Author Topic: Squid Game  (Read 12378 times)

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Offline soupytwist

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Squid Game
« on: September 28, 2021, 06:35:59 AM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.



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EDIT by bosk1:  I split this off as its own topic from the "What show are you watching?" thread, since it was generating a bit of discussion on its own and is likely to generate more.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2021, 01:12:27 PM by bosk1 »

Offline Lonk

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2021, 07:44:04 PM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2021, 11:31:50 AM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Caught episode 1 last night.  Kinda weird.  I think I like it, but holding off on making a definitive statement yet.  I was a bit surprised that it took so long to get to the first game in episode 1.  I know they were trying to do quite a bit of character development first to make the audience feel the stakes.  And I get it and respect that decision.  I'm not sure they were completely effective or that that much time for character development prior to the game was needed.  But I get it.  Some thoughts/questions below...

*************SPOILERS****************



















1.  I was surprised by the decision at the end of episode 1.  That isn't a bad thing, and I think it makes the overall plot more interesting in that they are back in the outside world for a bit before inevitably coming back to the game.  But I was surprised.  The stakes were established, and these people had zero hope outside of the game.  And if the situations of any of the others were similar to that of the main protagonist, they didn't have long to live (or live without serious dismemberment or other consequences at the hand of loan sharks and the like).  That was definitely true of #1 as he cast the deciding vote.  I was surprised he voted the way he did.  Anyway, this isn't a criticism.  Just surprised me.

2.  I'm predicting a romance between the main protagonist and the pickpocket girl he ended up being dumped on the side of the road with.  Having them inexorably connected and hating each other, plus having them be dumped together in their underwear seems like pretty heavy foreshadowing.

3.  "Life or death red light/green light" was awesome.  :lol  So was the slap game. 

4.  Things are weird in Korea.

5.  Something in me viscerally HATES the type of "dread" buildup where you see a character making worse and worse choices that lead to a worse and worse situation like what we saw the main protagonist doing in the beginning.  Kind of like A Simple Plan.  I mean, I know that's the point.  But I find it very offputting, and I have to consciously force myself to keep watching when I see a film or TV series heading that direction.  I will usually just bail on that type of movie/show.  Dunno if that's just me, or if a lot of people feel that way.  Again, I get that there is a point to it, but I find it so uncomfortable that I just don't like that genre in general.

6.  Anyone know whether the actual "squid game" they were playing as children is an actual thing?  It seemed too convoluted to be an actual kids' game, but what do I know?
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Offline soupytwist

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2021, 12:12:53 PM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Finished it up.  Peaks in the middle - the marble episode.  Very good show though, ripe for a western remake. 

Offline Lonk

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2021, 04:50:58 PM »
Bosk, looks like it is a real game. There are interviews with the writers saying they played the games as kids.

'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Finished it up.  Peaks in the middle - the marble episode.  Very good show though, ripe for a western remake. 


Looking forward to the rest  :tup :corn
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Offline Lonk

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2021, 10:06:47 PM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Finished it up.  Peaks in the middle - the marble episode.  Very good show though, ripe for a western remake.
Just saw the marble episode...wtf? :|
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2021, 12:50:17 PM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Finished it up.  Peaks in the middle - the marble episode.  Very good show though, ripe for a western remake.
Just saw the marble episode...wtf? :|

Yeah.  That one has some pretty bit consequences.  Keep going.  There is more than meets the eye if you can stick with it to the end (I almost gave up on it a few times). 
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2021, 02:47:13 PM »
'Squid Game' on Netflix .  Korea show, really good five episodes in - won't spoil it, just say it's got a Battleroyale/Hunger Games vibe.

Just saw episode 1, interesting so far.

Finished it up.  Peaks in the middle - the marble episode.  Very good show though, ripe for a western remake.
Just saw the marble episode...wtf? :|

Yeah.....this is the one I left off on....so freaking brutal. I should finish the show up tonight.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2021, 10:39:23 PM »
Finished Squid Game. Just another example of how people can be talked into making a mediocre at best series a #1 streaming show. Had plenty of potential and some cool moments but IMO it lost steam quick and was just a mush mash of cliche writing by the end.

