, even if it is rooted in such darkness, and people want to share that high.Ī more sinister extension of that is payback.
#SCARY SQUIDS SERIES#
(The cliffhanger-happy series once ended an episode in the middle of such a tense moment that I impulsively yelled, “Fuck you!” at the TV. There’s a certain thrill to being as shocked and as horrified as the characters in each episode of the series. (Squid Game, for example, is a variation on tag.) But the contestants soon learn-to their horror and the reason I may never sleep soundly again-that “being eliminated” means being killed.Īnecdotally, I’ve noticed different reasons that people have become Squid Game evangelists. At first, these seem like childhood games, like Red Light, Green Light. Once they sign a strangely sparse contract, it is explained to them that if they make it through six games without being eliminated, they will win 45.6 billion won, or what amounts to $38.7 million. He arrives at a secret venue to find 455 other contestants-he is number 456-all in similarly dire straits, confused about what they’ve gotten into but tantalized at the prospect of a cash prize. Netflix has categorized the show under thrillers and dramas, and it has a TV rating of MA.A down-on-his-luck gambler with a mountain of debt, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), is recruited by a mystery man to participate in an ambiguous game that he promises will allow Gi-hun to settle his finances and start his life over. Despite the memes, while Squid Game has its comedic moments the show is far from a comedy.
Netflix has called the show the streaming service’s most popular show yet. Soon, the series garnered more viewers who did not want to be left out of the conversation, especially with the potential for spoilers. Take, for instance, the slew of memes that made their way through social media, which only viewers of the show would fully understand. The Korean-produced streaming series debuted on September 17, 2021, and soon after, viewers could not stop watching and talking about it. Netflix’s Squid Game continues this trend. KPOP, specifically bands like BTS, continues to sweep the charts, while Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite made Oscar history in 2020 as the first-ever non-English foreign language film to win Best Picture. Movies, television shows, and music from South Korea have increasingly become popular to Western audiences.
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