The most popular show on Netflix right now is a South Korean series with an unusual name: Squid Game.
Squid Game is a sometimes funny, sometimes tearful, and oftentimes thrilling nine-episode television series set in a not-so-distant future where children's games have turned deadly for the entertainment of the uber-rich.
With only four days after the release of the series, Squid Game quickly began to be the first South Korean drama to debut at the number 1 spot of the streaming giant. This sets the record for Netflix as their most successful series launch up to date.
It's gruesome and brutal, but it's also addictive and binge-worthy.
Top Netflix Show
Netflix posted on their Twitter account on Tuesday, October 12, and announced that 111 million people have watched Squid Game.
With that, Squid Game has become Netflix's biggest TV program launch ever.
The company didn't deny it and stated that they somehow saw it coming. And now, it has been officially declared as the top Netflix series.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix's co-CEO, hinted at the possibility of the South Korean series, to become the streaming service's largest show ever, saying the top Netflix show hit had a really strong chance.
He added that Squid Game became number 1 all across the world on October 1, and will certainly be the largest non-English language show in the world.
According to the Gazette, Squid Game has now surpassed the hugely successful show Bridgerton to become Netflix's most popular show. The series surpassed the record of Bridgerton, which got 82 million in its first 28 days on Netflix.
To the rare few who haven't keep up with the trend in watching the top Netflix show Squid Game, below is a simple rundown for you without spoiling.
Read also: 'Squid Game' Theory: Viral TikTok Video Reveals Possible Way Workers, Players Were Selected
All About Squid Game
As reported by CNET, Squid Game is a South Korean TV series on Netflix, which began streaming on September 17.
Squid Game is all about a group of people in South Korea who are deeply in debt. It is tailored like a Battle Royale-style game show, in which contestants battle to the death for a large cash reward. To win, they have to survive six days of playing games, all of which are a surprise to the contestants.
While the contestants were tricked into the fatal children's game tournament, an occurring theme in the show is freedom and equality, wherein the contestants were not forced into signing up for the games in the first place, or going back when they had the chance to escape, and that each contestant is unaware of what game comes next, meaning they are all equally unprepared for what's coming.
With that, there's an enormous amount of cash price on the line if you win the game: 45 billion South Korean won, which equates to $38 million, or £27 million in pounds, and AU$52 million Australian dollars.
However, the chances of survival are slim. Consider The Hunger Games, but with only Tug of War and Marbles as contests.
When a group of masked rich VIPs comes to bet on and cheer on the deaths, you'll undoubtedly get some Hunger Games flashbacks, and there are definitely some ode to Hostel and other horror movies.
Squid Game, on the other hand, doesn't feel like a rip-off; it's a well-made drama and thriller series with a great cast of desperate contestants and those in charge of the game. The show stars award-winning actor Lee Jung-Jae, Park Hae Soo, Wi Ha-Joon, and model and newcomer HoYeon Jung, along with international star Lee Byung-Hun, who is part of the 2009 Hollywood film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Without a doubt, the show has a dark atmosphere to it, and there is a lot of blood. It's unsettling to see children's activities converted into violent games, and it's not for everyone.
However, the characters are well-developed, and the action is fast-paced and never stops.
The characters are swiftly and smoothly introduced in the show, and then just like that, the games begin. It's difficult not to return for more after seeing one episode, especially as the curiosity grows and you return to see one episode after another even if it means seeing someone will die.
And then quickly, there comes the ending.