Very underwhelmed by it all.
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Offline PixelDream

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2021, 12:57:34 PM »
I'm on episode 4 of Squid Game but I'm absolutely loving it so far.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2021, 02:10:21 PM »
Finished Squid Game. Just another example of how people can be talked into making a mediocre at best series a #1 streaming show. Had plenty of potential and some cool moments but IMO it lost steam quick and was just a mush mash of cliche writing by the end.

Very underwhelmed by it all.

I was kinda disgusted by it and almost didn't finish.  But that's kinda the point, too, so... 

But I wouldn't consider it "mediocre."  Whether one likes it or not is a matter of taste.  But I thought it set out to do some pretty ambitious things and did them pretty well.  There was also quite a bit of artfulness in what it did and how, and there was quite a lot that went far beneath the surface for those who care to dig (I don't want to get too specific so as not to spoil, but will post a few in tiny font below).  But there are a LOT of Asian film tropes and stylizations that are very foreign to westerners, and can be offputting or come across is cheap/low-quality, strange, or just not land at all.  I'm somewhat aware, and still had a hard time getting past some of that.

One area where I will criticize is that some things took excruciatingly long to develop.  There were some scenes where you could see exactly what they were going to try to achieve, whether it be a plot point, or character development, or whatever, and it took uncomfortably long to actually get there.  Not sure whether that was an intentional stylistic choice (kind of like, for example, some jokes in Family Guy, where the joke is initially funny, but then they keep dragging it out to the point where it gets uncomfortable, and then keep dragging it out even more until the uncomfortability is itself funny; that may work for some people and not work for others, but is an intentional stylistic choice), poor execution, or something else.  Curious to know what others think. 

Now for spoilery stuff...

First off, Gary, did you not think the twist with the old man being The Host was well done?  I didn't see it coming and thought it was done very well.  IMO, they dropped just enough hints throughout that after the reveal, the reveal made total sense, and it was rewarding to go back and contemplate them afterward.  But the hints were subtle enough that, IMO, hardly anyone would have picked up on them before the reveal.

There was a pretty satisfying amount and depth of character development for the main characters that it felt like they were meaningful and they had developed arcs by the end.  As pointed out above, some of it was excruciatingly slow at times.  But the payoff was generally pretty satisfying.

There were interesting bits of foreshadowing throughout, some of which was pretty express, and some of which was subtle and well hidden.  The 4.56 million prize for the horse race being somewhat of a foreshadowing of his number in the games (456).  Or the prize box from the claw game foreshadowing the gift box coffins (and the lighter inside the box further cementing that parallel by foreshadowing how the bodies were disposed of).  Also, the manner of a lot of bigger characters' deaths were foreshadowed by events in episode 2.  Or the murals on the wall in the sleeping quarters foreshadowing which games would be played.

There were also interesting bits of symbolism and symmetry.  For example, the main protagonist betting on horses that, ultimately, are just numbers in the beginning, and then him and his fellow contestants becoming just numbered "horses" during the game.  Or the use of colors (red, in particular). 

Anyway, there was a lot going on on a lot of different levels, and I found that to be pretty rewarding.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2021, 08:08:25 AM »
Now for spoilery stuff...

First off, Gary, did you not think the twist with the old man being The Host was well done?  I didn't see it coming and thought it was done very well.  IMO, they dropped just enough hints throughout that after the reveal, the reveal made total sense, and it was rewarding to go back and contemplate them afterward.  But the hints were subtle enough that, IMO, hardly anyone would have picked up on them before the reveal.

There was a pretty satisfying amount and depth of character development for the main characters that it felt like they were meaningful and they had developed arcs by the end.  As pointed out above, some of it was excruciatingly slow at times.  But the payoff was generally pretty satisfying.

