Have you had the opportunity to watch Netflix’s latest series “Squid Game”? According to CNN, the South Korean action-fiction thriller is Netflix’s “biggest-ever series launch.” In the first four weeks, 142-million-member households have viewed the show since its premiere debut on Sept. 17.
The layers of dynamics created by writer-director Hwang Dong-Hyeok have not been the easiest road to production, as Dong-Hyeok tirelessly tried to get his script accepted, which took nearly a decade to begin, and lost six teeth in the process due to stress.
What is the reasoning behind the fact that “Squid Game” has taken the streaming world by storm?
“I think it’s entertaining because it’s suspenseful. It was also really violent, and I think it was super interesting how they made the point that people who really need money will do anything for it,” said senior Chelsea Semler.
Some students do not feel that they could risk the lives of others for any amount of money.
“I would have chosen to go home because killing people is something I would not want to be a part of for no amount of money, and I’d be in fear for my own life,” said senior Donovan Lacey.
Aside from the violence and onslaught of bloodshed portrayed in “Squid Game,” there was another element that caught viewers’ attention.
“The relationships and various dynamics created amongst prisoners makes it entertaining, and the drama of course,” said Semler.
The New York Times stated, “Alliances form and shift; players reveal their true makeups; losers are immediately gunned down. The six games, spaced across nine episodes, invoke both reality-TV competitions — “Survivor” with guns — and the more purely kinetic pleasures of televised sports and e-sports.”
On the other hand, the brutality in some scenes arose fear, and even led to eye-covering moments.
“It was so messed up sometimes that I did not like watching it and I had to cover my eyes,” said sophomore Breana Gionta. “It was wild witnessing what they did to innocent people. I did not like it.”
According to Netflix, “Squid Game” is ranked number one in over 90 countries and is on track to become their biggest show ever.
“I would say the show lives up to the hype since people who aren’t avid TV watchers are beginning to turn their heads to watch ‘Squid Game,’” said sophomore Ava Zecchino.
Some students started watching “Squid Game” as they saw the hype grow on social media.
“I was one who bought into the hype after I saw the surplus of content put out by social media influencers, but the scariness and the idea behind the show makes it worth the watch,” said sophomore Grace Schiller.
Other students thought the hype is what makes the show even more interesting.
“I kept seeing the show on social media. Even when I wasn’t watching the show, I was seeing something about it,” said senior Michael Hayes. “The hype was built up incredibly, and the entertainment made it fun to keep up with.”
Although the publicity and advertisement of “Squid Game” grew at a rapid rate, there were still those who thought that overall, the show did not deserve all the hype it received.
“I thought it was a good show, not great, and not award-winning,” said Semler.
For some who have begun the show and have yet to finish, they can’t seem to keep their eyes off the screen.
“The concept of the show is keeping me on my toes and seeing the different and unrealistic world watching on the outside is eye-opening,” said Zecchino.
