Not just a game: what has made ‘Squid Game’ so popular?
The Hindu
Social inequality, poverty and debt. Why the success of ‘Squid Game’ is also a stark reminder of the times we live in
Who would have thought a dystopian story of 465 debt-ridden contestants willing to put their lives at stake for 45.6 billion won (approximately $38.6 million), playing a deadly version of a children’s game, would have taken off as it did? Ever since Squid Game’s premiere on September 17, the nine-episode Korean series directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk has been the most watched and talked about show across the globe — it amassed 111 billion views since its release making it Netflix’s biggest series ever.
“The aesthetic is brilliant and unlike anything on TV right now,” says film critic Raja Sen, explaining that while Squid Game draws us in with drama on a very universal level and makes us care about the characters, it then entices viewers the way a reality show would: with rule-changes, advancing levels, and elimination threats. “Audiences living through a pandemic might be relating more easily to characters whose survival is threatened. We have all lost friends and family over the last year, and that, clubbed with anxiety and uncertainty on various levels, does make us feel trapped like the characters in the show. Cheering for the protagonist, therefore, feels satisfyingly cathartic,” he adds.