There were interesting bits of foreshadowing throughout, some of which was pretty express, and some of which was subtle and well hidden.  The 4.56 million prize for the horse race being somewhat of a foreshadowing of his number in the games (456).  Or the prize box from the claw game foreshadowing the gift box coffins (and the lighter inside the box further cementing that parallel by foreshadowing how the bodies were disposed of).  Also, the manner of a lot of bigger characters' deaths were foreshadowed by events in episode 2.  Or the murals on the wall in the sleeping quarters foreshadowing which games would be played.

There were also interesting bits of symbolism and symmetry.  For example, the main protagonist betting on horses that, ultimately, are just numbers in the beginning, and then him and his fellow contestants becoming just numbered "horses" during the game.  Or the use of colors (red, in particular). 

Anyway, there was a lot going on on a lot of different levels, and I found that to be pretty rewarding.


Well....

I can see your point on a few of those items. The use of foreshadowing was done well for sure, in multiple instances. I guess I just found some of the characters very 'typical' characters. The cute girl who was in it to save her family....brooding and sad, it was over played IMO. The one twist of the host being the cops brother you could see from a mile away...especially in the moment after the worked said the one kidney person was a woman. While the old man still being alive was a 'twist'....it was something that's been done multiple times now. Ultra rich get 'bored' and decide to use humans as entertainment.

I didn't 'dislike' the series per say. It could just be me but when I hear about a show/movie being the next best thing and it's blowing up like this has I expect it to blow me away. I wasn't blown away at all. It was fine and all but this attention and lore that it's garnering is  WAY over the top IMO. Yeah it's a 'different' type show but lets calm down on the greatest Netflix show ever. I think that's more my issue than the actual show itself......and that's just something that bugs me about everything when it comes to people and our culture.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2021, 08:17:05 AM »
This part isn't really spoilery, so I put it at normal size:
I didn't 'dislike' the series per say. It could just be me but when I hear about a show/movie being the next best thing and it's blowing up like this has I expect it to blow me away. I wasn't blown away at all. It was fine and all but this attention and lore that it's garnering is  WAY over the top IMO. Yeah it's a 'different' type show but lets calm down on the greatest Netflix show ever. I think that's more my issue than the actual show itself......and that's just something that bugs me about everything when it comes to people and our culture.

Maybe the benefit to me personally was that I haven't seen that kind of hyperbole about it.  I just saw that it was trending when I logged onto Netflix, and when the trailer played, it looked interesting enough to watch.  I agree that that kind of hype is overblown and undeserved.  But people have been saying that "X is the best thing since sliced bread!" since...well...sliced bread.  :lol  It's just what people do.  Yeah, it can be annoying, but it isn't enough to keep me from appreciating what they did here.
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Offline Lonk

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2021, 10:18:40 AM »
Now for spoilery stuff...

First off, Gary, did you not think the twist with the old man being The Host was well done?  I didn't see it coming and thought it was done very well.  IMO, they dropped just enough hints throughout that after the reveal, the reveal made total sense, and it was rewarding to go back and contemplate them afterward.  But the hints were subtle enough that, IMO, hardly anyone would have picked up on them before the reveal.

There was a pretty satisfying amount and depth of character development for the main characters that it felt like they were meaningful and they had developed arcs by the end.  As pointed out above, some of it was excruciatingly slow at times.  But the payoff was generally pretty satisfying.

There were interesting bits of foreshadowing throughout, some of which was pretty express, and some of which was subtle and well hidden.  The 4.56 million prize for the horse race being somewhat of a foreshadowing of his number in the games (456).  Or the prize box from the claw game foreshadowing the gift box coffins (and the lighter inside the box further cementing that parallel by foreshadowing how the bodies were disposed of).  Also, the manner of a lot of bigger characters' deaths were foreshadowed by events in episode 2.  Or the murals on the wall in the sleeping quarters foreshadowing which games would be played.

There were also interesting bits of symbolism and symmetry.  For example, the main protagonist betting on horses that, ultimately, are just numbers in the beginning, and then him and his fellow contestants becoming just numbered "horses" during the game.  Or the use of colors (red, in particular). 

Anyway, there was a lot going on on a lot of different levels, and I found that to be pretty rewarding.


Well....

