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Season 1 – Squid Game

Play trailer 2:06 Poster for Season 1 – Squid Game 2021 Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children's games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.
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Squid Game — Season 1

Squid Game — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Squid Game's unflinching brutality is not for the faint of heart, but sharp social commentary and a surprisingly tender core will keep viewers glued to the screen - even if it's while watching between their fingers.

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Critics Reviews

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Elamin Abdelmahmoud BuzzFeed News Squid Game is effective at pulling you in. By the middle of the first episode, viewers are plunged into a world that’s as repulsive as it is gripping, complete with masked villains and hapless antiheroes ... Apr 5, 2022 Full Review Verne Gay Newsday "Squid Game'' is a well-produced thriller with a couple of decent twists and a whole lot of violence. Rated: 2.5/4 Dec 13, 2021 Full Review Beth Webb Empire Magazine Its messages hit like a sledgehammer to the head, yet this vibrant, vicious series holds a surprisingly big heart at its core. A winning blend of spectacle and sentiment. Rated: 4/5 Dec 13, 2021 Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast The razor sharp critiques mesh surprisingly well with the entertaining and brutal games, creating a compelling and binge-worthy series that deservedly found a huge international audience. Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 10, 2025 Full Review Archi Sengupta LeisureByte.com Squid Game is a highly thrilling series that keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout. Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 26, 2024 Full Review Jae-Ha Kim Teen Vogue “Squid Game” is a social allegory informed by Korean history. There’s more to the game than gambling and violence. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 26, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Santiago R. One of the most inventive and well-crafted television shows ever. It changed the game for Netflix and opened the way for more international productions. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/14/25 Full Review Quinten C This show really gets How the human mind works. And the best thing this show has to offer is its characters. Wow. These characters are interesting, complex but somehow relatable. And somehow the characters get EVEN BETTER in season 2-3. Best show I have ever seen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/25 Full Review Paskal U Squid Game Season 1 remains a great series with a plot that still grabs our attention today. From the beginning to the end of the games, we are shown the true greed of humans and what they are capable of doing for a large amount of money. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/10/25 Full Review Kornel P The first season of Squid Game is a MASTERPIECE. The characters are perfectly written, the storylines are developed and completed. Overall, there are some things left unsaid, but most of them are developed later on. Overall, the plot of the series is great, perfectly portraying a caricature of capitalism. They did a great job of showing Korean society, where there is quite a lot of social inequality, where there are people who have financial problems and also problems with the law. Overall, the characters have problems because of their background or simply because they don't have money. The plot is great, honestly, the series didn't need any more seasons, but oh well. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review Austyn P Literally so much fun. I so understand why it's this popular. It makes you care so much about the characters even if you know they're probably gonna bite the dust. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/02/25 Full Review Adli H Squid Game will never be as good as this Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/31/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Squid Game — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Lee Jung-jae

Seong Gi-Hun

Park Hae-soo

Sang-woo

Oh Yeong-su

Oh Il-nam

Wi Ha-joon

Joon-ho

Jung Ho-yeon

Sae-byeok

Heo Sung-tae

Jang Deok-su

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 17, 2021 Red Light, Green Light Hoping to win easy money, a desperate Gi-hun agrees to take part in an enigmatic game; not long into the first round, unforeseen horrors unfold. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 17, 2021 Hell Split on whether to continue or quit, the group holds a vote; their realities in the outside world may prove to be just as unforgiving as the game. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 17, 2021 The Man With the Umbrella A few players enter the next round, which promises equal doses of sweet and deadly; Jun-ho sneaks his way inside. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 17, 2021 Stick to the Team As alliances form among the players, no one is safe in the dormitory after lights out; the third game challenges Gi-hun's team to think strategically. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 17, 2021 A Fair World Gi-hun and his team take turns keeping guard through the night; the masked men encounter trouble with their co-conspirators. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 17, 2021 Gganbu Players pair off for the fourth game; Gi-hun grapples with a moral dilemma; Sang-woo chooses self-preservation; Sae-byeok shares her untold story. Details Episode 7 Aired Sep 17, 2021 VIPs The Masked Leader welcomes VIP guests to the facility for a front-row viewing of the show; in the fifth game, some players crack under the pressure. Details Episode 8 Aired Sep 17, 2021 Front Man Ahead of the last round, distrust and disgust run deep among the finalists; Jun-ho makes a getaway, determined to expose the game's secrets. Details Episode 9 Aired Sep 17, 2021 One Lucky Day The final round presents another cruel test, but, this time, how it ends depends on just one player; the game's creator steps out of the shadows. Details

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Squid Game — Season 1

Squid Game: Season 1 Teaser Squid Game: Season 1 Teaser 0:34 Squid Game: Season 1 Unreleased Clip Squid Game: Season 1 Unreleased Clip 1:13 Does ‘Squid Game’ Live up to Its Hype? Does ‘Squid Game’ Live up to Its Hype? 53:38 Squid Game: Season 1 Trailer Squid Game: Season 1 Trailer 2:06 View more videos
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Squid Game — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Hwang Dong-hyuk
Screenwriter
Hwang Dong-hyuk
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Korean
Release Date
Sep 17, 2021
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