Squid Game arguably became popular due to the plot of the story, which was kept a mystery in an effort to encourage social media users to watch.
Squid Game is arguably the breakout Netflix series of the year. The suspense drama series premiered on Netflix in September 2021.
According to Netflix, it is premised on, “Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.”
While the synopsis teases the fascination of the series, it takes watching Squid Game in order to understand the popularity of the series.
This is as the storyline and the manner in which it is shot has the gore and explicitness reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino films, like the Kill Bill franchise. While the characters are fully formed characters with clear arcs, they are still flawed.
They were also presented differently at their individual ends, from when they were first initially introduced to the viewers. The story overall is filled with something for everyone over the age of 18.
However, for those wondering why the drama series became so popular, the honest answer is social media. Squid Game was not heavily promoted by Netflix.
However, considering that the biggest plot twist of the series is that everyone dies, the first few people that had watched the series took to social media to ask who has watched the series.
Soon after, the show was topping the trends list. Through this activation (and the well-made story of course), the show went on to become the phenomenon that it is today.
Netflix has confirmed that the South Korean drama series has overtaken the previous record holder for the most-watched show, 2020’s Bridgerton.
Netlfix reported that in the first 23 days of the show’s availability, 132 million viewers had watched at least two minutes of the first episode.
Moreover, as a result of the success, the show is estimated to be worth $900 million, with calls for a second season, calls which Netflix has yet to give the greenlight.