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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Netflix's latest Korean thriller is no child's play

Netflix's latest Korean thriller is no child's play

Published Sep 23, 2021 07:00 pm
Netflix survival competition Squid Game is a series of traditional children's games but with a deadly twist. Find out who will be the winner and what the purpose behind the game is.

The Korean Wave has been on an extended roll! Whether it’s K-Drama, RomComs, Horror or Comedies, it seems there’s no stopping the Korean juggernaut that extends to Cinema, Pop Music, Food, and other K-experiences. The next one on our lips is a recently launched Netflix original, a psychological thriller that deftly plays with genres - stitching together a survival plot echoing the likes of Battle Royale and The Hunger Games, along with futuristic social realism; and a game show aesthetic that evokes such classics as Takeshi’s Castle, in a darker, totalitarian, 1984/Animal Farm tone. It’s called Squid Game, and its nine episodes of emotional roller-coaster craziness that we won’t want to miss.

From the description above, you might think it’s some hodgepodge of references and influences that don’t quite gel together; and that’s where you’d be wrong. Leave it to the savvy of Korean production values to bring all these elements into one ‘melting pot’ - and find a way to turn it into a compelling survival drama, where adults are forced to play children’s games, but with deadly implications.

As part of the Philippine promotion of Squid Game, Netflix has collaborated with ABS-CBN to create a spin-off game series titled “Extra Life” on the noontime variety show It’s Showtime. The games can also be seen in the digital airing of Showtime Online U. In “Extra Life,” previously popular personalities will be given another shot at fame by competing in a series of childhood games.

Pedestrians who visit the Robinsons Galleria along ADB Avenue will also be greeted with a replica of the terrifying doll from the Red Light / Greenlight game in Squid Game. Those who prefer not to incur its wrath can watch it here:

Squid Game is written and directed by critically acclaimed director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, known for films covering social justice issues such as Silenced (2011) and The Fortress (2017) which won multiple awards such as best screenplay and best art direction at Blue Dragon Film Awards. He also directed the box office hit Miss Granny (2014), a film with a Filipino adaptation starring Sarah Geronimo. Squid Game started off as a feature film in Hwang's head, a vision 10 years in the making. Thanks to Netflix, Squid Game was expanded into a 9-part series, allowing Hwang to exercise freedom on the story's length, content and world-building.

Watch the trailer here:

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