I can see your point on a few of those items. The use of foreshadowing was done well for sure, in multiple instances. I guess I just found some of the characters very 'typical' characters. The cute girl who was in it to save her family....brooding and sad, it was over played IMO. The one twist of the host being the cops brother you could see from a mile away...especially in the moment after the worked said the one kidney person was a woman. While the old man still being alive was a 'twist'....it was something that's been done multiple times now. Ultra rich get 'bored' and decide to use humans as entertainment.

The show overall I thought was great. I think they lost me a little at the end, but I thought overall was a great show. Regarding your comment:

The one thing I disliked was the cop. It seems that he had not real part on the story. Unless it comes back in Season 2 that the images and videos he sent out actually went through, his presence in the show was meaningless. So If there is a season 2, which I expect it, we can see where that part of the story goes.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2021, 11:05:40 AM »
The show overall I thought was great. I think they lost me a little at the end, but I thought overall was a great show. Regarding your comment:

The one thing I disliked was the cop. It seems that he had not real part on the story. Unless it comes back in Season 2 that the images and videos he sent out actually went through, his presence in the show was meaningless. So If there is a season 2, which I expect it, we can see where that part of the story goes.

Yeah.....I felt the same way. All of that time and energy invested into his character and then a pretty much meaningless death (should the info he gathered not make it to authorities) but then again....if it did.....the games were still going on a year later so I'd assume there would be some sort of undercover deal going or long term investigation.

Anyway, with his brother being a former winner and the 'host'.....then why would his brother have just gone missing and just now stopped paying his rent? He'd assumingly have the $$$ to pay rent....not leave that card behind in his old apartment....etc etc. That aspect of the story Seemed very sloppy being how particular he was as a host.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #15 on: October 11, 2021, 08:57:45 PM »
Currently on Ep6...the marble episode. Holy fuck is this one heavy.

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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2021, 11:28:50 AM »
Currently on Ep6...the marble episode. Holy fuck is this one heavy.

For sure.  There are some things about the show that I found to be a bit offputting.  But there is a lot that kept me thinking about it as well.  Upon a rewatch and watching some analysis videos, there are actually a lot of really cool layers to what is going on, and it is pretty cool to peel them back and take a deep dive. 

I do have one question (no spoilers) for those that have seen it:  Is the English dubbed version somehow a rarity?  That is what came up in my Netflix feed, so that is what I watched.  But in all the analysis/reaction videos I have seen, they are watching it in Korean with subtitles, and I'm not sure why.  I mean, not that there's anything wrong with watching it in the original language.  But having to read subtitles means being distracted from and missing some visuals, so I would rather watch the dubbed version if given the choice.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2021, 12:09:55 PM »
I always watch foreign movies and shows in their original language and just read the subtitles. I did try dubbed versions at times but they are really lacking the same emotional beat and sometimes the dialogue doesn't match the facial expressions. Which is why I don't bother with the dubs.

I too watched Squid Game and thought it was really well done. Putting hype aside and just rating the show on its own, it is quite entertaining. I thought the characters were really well cast and acted. Most people have already mentioned the major gripes and I have similar ones but I actually really enjoyed the finale. I don't mind the slow pace at all, the visuals and music was so hypnotic. It reminded me of the UK show "Utopia".

Certain things could have been written or executed a little tighter but overall I really enjoyed it. It wasn't just another Hunger Games/Battle Royale/running man type show. I mean the premise is similar but I really like how they took time to flesh out most of the characters.
I think trying to setup for a season two was a big miss, they could have neatly wrapped things up and still explore a compelling second season. Nevertheless, I'm glad I watched it.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2021, 12:39:54 PM »
Currently on Ep6...the marble episode. Holy fuck is this one heavy.

For sure.  There are some things about the show that I found to be a bit offputting.  But there is a lot that kept me thinking about it as well.  Upon a rewatch and watching some analysis videos, there are actually a lot of really cool layers to what is going on, and it is pretty cool to peel them back and take a deep dive. 

