Last fall, Netflix dropped the Korean survival drama series Squid Game. It quickly became a worldwide sensation and is one of the most popular series Netflix has ever produced.

Lee Jung-jae (Player 456), Park Hae-soo (Player 218), Wi Ha-joon (officer), HoYeon Jung (Player 067), O Yeong-su (Player 001), Heo Sung-tae (Player 101), Tripathi Anupam (Player 199), Kim Joo-ryoung (Player 212) star in Squid Game, a dystopian show about hundreds of people who compete in a variety of kid’s games for a chance to win $38 million USD. The participants soon discover that you lose more than just the chance to win money. Although it’s violent and bloody, it is also entertaining and very binge-able.

Squid Game is about the competition of life. Just four days after the release, it marked Netflix’s biggest series launch ever. 

“It was good, and it was very interesting, and suspenseful because I was always on edge waiting to see what would happen next,” said freshman Liliana Murillo.

Each of the nine episodes features a new game that the characters have to play and win, or die. It’s safe to say that the episodes are packed with tension. 

The first episode introduces the main character Player 456, and why he entered the game. Later episodes explain why each player is offered a chance to play. As many players are in debt, dividing the winning prize money equally would solve their problems. Unfortunately, the system allows only one person to win, but in order for you to win, other people have to suffer. 

“I heard about this show through TikTok and decided to watch the first episode. It was slow at first, but what really hooked me was the red light green light episode. I don’t know if you can tell, but I LOVE murder,” said sophomore Crystal Martinez.

“How they turned all of the childhood games into a killing game– that was pretty interesting. I liked Player 067 because she was quiet and mysterious and I was hoping she would win. But when she dies I was heartbroken,” shared sophomore Skye Sansom.

“There is no respawn button in Squid Games like in video games” freshman Joseph Stafford added.

Squid Game hooks you and keeps you watching with the thought of survival. By the time you finish watching Squid Game, you’ll have strong feelings about each of the characters and you’ll find yourself developing theories about different situations. But most of all, you will be equally entertained and horrified. 

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk announced last November that there will be a second season. While it’s too soon to know whether its release will come in 2023 or 2024, it’s bound to be a long wait for fans all over the world.