Squid Game

“Squid Game,” a South Korean television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, has taken the world by storm, becoming number one in 94 countries and becoming one of Netflix’s most-watched series. If you like survival dramas that have you hiding behind your sofas cushions and then this is for you. In this review I am going to cover details of the show, why it has been such a success, the merchandise available from it and what’s next for Squid Game. 

Squid Game Plot and Characters

The series centres around 456 people in financial difficulty, who are invited to participate in a mysterious competition. They must play a series of traditional children’s games, but with deadly consequences for failure. The last person standing wins a massive cash prize. At the heart of the story is Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), a down-and-out chauffeur and gambling addict who becomes a reluctant participant.

Each character brings a unique perspective to the game, reflecting a diverse cross-section of society and reasoning for wanting the prize money. From the cunning Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), a disgraced investment banker, to the resourceful North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), their backstories add depth and poignancy to the narrative.

The competition allows varying characters to show their true colours within the games and the depths they will go to to survive and win the money for themselves. 

Themes and Social Divide

“Squid Game” is more than a survival drama; it tells the story of a place where there is a large economic divide. A place where having a small amount of money can mean all of the difference  from having food on the table, getting health care and a good quality of life. It highlights the difficulties of when a place is like this, people can easily run into financial difficulty just trying to survive and criminal networks can move in and take people for granted and practically own them. 

Visuals and Direction

“Squid Game” has detailed, colourful sets and costumes. The Squid Games are based on childhood games and the guards costumes have shapes printed on their masks. There is a stark contrast of the innocence of childhood fun, to the brutality of them, enhancing the surreal and nightmarish experience. The direction by Hwang Dong-hyuk is masterful, maintaining a gripping pace that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The tension is palpable in every episode, with twists and turns that are shocking and that keeps you wanting to find out what happens next.

Performances

The acting is excellent. Lee Jung-jae who plays the protagonist Gi-hun, captures the characters  transformation from a hapless everyman to a figure of moral reckoning. Park Hae-soo who plays Cho Sang-woo and Jung Ho-yeon who plays Kang Sae-byeok both a part of the games also stand out in their roles, providing layered performances that evoke sympathy for their situation that’s led them to the games and a deep emotional connection with for their unfortunate dire situation. The supporting cast, including Wi Ha-joon as a determined police officer and Oh Yeong-su as the enigmatic elderly player, add further depth to the ensemble.

Cultural Impact

“Squid Game” has not only captivated audiences with its storytelling but has also sparked conversations about the societal issues it portrays of capitalism and inequality. Its success has shone a spotlight on Korean drama, paving the way for increased interest in international content. Programs like Netflix have had more international content watched on their platforms because of TV shows like this being such a success. The series’ distinct iconography, such as the masked guards and the intricate game setups like the doll from the “Red Light, Green Light” (Statues) game, has spawned a pop culture, inspiring memes, merchandise, and discussions worldwide.

Squid Game Merchandise

Varying merchandise is now available due to the shows popularity and some include:

The green tracksuits worn by the players and the red jumpsuits of the guards. 

Phone cases, bags, and hats featuring the series’ logo or key imagery, allow fans to incorporate a piece of “Squid Game” into their daily lives. Some of these items include the show’s distinctive symbols, such as the circle, triangle, and square. 

Action figures of key characters, as well as replicas of items from the series (like the eerie doll from the “Red Light, Green Light” game), are highly sought after.

“Squid Game” computer games, board games and puzzles, where you can relive some of the scenes, minus the real life danger. 

Home decor items, including posters, wall art, and bedding featuring scenes or characters from “Squid Game” and act as great conversational starters. 

Will there be another Squid Game?

In 2023 “Squid Game” due to it’s popularity on Netflix had its own, less perilous, British reality TV show made upon on it, “Squid Game: The Challenge.” 456 players, the same number as in the TV show “Squid Game” and the most featured in a reality TV show, compete for a staggering 4.56 million dollars. The challenges in the show have the iconic games in it including the “Red Light, Green Light” game, featured in “Squid Game.” It has been a successful adaption reaching the number one spot on Netflix in 74 countries. 

“Squid Game” Season 2, has been announced by Netflix to be released on 26th December 2024. The story follows on with the main protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) from Season 1 looking for the games organisers to try and stop the games once and for all, but finds the only way to do this is to reenter the games. Expect more iconic imagery and lore to be added to the franchise from Season 2 of “Squid Game.”

“Squid Game” Season 3, has been announced by Netflix to be out in 2025, so not long to wait! Its director Hwang Dong-hyuk has said that it is to be its final season. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, “Squid Game” is a remarkable achievement in television. It combines thrilling entertainment that provides an insight into different social and economic backgrounds where there is a social divide. The social divide exacerbates the people’s reasoning for playing the game and gives it a darker feel when we realise the games viewers are on the other end of the social spectrum. The acting, imagery and story telling is superb. 

The children games with brutal consequences and the guards costumes with basic shapes on their masks give it a sinister feel, with a sharp contrast of fun to downright a children’s nightmare. The imagery all feeds into some of the characters poor choices in life since a child and the unfairness of their world they had promise as a child for. 

“Squid Game” is a must-watch TV show. It has spawned its own pop culture and merchandise and the next instalments will only add to its lore. I would be surprised if they don’t generate high viewing numbers on release and if made with some more twists, turns, information, the same and different games and by keeping true to their beginnings, possibly more spin offs and different  merchandise will spawn from them, cementing their place in iconic history. 

References

Squid Game Season 2 (online). https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/squid-game-season-3-plot-release-date-news