I do have one question (no spoilers) for those that have seen it:  Is the English dubbed version somehow a rarity?  That is what came up in my Netflix feed, so that is what I watched.  But in all the analysis/reaction videos I have seen, they are watching it in Korean with subtitles, and I'm not sure why.  I mean, not that there's anything wrong with watching it in the original language.  But having to read subtitles means being distracted from and missing some visuals, so I would rather watch the dubbed version if given the choice.

I watched with the English overdub. Tried to do subtitles for the first 20 minutes or so of the first episode and just gave up on it. I don't feel like I missed anything although I've heard that some things were lost in translation.
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Re: Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2021, 01:06:45 PM »
I always watch foreign movies and shows in their original language and just read the subtitles. I did try dubbed versions at times but they are really lacking the same emotional beat and sometimes the dialogue doesn't match the facial expressions. Which is why I don't bother with the dubs.

I too watched Squid Game and thought it was really well done. Putting hype aside and just rating the show on its own, it is quite entertaining. I thought the characters were really well cast and acted. Most people have already mentioned the major gripes and I have similar ones but I actually really enjoyed the finale. I don't mind the slow pace at all, the visuals and music was so hypnotic. It reminded me of the UK show "Utopia".

Certain things could have been written or executed a little tighter but overall I really enjoyed it. It wasn't just another Hunger Games/Battle Royale/running man type show. I mean the premise is similar but I really like how they took time to flesh out most of the characters.
I think trying to setup for a season two was a big miss, they could have neatly wrapped things up and still explore a compelling second season. Nevertheless, I'm glad I watched it.

I totally get what you are saying.  But for me, I just hate that, if I am busy reading subtitles, I miss facial expressions and other nonverbal things that are onscreen, which means I can miss some pretty important details.

Some of the things I really liked about the show were some of the really, really smart choices they made in terms of how things were filmed.  For example (no way to do this without revealing spoilers, so...)

The nighttime brawl scene in the "barracks" was brilliant.  They could have just shown the battle royale with all the blood and gore.  They had already shown that they weren't shying away from blood, gore, and violence.  But having it start in the dark, and then going to strobe lights made it SO much more tense.  I truly appreciate that they let the audience's minds fill in the blanks, and that doing so was FAR more effective at creating tension and horror than just about anything they could have actually shown onscreen.  No two ways about it, this is just smart film making. 

Similarly, I love how they did certain other things off screen and let the character reactions do the work for us.  For example, during the marble episode, when Ali was execute off screen, you just hear a gun shot at the same time you see Sang-Woo walking away contemplating the weight of what he did and how he won, and seeing him flinch as the gun goes off is pretty chilling.  Most of us hate him from that point forward.  But we also see that he is human and is trying to grapple with and rationalize what he is doing, and isn't 100% comfortable with it.  To me, seeing the effect on him and his flinch is far more effective than seeing Ali being shot. 

Of course, the other obvious impact of that scene being shot that way is that we as the audience do not question it when Il-Nam is then seemingly executed off screen as well, and the impact on Gi-Hun when, similarly, he walks away as his friend is about to be executed and grappling with the conflicting feelings of relief at being alive, sorrow as his friend is executed, and guilt and his own manipulation and dishonesty. 

So much genius in those two executions being parallel.  Of course, it has the practical effect of allowing the show to continue hiding the twist of Il-Nam being the host.  But the parallel is also pretty awesome in comparing and contrasting how Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo process and move forward from their betrayal.  The former finds a way to hold onto the guilt and eventually let it restore a portion of his humanity, whereas the latter allows it to spiral him farther down to path of selfish ambition that ultimately destroys him.  It really is well done. 

Separate from the parallel between those two, Ji-Yeong's execution was also well done for different reasons.  The show pretty much telegraphed that when she and Sae-Byeok decided to talk and then play a "winner takes all" round just before time expired, that they were going to try to get you to sympathize by doing some character development through exposition.  But even though they pretty much told the audience exactly what they were going to do, it still worked and had a pretty profound emotional impact at the end.  And the way the shot was framed with Sae-Byeok in the foreground, and Ji-Yeong being blurred out in the background as she was shot and collapsed to the ground was really impactful.  Again, you feel more from Sae-Byeok's reaction than a clear shot of Ji-Yeong being shot in the head would have had.


