Notes on Netflix’s Squid Game

The following article may contain spoilers.

If you’re clued up when it comes to Netflix’s new releases, then you’ll already have seen the trailer for Squid Game. If you haven’t, you’ve probably seen it mentioned on social media (or you’ve seen the memes).

‘Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits – with deadly high stakes.’ That’s Netflix’s description of Squid Game. ‘Cash-strapped’ is definitely used loosely here because a good deal of the players are heavily in debt. In terms of genre, it has been placed in Thriller, but given the amount of bloodshed (and the acts of brutality), I wouldn’t mind it being classed as Horror. I’m only half-joking.

The series starts with Gi-hun, a chauffeur and gambling addict, as he tries to find ways to make money. Already indebted to some nasty characters (including a scary fellow who seems to like the taste of human blood, or at least likes to use that as a scare tactic), Gi-hun is somewhat hopeless, until the opportunity of a lifetime comes calling. He accepts, but by the time the first game is over, blood has already been spilled.

Currently, Squid Game is Number 1 on Netflix UK. The creator of the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk, said in an interview, “People are attracted by the irony that hopeless grownups risk their lives to win a kids’ game.’ While that irony is present throughout, I think it’s only a part of the show’s success.

The series is well-written (note: I watched the Korean version with English subtitles), and I was invested in the characters, both of which are essential for good viewing. There’s plenty of drama, and enough tense scenes that you’ll be left needing a massage after. You might also need to wash out your eyes by staring at something nice like a bunch of flowers afterwards, just to get some of the bloodier scenes out of your mind.

For those of you who are prone to queasiness, Squid Game really might not be for you. I would also suggest that if you find violent scenes triggering in any way, stick to your favourite show. Although Squid Game is good, it is pretty gory, at least by my standards.

The series sparked a lot of philosophical wonderings in my mind, and I found myself asking what Squid Game is about. Is it about debt? Is it about money? Is it about the way we treat each other? I think the answer is multi-faceted, because it gives us little glimpses into a lot of different subjects. Debt, money, and by extension, capitalism are strong themes for sure, but I did find myself forgetting about the financial prize the participants are playing for, when it becomes evident that survival is the real prize.

Some of the violence does seem gratuitous at times, and this did leave me feeling a little despondent, particularly towards the end of the series (spoiler alert) when the answer to the question ‘why?’ is ‘fun.’

Generally speaking, I am of the opinion that there is too much violence on TV. Most of those 9pm dramas are based on crime and violence in some way, and putting it under the label of ‘thriller’ doesn’t do justice to some of the stuff depicted in our favourite shows. And I don’t think it’s particularly healthy for us to be surrounded by that stuff. It’s not about being a snowflake either; I was in the last year group to study Carol Ann Duffy’s Education for Leisure when I was studying poetry for my GCSEs back in 2008/09. The poem was banned from further exam anthologies because of its violent tone. I guess literary violence is looked at differently. Or maybe we care differently about the minds of teenagers than the minds of adults (the assumption being that adults can handle it).

Squid Game isn’t devoid of tender or delicate moments, and there are a few comical moments too, to lighten the mood. There are also some very dark moments. Definitely have something colourful on hand to look at once you’ve watched it. If you make it past the first game, that is.