Picture via Netflix By: Molly Bancroft “All of you in this room are living on the edge, with debts you cannot pay off. If you do not wish to play, please let us know.” A new television series has gripped the eyes of the nation and streamers across the world. Never has a show shaken the platform Netflix quite as hard as “Squid Game,” released on September 17, 2021, since the release of the hit show “Bridgerton” in late 2020. Within its first 28 days of release, over 82 million households have watched “Bridgerton,” but even the CEO of Netflix says that “Squid Game” may be on its way towards the top spot. For those unaware, the show follows a group of poor, desperate South Koreans as they are forced into multiple rounds of sadistic children’s games to earn money. All of the games have high stakes since the punishment for losing is death. Some of the games include red light green light and tug-of-war. The show also highlights traditional Korean childhood games, like marbles and the squid game. It is continued until one player remains, who would then receive a prize of about 45.6 billion Korean won. Many have applauded the show for its commentary on the social class system that is still plaguing us today. Much like “The Hunger Games,” the rich physically pay those in desperate need to provide a short sum of entertainment with their lives. And those in the upper class know those below them will continue playing simply because they can’t afford to lose. The social media storm that came along with the release of the show was truly unexpected. There are many Netflix subscribers who have never been a fan of gore or violence, but are turning to this show to watch the dialogue and emotional turmoil the writers put the characters and audience through. Within the first 10 days of the show’s release, it reached number one in streaming amongst 90 different countries. Netflix CEO stated, “Squid Game will definitely be our biggest non-English-language show in the world, for sure." Pictures via Netflix
The show has also trickled into other aspects of social media, inspiring others to join in on the large bandwagon that they are missing out on. Personally, the reason I began watching the show was because I saw so many people talking about it and sharing their theories that I felt I had to watch it. Currently, the hashtag SquidGame has surpassed 46.2 billion views on TikTok and over 1 million posts on Instagram. There have even been Roblox mini-games that have replicated the games used in the show. Luckily, the deaths in those games are only temporary. In one interview, the lead actor Lee Jung Jae shared his utter shock at the recent astronomical success of the show. He explained, “I didn’t expect [Squid Game] to get this popular all over the world. I filmed for it while hoping that it would do well in Korea. However, the producer or director may have had this global popularity in their minds, as they decided to release it through Netflix.” Even most of the cast wasn’t expecting this new global phenomenon. And, like the stars, many people are questioning this newest burst of interest from viewers. Since the show didn’t have much publicity to begin with, the fan base it has amassed can be seen as confusing. Some theorists have thought it to be due to the surprise box office hit “Parasite,” which introduced many in the western world to Korean dramas. Others believe it to be the simplicity in the fact that the games played are childhood favorites with a grim twist. For many, it has become their newest quarantine binge-watch with the long episodes and attachments to the characters. Although the show takes on a heavy subject matter, the execution of both the writing and acting pull the audience in to watch all nine episodes with the utmost attention. And, there are many instances where, I’m not ashamed to say this, I burst into tears from the situation at hand.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
StaffLearn more about the people behind the stories by clicking the button below. Archives
September 2023
Categories |