The fairly new Netflix original, South Korean Drama/Thriller, Squid Game, is on it’s way to becoming Netflix’s number one series ever. Released on Sep, 17, 2021, the show has had massive success since its premiere. The nine episode season is breaking all types of streaming records. I put a poll up on Instagram asking my followers if they liked Squid Game: 74% said YES and 26% said NO. People are really enjoying this show!
The show takes place in South Korea where 456 people, all in similar amounts of debt, get asked if they want to play a card game and are subsequently invited to play a series of other games. The 456 people call a number that is on the back of a business card. The card was given to them by the man who challenged them to play the card game. The contestants call the number, not knowing anything about what they are signing themselves up for. They are then picked up in a van, a couple people at a time, and knocked out by some sort of gas. Then they are taken to a disclosed location. They are kept under watch at all times by men in pink suits with masks on, and every game is overseen by the “Front Man”. The first game they play is “Red light, Green light”. Over the course of the series, the contestants compete in deadly children’s games and the last man standing wins ₩45.6 billion ($38 Million USD).
The main character, Seong Gi-hun, is a divorced man who lives with his old sickly mother and his one daughter. He also owes money to loan sharks. Seong is broke, so he has no option except to steal his mother’s money and keep taking out loans. He is then offered to play the card game and accepts the invitation to play. I think in some way, Seong needed to escape his terrible situation and that’s why he decided to go. However, he didn’t realize what he was signing up for.
I watched the entire show in three days. The story was very interesting. Each episode kept me engaged, and the cinematography was astonishing. This is one of the best Netflix originals I’ve seen in a long time. Props to the show’s entire crew!