WARNING: Spoilers!
It’s the game that took the number one spot on Netflix and captivated audiences all around the world.
My mother came into my room one day and advised me not to watch this new show on Netflix. It was called Squid Game. Sure, I had seen the memes on Instagram and the big advertisement on the Netflix home page, but what was it about?
I decided to start it on Friday, October 8, and ended up finishing the show just two days later. No show has ever captivated my attention in the way that Squid Game did.
The original show, created by Hwang Dong-Hyuk, was written in 2008, meaning it took many years for the show to get approved and signed with Netflix. Squid Game is a controversial South Korean show about childhood games being played for life or death. It has reached over 111 million viewers, ranked number one on Netflix, and 82 million households watched it in it’s first month on Netflix.
Seong Gi-Hun, the main character, represents some modern day Korean adults: in debt and willing to do anything to escape poverty.
The games played in the show were intense and forced people to reflect on their values. If you win, you get money, if you lose you get killed. This is an interesting concept of how far people are willing to go for the chance to escape their debt.
The first game, which was red light green light, eliminated half of the players. I found this scene disturbing because it took a children’s game that we played on the playground and turned it into a life or death situation.
Games that followed included tug-o-war, carving a shape out of sugar, a marble game, and the final squid game.
As the audience followed Seong Gi-Hun through the games, they watched other players slowly drop dead. Emotional attachments between the viewers and characters were suddenly snapped in a second.
One connection that I developed was with Oh Il-nam, an old man with dementia, who was spending his last days competing in the games. I watched as he enjoyed the games, living for the hopes that he would win the money. This was the most interesting plot line because in the last episode it was revealed that Il-nam was the creator of the games. This came as a shock to me and turned viewers against him and against their previously held faith in humanity. People realized that when it came to money, others will not stop till they get it. It showed that as a society, you never know who you can trust and people can surprise you suddenly.
The show highlighted the disparities in social classes. The “elite donors” who entered the game to observe and make bets on the players represent how the games can be perceived by people in different classes. The rich enjoy champagne while watching the poor fight for their lives and be murdered.
I watched Squid Game despite my mother’s advice. I learned about how in all countries there are the same problems. Her fears that I would be desensitized to death didn’t come true, but I had another discovery: the value of money.
Would I recommend Squid Games? I don’t know. Did it open my eyes to something bigger than people just playing kids games for fun? Yes. Squid Game is a show that is disturbing, but even worse when you dig deeper to analyze it’s true meaning.
