“Bridgerton” broke the record
“Squid Game” is the most successful Netflix series of all time – what you need to know about the hit
A game of life and death: scene from “Squid Game”
© Netflix // Picture Alliance
Death games instead of costume romance: The South Korean production “Squid Game” has replaced the historical series “Bridgerton” as the most successful Netflix hit. Everything you need to know about the brutal show.
According to Netflix, 111 million households worldwide have watched the South Korean series “Squid Game” and thus set a record: The show is now considered the most successful Netflix production of all time, as the streaming service announced. “Squid Game” replaces “Bridgerton”, the historical romance that had attracted around 82 million households worldwide to stream last year.
But why is the show, in which a murder happens almost every minute, so successful? In his home country “Squid Game” hit the zeitgeist mainly because of its open social criticism. Growing inequality, discrimination against social minorities, extreme pressure to perform: almost all of the country’s major problems are dealt with in the series. And this mixture is also well received in other countries: the series landed at number one on the Netflix charts in 90 countries, including Germany. Here’s what you need to know about Squid Game:
This is what it’s about:
In nine episodes, the story of almost 500 people is told, all of whom are deeply in debt. They compete against each other in seemingly harmless children’s games in order to win prize money in the millions. But the macabre competition does not allow a second chance: Anyone who does not make it to the next round will be killed immediately.
Who is behind it?
Director and screenwriter Hwang Dong-hyuk worked on the story for ten years, but never found a buyer. His idea was repeatedly rejected, dismissed as too grotesque and unrealistic. The filmmaker has long been established in his homeland, he has directed several hits and wrote scripts for a film about sexual abuse called “Silenced” and the comedy musical “Miss Granny”, among others. The 50-year-old studied film production in California and is considered the figurehead of South Korean cinema.
It is no coincidence that the currently most successful streaming series comes from South Korea of all places. The government in Seoul has been specifically promoting cultural exports as an economic growth industry since the late 1990s. Most recently, the country had great international success, especially with the boy band BTS.
Who is playing?
48-year-old Lee Jung-jae stars in the series, an unemployed chauffeur named Seong Gi-huner. He has long been a star in South Korea, starred in over 30 films and received numerous awards for his work. The 27-year-old Jung Ho-yeon, who embodies the player number 067, Kang Sae-byeok, in the series, is also known in her homeland. Among other things, she was a finalist in the model casting show “Korea’s Next Top Model”.
Is there a sequel?
When it comes to Netflix, definitely, because you want to take advantage of such a success. The end of the series would also allow a sequel – but director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk is reluctant. “I don’t have any elaborate plans for ‘Squid Game 2’ yet. It tires me just thinking about it,” he said. But he doesn’t want to completely rule out a sequel.
Sources: “Variety“, Netflix, dpa, “Wall Street Journal”