The new Korean series Squid Game has managed to blow all of Netflix’s biggest shows out of the water, becoming the #1 show in over 90 countries including Korea and the United States.  

Based on projections from Netflix the show is well on its way to becoming its biggest series of all time, beating out the popular Bridgerton, Lupin and The Witcher.

Squid Game was added to the US streaming platform on September 17, becoming one of the platforms biggest-ever shows in a matter of days.

The thriller explores a dystopian reality, with a similar plot to movies like The Hunger Games and Divergent where a mysterious organisation recruits people to compete in a series of scary and nail-biting games.

In Squid Game, hundreds of cash-strapped contestants are invited to compete in children’s games with the chance to win a great deal of money and prizes.

Some of the games in the show are widely popular around the world such as Red Light, Green Light, and some of which are specific to Korea.

These games typically bring laughter and joy whether a player wins or loses, however, in the show, losing means deadly consequences.

The show has amassed over 226 billion plays on TikTok alone, solidifying its #1 status.

Squid Game has completely taken over social media, gaining hundreds of thousands of tweets and retweets daily.

The global reception of the Korean series is very impressive considering the rarity of Korean-language shows holding the #1 spot in so many foreign countries.

The show is so popular that a South Korean Internet service provider has sued Netflix to pay for costs relating to increased traffic and maintenance work on its network because of the surge in the show’s viewership.

The man behind the camera

Squid Game was created and directed by South Korean Hwang Dong-hydk.

Dong-hydk first pitched the show to a number of big-name studios in 2009, however, he was repeatedly turned away.

For the last decade, Dong-hydk found himself struggling to pay bills and was ultimately forced to put a pause on scriptwriting, selling his only laptop for US$675.

The 50-year-old film director now holds the top spot in over 90 countries and is on his way to having the most-watched show in Netflix history.

Breakout performance – Squid Game season 2 may be a done deal

With its first season wrapped and currently stealing the hearts of TV-watchers, it’s safe to assume that Season 2 is a done deal.

The finale of season 1 heavily implies that the games will continue into another season based on the ending.

Even though season 1 had a measly nine episodes, based on the show’s success, Season 2 may have a couple more episodes than the first season.

It’s still early days to determine whether or not the show’s creators will be able to keep its momentum going among fans, landing season after season.

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