Posted by When you make the full-time shift to journalism and / or content writing, the struggle to put content on your blog becomes real. However, I’m keen to stick to my self-imposed rule of balancing every sponsored post on my website with a non-sponsored one, and so today I’m here with a slightly lame topic, as a last-minute non-sponsored article – a review / sharing my thoughts on the South Korean Netflix series Squid Game.
Unless you’re living under a rock, you’re aware of this TV show that has become the world’s most-watched series since its release in mid-September. In 2021, K-dramas rule the roost in terms of popularity, hence the success of this gritty survival drama show is not completely without cause. The maker of Squid Game, which in this case is TV streaming behemoth Netflix, took a safe bet knowing that the large K-drama global fan base, would tune in to watch at least one episode. Plus, the phenomenal, even if somewhat undeserved success of the Oscar-winning South Korean film Parasite, probably assured them of relative success. But perhaps even they didn’t anticipate the sheer volume of people that would end up watching the show.
In 2021, with numerous streaming platforms and fresh content churned out on the daily, it is not easy to launch a show that catches everyone’s attention – but Squid Game has done exactly that.
Anyhow, enough about the reception of the show. Let’s talk about the show itself.
THE PLOT:
A bunch of bankrupt individuals voluntarily sign up to play a set of undisclosed children’s games on the promise of winning a fat pot of money upon successful completion. After they sign up, they are drugged and dragged off to an island, where their behaviour is policed by mysterious guards in masked costumes. And then the games begin, each one of which ‘eliminates’ (read kills off) players, consequently adding to the large pot of money meant for the sole winner at the end.
THE COMMENTARY:
I’m not a K-drama fan and this was the first series I ever watched, but the plot shown in the trailer had me intrigued. In fact, the plot is the show’s biggest asset, as it touches on different aspects of human psychology, as well as the class struggles plaguing South Korea in particular, and the world in general. Human avarice is also depicted in stark light. The director does a good job of bringing out these themes and the actors of portraying them.
However, Squid Game is incredibly dramatic and extremely far-fetched. The loopholes in the plot make it seem like a child’s story, and the overt reliance on luck to portray the outcome as the director wished it, makes the game seem rigged and completely pointless. In fact, after a point, it becomes painfully obvious that the characters will get bumped off in the order relative to their importance on the show!
Don’t worry though, if you still haven’t seen the show and are keen to watch it, these are minor complaints. The fast-paced story ensures you stay hooked till the end, but only if you are willing to stomach the excessive bloodlust and violence!
THE VERDICT:
So, should you watch Squid Game on Netflix? If you’re looking purely for entertainment and don’t mind horrid violence, you will enjoy the show. However, if you’re expecting high-grade intelligent content akin to other foreign language TV shows like DARK on Netflix, you will be disappointed. Based on this assessment, you can decide for yourself what you’d like to do!
Rating: 3/5
P.S.: I made a quick reel on Instagram sharing my thoughts, so if you prefer visual content to written content, you can check it out here:
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