Squid Game was not what I was expecting but at the same time was. All I knew going into it was that it’s a Netflix show about a group of financially struggling people who agree to participate in a series of games from their childhood in order to obtain a grand cash prize. Players who lose are ‘eliminated.’

In other words, they’re not going home.

My first thought after learning this plotline was “Hunger Games 2.0,” although a key difference is the competitors in Squid Game are adults not children.  This show is also way more brutal.

The story follows Seong Gi Hun, a deadbeat dad addicted to gambling who joins the game so he can support his family. He is someone who is quite down on his luck from having to be financially supported by his mother to having a rocky relationship with his daughter. It’s no wonder he joined the game.

From the very first episode, the show’s brutality is on full display; there’s no telling who’s going to live or die. The stakes get higher each game and it’s honestly hard to watch at times. There’s also no shortage of plot twists and it’s hard to tell where the story is going to end up because as soon as things start making sense, the show throws a huge curveball that puts into question everything anyone thinks they know about the game.

The Cast

The cast of Squid Game is amazing: there’s no shortage of great performances. For people familiar with K-dramas, you may recognize some from their previous works.

Lee Jung-Jae who plays Gi-Hun is a top film and TV star in South Korea. Although he plays a deadbeat, his acting more than makes up for that and I quickly found myself rooting for him (SOURCE).

Park Hae-Soo, who many may know from Prison Playbook, plays Sang Woo a struggling businessman who is wanted by the police. He is probably the most calculating character in the show (SOURCE).

Kim Joo-Ryeong is another seasoned actor although perhaps less well-known before starring in Squid Game. She plays Mi-Nyeo and one of my favorites just because she provided some much-needed comedic relief in such a grim situation.

Among some of the fresh faces is Anupam Tripathi, an actor from India who has starred in mostly supporting roles up until Squid Game (SOURCE). He plays a character named Ali who decides to join the game to support his wife and child.

Another fresh face is Jung Ho-Yeon, completely new to the acting scene. She plays Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector trying to reunite her family (SOURCE). I loved all the characters for different reasons, but my favorite was Sae-byeok just because her relationship with her brother was so sweet. It’s clear she just wants to protect him from all the evil in the world.

Verdict

Overall, I think Squid Game is a must watch. It’s enthralling, suspenseful and the plot twists kept me on my toes. The cast is also fun to watch and for some, Squid Game was their big break, which is great to see. I loved that every character had something or someone they were fighting for while also trying to overcome some obstacle in their life.

I watched this show in the span of a week – which is rare for me – but that just goes to show how addicting it is! I definitely give it a 10/10.

Chatting with AP Entertainment on Nov. 9, Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the director, creator, writer of Squid Game, confirmed a Season 2. Noting the crew is in the planning stages and given the complexity of production (Season 1 took two years), the earliest viewers can hope to see Squid Game is by late 2022.