Netflix has a new hit on its hands. On Friday, Sept. 17, the streaming giant released its new original series Squid Game, a South Korean title that has quickly become all the talk online. Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Wi Ha-joon, the nine-episode survival series follows a group of people who accept a mysterious invitation to participate in a survival game in which they are locked into a secret location and play a series of traditional children’s game such as Red Light, Green Light. However, the game is anything but kid-friendly, because while they will walk away with $45.6 billion if they win, if they lose, they pay with their lives.
Since its debut, the series has been making quite the impression. Currently, Squid Game ranks No. 2 overall among all TV series and movies on the Netflix streaming platform. It falls just behind Sex Education, which debuted its third season the same day, and ahead of Safe House, Clickbait, and even Lucifer, which round out the Top 5 titles on Netflix at the moment. The series also takes the No. 2 spot among all series on the platform, again falling behind Sex Education on that list. Meanwhile, it has an audience score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
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But the show’s success isn’t just playing out in its ratings. On social media sites like Twitter, Squid Game has taken over conversations. As viewers tuned in to the first season upon its debut, many took to social media to react, some encouraging others to give the show a chance. Keep scrolling to see what Netflix subscribers have to say about Squid Game.
‘Thrilling’
“South Korea’s first death game work [Squid Game] was thrilling with top notch production quality,” tweeted one viewer. “Loved their approach towards this genre & how it reflects the reality we live in. The contrast in colours used to make it look aesthetic & lovely when it’s unsettling & terrifying.”
‘Masterpiece’
“I honestly can’t get over how stunning the visuals in the [Squid Game] are,” added somebody else. “The fact that theres hardly any CGI involved makes it even more impressive and convincing!”
‘Brilliant’
“Done watching [Squid Game],” wrote another. “Idk how to explain if I like that ending but overall the drama is my type and I’m super in love with this concept survival game. The cast acting were brilliant, the filming set and filmography were excellent. And CAMEO(s), YES chef kiss!”
‘Adrenaline rush’
“watching [Squid Game] made me feel like a player myself trying to survive alongside them,” wrote somebody else, “it’s been a while since i felt an adrenaline rush, i couldn’t get enough with this kind of concept. i was really excited about this and it was absolutely amazing overall!”
Comparisons to ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Maze Runner’
“Squid game reminds me of hunger games/maze runner but more evil and madness and I mean it like MORE. Plain barbaric,” tweeted another viewer, who also shared a quote from the show’s director reading, “There’s an irony in our most beautiful and innocent memories being changed into the most horrifying reality.”
Showing the cast some love
“[Squid Game] is like ‘As the gods will’ and ‘Alice in Borderland,’” wrote another person. “The similarity is tradition game from as the gods will and gather people who have problems in life from Alice in Borderland. The difference 2 Japan movies are that play game to defend their lives without money.”
Season 2 renewal?
“I think we can all agree that ‘squid game’ and ‘sweet home’ are some of the best suspense thriller kdramas out there and both of them deserves a season two,” tweeted one fan.
