It is late on a Saturday night and people all over the world are eagerly sitting down with families and friends searching for a new show to watch. They browse streaming services for something that seems appealing. 

They immediately pause on a series they have never seen before, wondering why it is the #1 show on Netflix. They press play, excited for what they are about to start. The newest craze in the media right now, Squid Game.

The show is South Korean, requiring audiences to either read subtitles, or watch the show dubbed. It follows financially struggling individuals as they are forced to play children’s games in order to win money and reduce their debt. 

However, only one player can win the cash prizes and when they lose a game, they are eliminated and get killed. 

The protagonist, Gi-Hun, enters the game and immediately forms bonds with other players, including his childhood friend Sang-Woo. Each game is a life or death situation and these friendships make the stakes even higher. We see the players mourn the loss of others while simultaneously celebrating that they were not the ones eliminated.

All though we see the development of trust and friendships, the show also highlights the animalistic instincts of the human race. Players begin to voluntarily kill one another in order to reduce the competition. They lose their humanity and begin to value money over the lives of others.

The show is also used to highlight socio-economic inequality and modern-day capitalism. 

“It’s definitely a statement piece about wealth, inequality, and how the rich somewhat control the poor and what not through money,” senior Nathan Connelly said.

Throughout its course, Squid Game had a lot of twists and turns that captivated the viewer. It was impossible to guess what was going to happen in the next episode until the very end. 

“I thought it was pretty good. I liked the twist where the old man was the one running the game,” Connelly said. 

Squid Game shook the world with its social commentary and extreme, violent plot. In my opinion, everyone should tune it to this fantastic show.