Engaging Squid Game Smashes Netflix's Viewership Records

How much money is your life worth? In Squid Game, 456 debt-ridden players believe ₩45.6 billion ($38 million USD) is enough money to die for.

This new action/drama offering from Netflix tells the story of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, player 456), a broke man living with his mother, who seems to be perpetually down on his luck. His wife left him and wants to take their daughter to America with her new husband. On top of that, his unpaid debt to the Korean Mob is getting him jumped. After stealing his mother’s card to gamble on Horse Racing, Gi-hun finally catches a break. He wins ₩4.5 million ($3,750 USD) and then proceeds to lose it when a strange woman robs him.

Already at Rock Bottom, Gi-hun accepts an opportunity to play a game of ddakji for money in a train station. The game consists of two paper squares which the players take turns throwing at the other players square, trying to flip it over. However, there is a twist; If Gi-hun loses, his opponent gets to slap him. Once the game is over, Gi-hun is given a strange business card and invited for another game.

Upon arriving, Gi-hun and the other 455 players realize they have been drugged and taken to a mysterious facility. The guards sport red jumpsuits and full-face masks with shapes, which are later explained to correspond with the guards' role in the facility. All the players receive a rude awakening once the first game, Red Light Green Light, begins. The first player who loses is suddenly gunned down, and panic ensues. With that first shot, Gi-hun and his fellow players realize the stakes are higher than ever and that failure will result in their untimely deaths.

Squid Game features a strong main cast with great performances all around. A very memorable performance comes from Oh Yeong-su as Oh Il-nam (Player 001), who portrays a senile old man who becomes close with Gi-hun over the course of the game. Jung Hoyeon as Kang Sae-byeok (Player 067) shines as well, playing the cold and lonesome North Korean-escapee.

Both of these characters stand out --especially in episode 6, which is the best. The writing and direction are both on point in this episode. There is a sense of dread the entire episode, as you wait for each character to make a more than difficult decision. It’s impressive how emotional the dialogue is , even though I watched it subbed (Original Korean audio with English subtitles).

While on the topic of subtitles vs English dubs, I absolutely recommend watching in Korean if you can. The English translation for the show sounded off to me, and I turned it off partway into the first episode.

The writers of Squid Game keep a sense of mystery surrounding the facility and the person/people behind the game throughout the whole show, while also dropping crumbs of information and exposition to keep the viewers hooked. The recurring use of time limits and countdowns throughout the show adds a lot of suspense. Every time the credits rolled, I rushed to play the subsequent episode to see what happens next. The show will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout viewing. The finale of the season saves a major plot twist to the very end.

Squid Game has been a smash-hit for Netflix, shattering the record for biggest series launch ever. According to Netflix’s Twitter, the 9-episode first season of Squid Game attracted 111 million viewers within just under a month of being on the platform. This is no surprise however, as an international title this show can pull viewers from both America and Korea. Released Netflix figures even show that the show has made $891 Million for the streaming service. With many of the reveals throughout the show, the unexpected ending and the show’s astronomical success, a second or more seasons are an inevitability. Hopefully the writers can continue to deliver on all the strong points of the show, even after a lot of the game’s lore has been revealed already.

For its great pacing, dialogue and performances, I give Squid Game a 4/5 stars rating and recommend it to anybody interested in watching. One warning to anybody who wants to watch this show, it is violent. If you can’t handle blood or anything like that, this show might not be for you. Make sure to avoid spoilers, as the many twists and turns of the story are much better experienced blind.