The Korean drama Squid Game has become something of a phenomenon. The Netflix show was released mere weeks ago and has already broken records on the streaming service.
Netflix has been a saviour for many people looking for ways to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Thanks to the advancement of modern technology, online entertainment is at an all-time high. Whether it’s streaming a popular movie or TV show, listening to the latest podcast, playing online video games or participating in free or real money casino games, we are more enjoying more accessibility and more options than ever before.
Gambling on the internet has become a popular pastime for many, with the topic even referenced in the famed TV series. Games like Rainbow Riches slots, Gonzo’s Quest and Immortal Romance continue to draw crowds, while newer titles make gaming a rewarding experience regardless of your taste, skill level or budget. Online casinos draw the masses, just like Squid Game, which became the most-watched Korean series in multiple countries, including the UK and US. While we wait with bated breath to find out if season 2 is coming our way, here are some great options to fill that Squid Game-shaped hole in your life in the meantime.
Battle Royale
Battle Royale can be considered the OG of dystopian survival competition dramas. This Japanese film was released in 2000 and has since become a cult classic. Set in the future, the government captures a group of students and pit them against each other in a battle to the death. Many described the film as ‘twisted’, but if you loved Squid Game and the hit series Hunger Games, which inspired the movie, Battle Royale should be on your watch list.
As the Gods Will
If you ever thought your life was boring, take a look at Shun Takahata, who’s been forced to participate in a game of life or death. This Japanese movie was released in 2014, so while the premise is quite similar, the more supernatural tone makes for a compelling watch. While not exactly a series, this is one for the books if you’re looking for a Squid Game fix with a Japanese twist.
Would You Rather
The classic would you rather game takes a shocking and gruesome turn in this thrilling movie starring Brittany Snow as a down-on-her-luck woman who needs money to pay for her brother’s hospital expenses. She is soon approached by a stranger, inviting her to join a game with a cash prize that could solve all her problems. However, the offer does not come without some rather sadistic rules and failure to follow them means the ultimate sacrifice – your life. Much like Squid Game, this movie looks at how desperation can push people to their limits.
Escape Room
Another movie released on Netflix, Escape Room is an iteration of an already popular concept of escape rooms. Here, six strangers are thrown together into one room for the chance to win big money. The caveat – the escape room is not all fun and games, and failure to complete the room’s puzzles have deadly consequences. Another take on life or death games, Escape Room is packed with entertaining deaths and action sequences over the course of its runtime.
The Purge
The Purge has been around for a few years now and there are various follow-ups to the original film. If you like the horrific and chilling cold-heartedness of the Squid Game masterminds, then the Purge is the horror series for you. Also set in the future, the anthology film series has been hugely popular and continues to attract audiences after each movie is released. The basic premise, if you haven’t already heard, is that one day every year in the US, murder becomes legal for 12 hours. As you can expect, chaos and grisly violence are the order of the day and everyone tries to kill or be killed. It may be scary and depressing, but it’s also good fun.
If there’s one thing that the widespread success of Squid Game has demonstrated, it’s that people thoroughly enjoy the tension and drama of the thriller genre. Be it on the Netflix platform or across other aspects of the entertainment sector like gaming, people are tuning in avidly and it doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.