If you have been on Netflix recently, you have probably seen the newest trending show, “Squid Game.” The nine-episode series was released Sept. 17 and follows 456 players competing in six murderous children’s games. Since it was released, the show has been dominating Netflix’s ratings. 

The show follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a man who has millions of dollars in debt due to a gambling problem. After a mysterious businessman offers Gi-hun a chance to make money, he accepts and takes part in the ‘squid game.’ The competition for the prize money consists of six traditional South Korean games, the only catch being that it’s a matter of life or death. The winner gets $38.5 million while the rest of the players are executed throughout the games. The games almost seem fun and carefree until you see what happens when a player loses. There are masked operators and a gamemaster who are in charge of the entire competition. Overall, the content is dark and creepy, but it draws you in.

The game was created by rich people as a competition for the poor. I enjoyed how the series explored the very real and human reasons as to why someone might end up needing a lot of money, why they do what they do and what they are willing to do to get it. You also get to see to what extent some of the participants are willing to go, all because they were so desperate for the money. In this case, some positive character development was present, but other characters became filled with greed and rage. 

At the beginning of the competition, all the participants form groups and are friends, but as soon as the games start to unravel and the prize money increases, greed and rage take over several of them. I really liked seeing all the friendships they made, but in the end, only one person wins. It was upsetting to see the betrayal. 

The entire plot was extremely graphic, and while I usually don’t enjoy shows with a lot of violence, this one captured my attention and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This story reveals the reality that people do desperate things when in desperate situations. The game creators prey on the vulnerability of the contestants. The number of people who were brutally murdered was sickening. At points, it was terrifying to watch the contestants try to win a game with a masked operator standing next to them with a gun, waiting to shoot the second something goes wrong.

This isn’t just about mindless murder. There are heartbreaking moments. The thing that kept me most invested in the show was the consistent question of who to blame: the ruthless contestants killing to survive, or the operators sitting and watching everything unravel. I already watched it, but I am still thinking about the plot and these unanswered questions.

Overall, I thought the show was intriguing and definitely a binge-worthy series if you can handle a lot of violence. The games were already pretty crazy, but the fact that they are meant to be played by kids adds a level of horror to the show that leaves you thinking for a couple of days.