Netflix Squid Game ever since it released on Friday, Sept. 17, the nine-episode Korean thriller “ has created new records and rose to number position on the streaming platform in the US. It has caught the attention world wide and not it is a viral sensation.
The playground game where players stop and go at a tagger’s command is one of six kids games with fatal consequences depicted in the gory thriller named after a South Korean variation of tag played in the 1970s and 80s using a board drawn in the dirt. In the “Red Light, Green Light” episode, the show’s first, players are shot for failing to stand still at the red light call.
The Squid Game is the last one the 456 cash-strapped contestants on the show, ranging from a North Korean defector to a fund manager charged with embezzlement, must compete in for a prize of 45.6 billion won ($38.66 million).
“Squid Game” isn’t for those who have a weak stomach. The trailer gives just a small taste of some of the gore and violence that occurs throughout the series as the competition is underway. But that is nothing compared to what actually takes place in the series. So if you’re squeamish at the sight of blood, we suggest stay far away.
Thousands of global users have been playing “Red Light, Green Light” in several game rooms dubbed “Squid Game” on Roblox, a California-based maker of popular online video game platforms.
On Twitter, the hashtags “SquidGame” and “RedLightGreenLight” were trending and reviews of the Roblox games have inundated YouTube and other social media.
Venues outside the virtual world are also capitalizing on the show’s popularity.
A Facebook post showed a mall in Quezon City in the Philippines had installed a 3-metre (10 ft) copy of the doll that calls out the commands in the “Red Light, Green Light” episode, which invites people to play across a crosswalk outside and win prizes.
Following the success of the nine-part series, season two of “Squid Game” is in the works, and Netflix has said it plans to invest $500 million on original movies and TV shows this year in South Korea, one Asia’s fastest growing markets.
What you need to know about Squid Game
“Squid Game” is basically a mash-up of “Hunger Games” and “Kill Bill.” You may recall when we were kids playing games, the consequence to losing was dying? Well, take that idea, but make that fictional outcome a reality for adults.
“Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games,” the description on Netflix reads. “Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.”
456 people, all who have financial struggles, are invited to participate in a mysterious survival competition to risk their lives to win the ₩45.6 billion prize ($38.5 million USD). Among the shows stars are Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, HoYeon Jung, Heo Sung-tae, Kim Joo-ryoung, Anupam Tripathi and Lee Yoo-mi.
The two-minute-long trailer of the show gives viewers a sneak peek as to what they can expect from the series, including the lethal twists given to some of the childhood games as well as tense moments between contestants determined to win the prize money to settle their financial struggles.
Reactions after playing the Squid Game
After starting the series, we couldn’t stop watching. So plan to binge when you have a day or weekend devoid of other obligations because you’re gonna keep hitting “next episode” over and over again.
There aren’t currently any plans for a second season of the series. Hwang said that he’d consider making more feature movies before creating a second season of the show.
“I don’t have well developed plans for ‘Squid Game 2,’” he explained. “It is quite tiring just thinking about it. But if I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I’d consider using a writers’ room and would want multiple experienced directors.”