Lots of other moments I could cite to.  But those are some very visual examples of what the show did incredibly well, IMO. 

EDIT:  By the way, there has been enough discussion that I am going to split this off into its own thread.  I have a feeling it could take off more.  And if it doesn't, that's fine too.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2021, 01:16:38 PM by bosk1 »
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Re: What Shows are you currently watching?
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2021, 01:13:17 PM »
Yeah this could be its own thread or maybe the Netflix shows thread.

Agreed on your small fonts, I really appreciated how things were shown and a large portion it had great restraint and showed the blood and gore when needed not just for the sake of it.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2021, 01:20:43 PM »
Do you think that there is anything to the supposed "hints" that

Il-Nam is Gi-Hun's father?

Personally, I think the details that support that are just in-show coincidence, and not really meant to lead us down that path.  But I am curious about that.  I guess we may find out in season 2.  I kinda hope they stay away from that, as I wouldn't find that to be a smart story choice.  I think it works better that they are just two strangers that bonded during the experience through what they saw in each other. 
« Last Edit: October 13, 2021, 01:50:58 PM by bosk1 »
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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2021, 01:24:53 PM »
That thought did cross my mind a couple of times but it seemed too much of a stretch to be true. Though with season 2 being worked on who knows they just might incorporate it as more than a hint. I too really hope they don't utilize it. It would ruin many aspects of the season one story arc.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2021, 02:10:37 PM »
Another thing they did well, IMO:  Like a lot of MCU films (especially Infinity War and Endgame), they were able to cover a lot of ground by having a lot of scenes do more than one thing.  For example...


*********SPOILERS (not going to use tiny font anymore since this is a dedicated thread, so people should know to look for spoiler tags if they don't want things ruined)****************


This may seem like an odd example, but the bathroom shows up a couple of times, and each scene has at least a couple of different things going on that move the story forward on a couple of different levels.

The first time, Han Mi-nyeo tricks the guards into letting her go so she can sneak a smoke, and Sae-Byeok sneaks in to spy out that the guards are cooking the honeycomb for the next game.  It seems like the scene is important because Sae-Byeok has stumbled upon something, and we wonder what the guards were cooking.  When that ultimately doesn't really go anywhere, the scene may either be forgotten or feel like just a throwaway.  We don't know whether they are cooking drugs, or poison, or some concoction of body parts, or what.  We can later put together that it is honeycomb, and it kinda feels like..."oh, that's it?"  The scene isn't that important on its own.  But it does several small things:
-For nonwesterners who actually knew what honeycomb is ahead of time (not me), it forshadows the next game.
-It gives us a bit of character development:  It sets up Sae-Byeok as brave and proactive about her situation.  It also further sets up Mi-Nyeo as an unlikeable character who is kinda gross and willing to break or disregard the rules if she thinks she can get something out of it.
-It sets up the location for the more important second time we see that location, and helps us understand and not question how Mi-Nyeo and Deok-Su can be alone there later on.
So while it almost seems like a plot dead end that ended up being abandoned (I know that I mistakenly thought that this would be the first of many attempts by the main characters to infiltrate the operation and spy things out to either gain advantages or to blow up the games), it actually does fill some valuable roles.

The second time we see the bathroom, it also manages to accomplish more than one thing:
-The most obvious is that it sets up both of those characters are mercenaries in their own way, and foreshadows that Mi-Nyeo will kill Deok-Su.  Related to that, it also sets up the betrayal in the tug-o-war episode, and somewhat raises the stakes. 
-The location itself (and, by extension, the fact that the characters are having sex there) serves to subliminally convey that these are a couple of gross, disgusting people. 
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Offline Zoom E

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2021, 06:24:47 PM »
SPOILER ALERT

I watched with subtitles, as I always do with foreign shows. The dubbing is too offputting.

