This article contains some mild spoilers for Netflix’s Squid Game.
Survival theme series has become very popular in all parts of the world. Surely you still remember Squid Game, the record-breaking series that went viral with the dalgona candy game and the ‘Red Light, Green Light’ robot. When released in September, the series took the world by storm, gathering more than 111 million viewers, making it the most prominent series launch in Netflix’s history.
For us, it is easy to see why: The actors’ excellent acting, visually unique, and exciting concepts and plot twists draw people’s attention to make memes and meaningful theories.
But did you ever find out why the series became so popular, even though some scenes might seem too inhumane and gory? Why are people, or we, so drawn to acts of violence? What makes Squid Game different from others?
One of the significant differences between Squid Game and other survival-themed series, such as Alice in Borderland or Battle Royale, is the freedom of the players to choose whether to join in or not. In the first episode, viewers might have blamed them for taking the easy way to gain fast money. However, after the players tried to quit the game altogether and succeeded, we saw their reasons to join. They have motivations and emotional backstories that strongly support their decision to join this game, even though they can die at any time.
Gi-hun has a solid motivation to meet again and live with his daughter and pay off all his debts. Sae-byeok needs the money to find safe housing for her brother and rescue her mother from the North, while Ali joins to earn money for his family. All of them are in dire situations, and they are characters from all walks of life. Why should they not participate in the game when their only other option is returning to a life of suffering that is worse?
Another reason is the illusion it gives to us, viewers, at the start of the game. We start the game with a sympathetic feeling to the players, where we see them getting shot brutally at the first game. We felt pity and worried about their every move, at the risk of being killed. However, after a couple of episodes, we learn that a group of people bet on money for the game, namely the VIPs. Most of us probably did not realize that when we watched this series, we were in a very similar position to those VIPs who take great pleasure in finding out players who die and survive.
We are in two completely different perspectives. We feel anxious and concerned with the players’ well-being and are horrified by the game’s concept. The idea of people being forced to fight for their survival is ruthless, but we are also heartlessly examining the games. These two perspectives make it easier for us to understand the social values and at the same time get all immersed in the series.
What makes people engaged to stay watching till the end is the need for hope and reassurance. We have seen the players go from the first game and survive with the others, and seeing them survive the gruelling test makes the viewers seem confident to overcome their real-life struggles. This feeling of confidence aligns with human psychology. Humans feel delighted in watching people face challenging situations, such as in the ancient gladiator games, where the gladiators considered the risks of getting killed to get money.
We have those exact feelings when watching Squid Game. Even though the ending might bring us mixed feelings, it is reassuring to see anyone still standing despite the emotions of powerlessness and distrust in this world.
Words by: Victoria Liv P.
Picture credits: Netflix
Sources: Psychology Today, Bustle