Netflix’s Korean drama “Squid Game” has become a big hit, reaching number one in 90 countries around the world. The company’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, said it “very likely will be the biggest show ever,” and it’s sure to resonate with audiences around the world.
In the United States, it became the first Korean series to win first place, and has maintained the top spot since September 21st. “Squid Game” depicts people who participate in a mysterious survival game with a huge prize money and fight for their lives. Although it is a work with a theme, it draws in viewers with a tense story that reflects the current times.
Recently, many Korean films that have gained popularity in the United States deal with economic disparities in society, such as the Cannes-winning film “Parasite,” but “Squid Game” is also based on an anti-capitalist allegory. and In addition, the boiling tension and the escalating development are contents that invite you to watch at once.
Debt and death abound in Squid Game, and economic inequality underlies nearly every character.
The main character, Song Ki-hoon, is in despair because of his business failure, divorce, and gambling debts. He is portrayed as a ruthless man who spends his mother’s earned money on gambling, but when the game begins, he is portrayed as a caring character.
He may have failed in capitalist society, but in a hopeless game he succeeds in retaining his humanity.
The reason why “Squid Game” is gaining so much support is because the world depicted in this drama is surprisingly similar to the real world. Faceless rulers hang wads of money from the ceiling, call people by number, and invite them to participate in a life-or-death game.
It can be said that director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who “completed the script for this work in 2009,” had a surprising foresight (this work was 10 years before it was adopted by Netflix). It is said that he had been rejected by the studio for a year.)
The worldwide success of “Squid Game” is likely to influence many creators.