I enjoyed Squid Game, but I don’t find it plausible that all those people would voluntarily return to play the game after witnessing hundreds of people being slaughtered. They would have some kind of PTSD after that, and I don't think filthy lucre has quite that much power.

I agree that the storyline with the cop seems pointless, and it was an unsatisfying outcome.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #25 on: October 13, 2021, 06:32:25 PM »
My 5th grader asked me if she could check out this show because EVERYONE is watching it.
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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2021, 08:29:34 PM »
My 5th grader asked me if she could check out this show because EVERYONE is watching it.

Well be ready to provide lots of therapy afterwards  ;D
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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #27 on: October 13, 2021, 09:33:47 PM »
My 5th grader asked me if she could check out this show because EVERYONE is watching it.

Well be ready to provide lots of therapy afterwards  ;D

 :rollin

Yeaaaah, I don't think anyone younger than 18 should be watching Squid Game given the graphic nature of it, and it's themes throughout the show. But if you're okay with showing them that stuff, go right ahead! Some people are ready to handle some more mature stuff than others at different ages.

As for *my* experience with Squid Game, I started it last week and finished it over the last weekend and WHEW it totally wiped me out, especially in Episode 9. There's a lot going on and since finishing the show, I've watched cast interviews and tons of theory videos and other reactions on YouTube. There's a lot going on in the show, way more than a single watch could reveal, so I may watch it again at some point.

And considering the writer/director spent 10 years working on this, I have to wonder if a 2nd season could live up to the first one.

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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #28 on: October 13, 2021, 09:39:25 PM »
My 5th grader asked me if she could check out this show because EVERYONE is watching it.

Well be ready to provide lots of therapy afterwards  ;D

She is a very sensitive kid, yet hasn't seemed bothered by any violence she may have seen on TV/film. She watches some medical drama with mom and just looks away any time there is blood shown during surgery or whatever is happening. We watched a few clips and I told her if she still wanted to watch, we could together, and she said she wasn't interested.
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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #29 on: October 13, 2021, 09:44:58 PM »
Yeah it's really intense at times and makes for some traumatic viewing. And a lot of blood.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #30 on: October 13, 2021, 11:50:22 PM »
Chris, if she now isn't interested, I guess it's a moot point.  But my advice for any parent with a kid under 16 (and probably under 18 as Marc suggested) that wants to watch it is that the parent should watch it first and decide whether the child can handle it.  If so, I would watch it together, AND definitely have discussions about each episode afterward to help process it properly.

FWIW, my 11 year old heard about it and asked to watch it, and I said no, it isn't appropriate for her age and level of maturity.
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Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #31 on: October 16, 2021, 08:11:22 AM »
Just a couple episodes in, but I'm really enjoying the show.

The acting is a little over the top and exaggerated. It may just be the awkwardness of the dubbing, but I'll take it
« Last Edit: October 16, 2021, 08:56:47 AM by Phoenix87x »

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #32 on: October 16, 2021, 09:13:37 AM »
Just a couple episodes in, but I'm really enjoying the show.

The acting is a little over the top and exaggerated. It may just be the awkwardness of the dubbing, but I'll take it

The dub is pretty awful from the clips I've seen on YouTube. I went with original audio with English subtitles (not English CC, which is somehow different). The original Korean acting is superb and probably the best way to watch it if possible. I'm usually on the fence with subs/dubs when it comes.to anime/animation, but with live action, it feels weird and very Mid-20th-century Godzilla dubs sort of awful.

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #33 on: October 16, 2021, 06:46:03 PM »
It's an OK show but not more than that. It's like a mashup of Saw and Hostel film series and its fiction based on Hunger Games and Cube a bit. No originality and the acting is kinda off. Watchable? Yes if you have free time.

The thing that bugs me more:

SPOILER ALERT
The police sneaked into so easily and he lived there for days, he took many photos, recorded videos and his phone battery didn't die.
SPOILER ALERT
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Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: Squid Game
« Reply #34 on: October 17, 2021, 07:34:14 AM »
Just finished it.

Started out really loving it and by the end thought it was meh. Peaked at the marble episode and I slowly lost interest as it limped to the finish line.