Released: 17th September 2021
Number of Episodes: 9
Where to Watch: Netflix
Created By: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi and Kim Joo-ryoung
In recent years, South Korea has become a bastion for well-crafted productions that feature contemporary themes. Squid Game, produced and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, has been a smash hit with Netflix audiences worldwide. When you look past its popularity, some issues do emerge.
Set in a modern South Korea plagued by inequality, a collection of people at the bottom of the social ladder sign up for a contest that quickly turns violent. Watched over by armed guards in red jumpsuits, they must complete six unique games to win a way out of their individual problems. This dangling carrot proves too tempting; once we reach the third episode, it’s all about the games themselves. The last one standing wins a staggering 45.6 billion won. A battle-royale that pits hundreds of individuals against each other has achieved immense popularity and Squid Game keeps you guessing when it comes to the twisted contests. One moment we have a simple game of statues and the next sees the contestants cross a perilous bridge. It does have a crippling weakness however and that’s the heavier focus on the main cast. With more screen-time dedicated to them, you know exactly who will make it through and who will meet their demise. It’s an awkward balancing act that robs the series of its wider tension; rather than wondering who will come out on top, there are many expendable people who are pushed aside on the way through. Perhaps this is the point of the property’s social critiques, but it doesn’t prevent a predictable plot from setting in.
While the spotlight on the main cast dampens the games a bit, each member is distinctive and well-rounded. While over 400 players partake, the focus is really on three principal characters; Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who is suffering from debts brought on by gambling addiction, Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), a failed businessman struck down by bad investments and Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), an outcast looking to care for her little brother. Their interactions with each other and the players fill in the gaps between the six rounds. The backstories of the characters are left in the background as the games begin; where Squid Game does succeed is with the deteriorating state of the characters. At first their desperation drives them forward with self-interest always lurking in the background. Teams are drawn out to survive and everyone starts to exploit each other in their climb to the grand prize. By the end, they are all ragged and mentally drained with each cast member doing a great job of showing this shift. The conclusion feels especially sombre as a result, emphasising the pointless waste of human life. There’s also an imbalance between the contestants and their anonymous guards with the latter going by rather underused; their identity is left a mystery but their motivations leave something to be desired. Without spoiling things, the reasons behind the twisted match-ups are fairly standard fare for the genre.
Hidden away from prying eyes, the game complex is bursting with charm and colour; yet both of these ring hollow when you consider the life-or-death situations at play. It’s an incredibly violent affair with failed players executed, falling to their deaths or stabbed in the back by their fellow competitors. The producers get really creative with the camerawork for each game; they are each presented with a dramatic flair that shows off their scale and overarching danger. Of course, you’ll see the usual contrast between rich and poor when it comes to costume design; there’s a lavish viewing party towards the end of the series showing off an outrageous decadence. The series makes heavy use of classical music which is often used as the characters transition from one contest to the next; it makes for worthwhile interludes, lowering the stakes after each match.
For all the hype and massive viewership, Squid Game is a good series rather than a great one. There’s no denying that the performances and presentation are well executed, but a predictable storyline takes the edge off the colourful scenarios. There’s still plenty to enjoy, but you won’t find yourself fully enthralled with its depiction of class warfare.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)
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