If you go on Netflix right now and look at the streamer’s list of Top 10 titles, you’ll probably be surprised by the name in the very first position. Netflix’s most popular title this week is called Squid Game, and it’s probably not at all what you’re thinking when you hear the show’s name. The South Korean TV series is crazy, violent, twisted, and quickly becoming a household name.
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The premise of Squid Game is a lot like that of The Hunger Games, though it’s probably even more closely related to the ultra-violent cult thriller, Battle Royale. The series sees a bunch of people desperate to make a little money accept an invitation to compete in classic children’s games against one another. What they don’t know until they begin playing, though, is that there are deadly consequences if they lose.ย
If you break a rule or lose a game, you die. If you refuse to play, you die. The trailer for the series, which you can watch below, sets up a mysterious premise but reveals what’s at stake when some of the players show up for a game of Red Light, Green Light. The classic game sees kids try move as quickly as they can while whoever is in charge of the game is giving them the green light. When the person in charge turns towards the kids and gives the “Red Light” signal, all players must stop moving. If you’re caught moving, you’re out. In Squid Game, any movement causes the player to be shot instantly.ย
There are plenty of other kids game being played with deadly stakes in Squid Game, including a perilous Tug-of-War match that sees the losing team pulled off of a high ledge. Every game you thought you loved playing as a kid will likely come back to bite you in this chilling new series.
Squid Game looks to be one of the most brutal and surprising shows to debut on Netflix in quite a while. Despite having to read subtitles, it looks like American audiences are eating it up, as it has been steadily climbing the site’s ranks since its release.
At this time, Netflix hasn’t made any announcements about a second season of Squid Game in the future. The first season is currently on Netflix in its entirety, consisting of nine total episodes.
Are you going to be checking out Squid Game on Netflix? Let us know in the comments!