Squid Game

Started by wilberfan, September 29, 2021, 10:37:16 PM

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wilberfan

https://youtu.be/oqxAJKy0ii4

Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.

I haven't checked it out yet, but two weeks out from it's debut, Netflix is saying it "...is already tracking to be its biggest show ever, and is currently ranking as the number one show on the platform in several countries."

WorldForgot

At episode 6 currently --

Get into the kicks of its closed circuit and the games make for the sort of drama that peels back characters. Gives performances and dimensions along a singular theme of extortion and capital-birth. And for sure these actors deserve the roses.

Capital borne and pushing against the construct of a construct, it's gotten to the point where I buy each character's thematic soul so much that reading the assigned numbers as part of the metaphor doesn't come off as contrite, or as pure device. You get the sense that all the decisions of its script are an earnest mirror to a mortal pressure of means vs reason.


polkablues

I watched the whole thing, and it's... fine? The core cast is good, the tone and aesthetic work, there's some good social satire. But storywise it's kind of an uninteresting take on a concept that's been done often and better. And the ending I don't think works at all. Overall a solid 5/10.
My house, my rules, my coffee

WorldForgot

What I'm heavily digging right now is the emphasis on how much background influences the character dynamics and the stages of "youth" in any of them as they reckon against the "memory" of the game and the memory of how they ended up "here." Episodes 3-6 have been much more appealing than the first two in representing the cliques and personal stakes/roles.

This script certainly works better for me than the Hunger Games conceit. Losing that capital contest's "epic" framing and scope creates a more compelling personal angle to the fatal danger around them. Squid Game's juxtaposition being more stark.

Robyn

Quote from: WorldForgot on September 29, 2021, 11:00:31 PM
At episode 6 currently --

That's the episode we don't talk about!

polkablues

But we should definitely talk about episode 7, which features some writing and acting so bad it makes the entire series worse by proxy.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Robyn

Haha, here they come...

Spoiler: ShowHide

Robyn

The last three episodes:

Spoiler: ShowHide
It definitely got worse once the VIPs arrived

When they gave them the knifes at the dinner table, I was expecting it to end with "And now to our last game, decide who will win the money and kill yourself in the next 24 hour or all three of you will lose." The actually Squid Game in the rain looked great and was nicely choreographed, but it also felt a bit anti-climatic.... I guess that was the point, tho

The last twist was so weird too. And the red fucking hair? Everything in the last episode felt off lol

Just go and see your daughter!

polkablues

Spoiler: ShowHide
I don't have the slightest clue what they were thinking with that final episode twist. It doesn't really make logical sense, it doesn't really elevate anything thematically, and it's too confusing to be satisfying in any way. A good twist should recontextualize everything that came before it in a way that makes you go "How did I not see that coming?" This one just makes you go "Really? Um, okay..."
My house, my rules, my coffee

Robyn

Writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the whole thing himself, apparently.

QuoteI don't have well developed plans for 'Squid Game 2.' It is quite tiring just thinking about it. But if I were to do it, I would certainly not do it alone. I'd consider using a writers' room and would want multiple experienced directors.


Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: polkablues on September 30, 2021, 12:16:07 AM
But we should definitely talk about episode 7, which features some writing and acting so bad it makes the entire series worse by proxy.

Oh God, you weren't kidding...

I appreciate what this show is doing, but it's super uneven. It drags in long stretches where it leans on tropes and you know exactly what's coming. It's way more predictable than it has any right to be considering how bananas the premise is.

The thematic heavy-handedness is arguably a feature, not a bug, but it does falter when directly combined with an attempted tearjerker moment.

The show is definitely capable of serious emotion, though. Episode 6 is my favorite for that reason. The scene at 49:00 is incredible. Best acting in the whole series.

The strengths of this show are the worldbuilding and the shock value, both of which couldn't have been done much better. Some truly disturbing scenes. So I do appreciate it for that.

Spoiler: ShowHide
Just to stress this again, the predictability level is unnecessarily high and really feels like an unforced error. I never had any doubt who the final 3-4 contestants would be. This show somehow failed to produce the feeling that no one is safe, which seems like a screamingly obvious missed opportunity.

The old man being "behind everything" does make sense to me — I remember thinking something was off when he was so joyous in the first game, seemingly unfazed by any of the violence. This twist was also foreshadowed by his effortless deception in the marble game.

But the final moment... yeah, I just don't get it. And I honestly don't feel like putting in the effort to get it, because it's dumb. I think they just wanted to end on a vigilant/vengeful feeling and there's nothing more to it.