Squid Game: Am I Missing Something?

[greeneyes]

The absurdly over-the-top over-acting made it painful to watch. Every scene was a boorish situational gag with actors whose tone bordered on grotesque caricature. The apparent hype propagated on social media to portray this as the "next big thing" is incompatible with the actual product.

 

[kcghost]

I heard about "Squid Game" just a few weeks ago and can't find any reason to watch it,

 

[anotherbob]

I heard about "Squid Game" just a few weeks ago and can't find any reason to watch it,

What if I told you Cosmic has a cameo in it? He doesn't but would that give you a reason???

 

[Chasing Embers]

Loved it.

 

[Pondfisher]

Its not bad. Nothing really new but it has a few twists you might not see coming.

 

[bullet08]

I thought Squidward had his own spin-off.

 

[username]

I really liked it and want to check out Alice in borderland. Apparently that has a comic that the show is based on. I watched squid game in Korean with English subs.

 

[Servant King]

A pretty succinct write-up on it, IMHO:

The Hidden Symbols and Messages in “Squid Game” - https://vigilantcitizen.com/moviesandtv/squid-game-the-meaning-of-its-messages-and-symbolism/

So yeah...I'll pass.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

If you haven't heard about Squid Game yet, it's a global phenomenon that's on Netflix right now. It is number 1 in something like every country you can get Netflix. Its always mentioned on the news, the cast was on The Tonight Show, and it dominates Netflix when I log in.

I watched a few moments of the preview, and well, I didn't find it appealing at all. I'd rather read at night.

Anyone else not riding the Squid Game train or is it just me?

Squid Game is popular firstly because it's shocking, and secondly because the entire theme of the show is people who are habitually in debt, which means the average person feels deeply empathetic toward the cast of halfwit gambling addicted characters.

 

[brian64]

A pretty succinct write-up on it, IMHO:

The Hidden Symbols and Messages in “Squid Game” - https://vigilantcitizen.com/moviesandtv/squid-game-the-meaning-of-its-messages-and-symbolism/

"We eventually learn that this entire ordeal was orchestrated by a group of rich elite people who enjoy watching miserable peasants being humiliated, infantilized, and forced to become immoral animals in order to survive."

I didn't realize it was a documentary.

 

[captainsousie]

 

[beezer]

I've been watching it here and there with my wife who is Korean. It's certainly unique and my wife enjoys the weaving in of traditional Korean games that she used to play as a kid, though the plot is rather disturbing. The Korean acting is good, but there's been widespread criticism over the American actors who enter in at the later episodes. I've been listening to the Korean version with the English subtitles...those who have watched the dub over in English might find all of the acting bad who knows.

 

[mikethompson]

So I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Those who like it seem to like it a lot, those that haven't watched it are happy to not do so.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

The trailer and description I saw looked stupid to me, I haven't bothered.

 

[greeneyes]

There's no novelty here. After the "poignant" commentary on Capitalism by the (surprise! Korean!) film Parasite, this was a predictable and uninspired spin-off. And before Parasite there was Snowpiercer, another commentary on Capitalism and the wealthy elite.

I'm all for intelligent and thoughtful commentary of any type but the crescendo of overacting and the incessant one-upmanship of "shocking" scene after scene in ever-more contrived and unrealistic contexts reaches the point of saturation very quickly.

In fact, it has the structure of a video game timeline, forced into the format of a film. What's the next challenge? What's the next escalation? Very formulaic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

of "shocking" scene after scene in ever-more contrived and unrealistic contexts reaches the point of saturation very quickly.

One of my main criticism that I posted in the "What are you watching" thread, was that the writers and director made each death softer in a way. After Game of Thrones and killing main characters at our height of rooting for them, this one was a no-shocker to me. As each character was killed, the audience know they are going to die, and even the beloved characters do something or say something that turns the audience against them somewhat. Thus, the violence and death is softer and less shocking, IMO. If they really wanted to shock this audience, they should have killed them while they were freshly bonded with the audience.

 

[mikethompson]

If they really wanted to shock this audience

Maybe that's why it doesn't appeal to me. I'm not out to get shocked. If I was, I'd approach a wall outlet with a length of wire and save myself the Netflix dues.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Maybe that's why it doesn't appeal to me. I'm not out to get shocked. If I was, I'd approach a wall outlet with a length of wire and save myself the Netflix dues.

Canadians…. Ha ha.

I’m not a horror film fan at all. But, I like my violence to not be candy coated. This is why I loved Private Ryan over most war films. War is not “whoopie!!” It’s more like “oh my God!”

 

[Akousticplyr]

I stopped after a couple episodes. Didn’t do anything for me.

 

[mso489]

It's mentioned everywhere. I haven't seen it. There are so many things I know I want to see, I have a hard time catching up, so I'm really not looking for other binge viewing. But if I happen on it by mistake and become addicted, I'll confess.