Squid Game

Hollywood is done, Korea dulez!! The combination of Netflix and South Korea is the best thing anyone has ever thought of, and it has once again resulted in an awesome spectacle with all the Korean parameters, traits and attributes, and the same big names have come together to make South Korea a powerful mainstream hit that is shaking up the world. A variation on Battle Royale and Hunger Games along the lines of Japan's Alice in Borderland has never been more entertaining, smart and disturbing. Squid Game follows the die-hard Korean template and has all the elements every fan expects: an original twisted theme, perfectly written and acted characters with strong progression and changes, the requisite dose of action, violence and high body-count, built-up suspense, believable twists, ornate visuals, compelling dialogue, well-conceived melodrama toying with the audience's emotions, and it wouldn't be Korean if there wasn't also people trafficking. Only the Koreans can incorporate so many elements and present it confidently with a raised middle finger, and they do it again with clarity and breathlessness. Episode 6 is probably the strongest for me and the reveal of the White Horse put a smile on my face, I didn't expect it in the least. Excellent Job. I loved the cameo by Gong Yoo and Lee Jeong-jae in the lead, but in a very unconventional role. Story 5/5, Action 4/5, Humor 1/5, Violence 5/5, Fun 5/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 5/5, Emotion 4/5, Actors 4/5. 9/10. (24/09/2021)

Squid Game may not look like it, but its means of expression say a lot in a small space. Primarily sociological, it examines characters with various bad backstories in an extreme setting, but does it with refinement and unpredictability. At times brutal splatter carnage, at times a slow burn of great emotion. A wonderful gamut of different fates, motivations and development of many characters, where no normal person seems to find their own, but in many situations it is hard not to sympathize with and root for many of them. A brilliant complex drama with at times quirky humour, poignant moments and unadulterated brutality, in a typically Eastern sprawling style. Must see. (01/02/2022)

A crossover of the motifs of Battle Royal and Saw themes, brilliantly transformed into an eight-hour collective trip through hell, all in an appealing colorful form with impressive sets and costumes, well-constructed characters and a sociological examination of their behaviour, imaginative games with more than one clever surprise and a sizable portion of blood and brutality. Dong-hyeok Hwang boldly combines all kinds of pop culture and genre trends in a commercial work for the masses and comes out on top. Episode 6 is an emotional knockout that I really didn’t expect here. The only stumble in the likelihood of the characters’ behavior comes in the final episode. It's also capped off with a slapdash would-be surprising point that contradicts certain previous events. (18/11/2021)

This series is perfect. It is one of those whose creators you will love for what they invented and how, and at the same time you will hate them for what they do to you. Did one character become your favourite? Likely is they only have a few minutes left to live, because Squid Game is uncompromising in that regard. All of the slightly more important heroes and heroines are absolutely brilliantly written, and the children's challenges where lives are on the line usually end in horrific carnage, but the players are forced to reflect on themselves and their characters begin to be revealed. And that's the real horror. The price of one's own and other's life, the price of money, the price of humanity… Everything is at stake, and how will it turn out? I dare say that the finale will surprise everyone. I probably wouldn't have needed a second series, I liked the ending the way it was, but since there will be one… Yeah, of course, I’m looking forward to it. (09/03/2023)

If anything makes this series special, it's the games. They are visually, musically, choreographically, and in terms of tension absolutely – I know, it's a stupid word to use given the content – fascinating. But unfortunately, behind that is a shallow story that is sub-par compared to what Koreans are capable of coming up with. The denouement, unfortunately, turned out exactly as I thought it would (I've read a similar book). There was no shock waiting for me at the end either, because I had already figured out the character in the first half (there are too many hints), and when the person under the mask spoke in English, I knew immediately who was hiding underneath. But a nice cameo, and not a pointless one. I feel like the viewer could have used more clarification. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the creators have yet to come up with it and will introduce it to us in the next season, which I’m doubting will be of any quality. So yeah, I think the next Korean wave should have been kicked off by a different series. But on the other hand, I can understand that a viewer not familiar with Korean filmography might enjoy it completely differently. And the games are really, really good. (17/10/2021)