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Season 1 – Squid Game

Play trailer 2:06 Poster for Season 1 – Squid Game Sep 2021 Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 85% 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

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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 Apr 5, 2022
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 ... Go to Full Review
Verne Gay Newsday Dec 13, 2021
2.5/4
"Squid Game'' is a well-produced thriller with a couple of decent twists and a whole lot of violence. Go to Full Review
Beth Webb Empire Magazine Dec 13, 2021
4/5
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. Go to Full Review
Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast Jan 10, 2025
4.5/5
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. Go to Full Review
Archi Sengupta LeisureByte.com Dec 26, 2024
4.5/5
Squid Game is a highly thrilling series that keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout. Go to Full Review
Jae-Ha Kim Teen Vogue Jul 26, 2023
3.5/4
“Squid Game” is a social allegory informed by Korean history. There’s more to the game than gambling and violence. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Declan D @filmbuffkid Aug 30, 2026 The first season of “Squid game” is nothing short of a masterclass of K-drama. Everything about this first season is perfect, The acting, the story, the episodes and holy crap is “Red light, Green light and Frontman” a masterpiece of The TV world, and what I love about this season of this show is that this is a good example of how money is the root of all evil, and how that you shouldn’t be fighting each other over money because it will cost your life for the prize. And the plot twist are phenomenal and was not suspecting that when I first watched this show years ago (I feel so old). And the GOAT Ali deserved so much better, like he locked in and became the most memorable and one of the best characters in the show, Give this guy more roles, and Lee-Jung Jae… Yeah no wonder why he won the Emmy award, you have to watch this show and see how good he does in this role. And I gotta say the final game of this season was so epic. Overall, this is a historical piece of K-drama. 10/10 See more Shona F @Sho92 Aug 24, 2026 Gripping enough throughout the first season while watching the 'games', but when the reason for the existance of the games is revealed at the end of season 1, it is a dissapointment, and just makes no logical sense, in a way a second season couldn't possibly fix. There are too many holes or unexplained aspects, both rational/logic wise and characterisation/ personality wise, in the decisions taken and their consequances and why certain characters do what they do. As such, the ending feels totally lazy, like someone wasn't bothered to think any further on it and just wanted it finished, and key plot points are just abandoned, unresolved. Will stop watching here. See more J H @UpstateNYThriller Aug 11, 2026 7.8/10 Season 1 - A Season 2 - A Season 3 B+ Show about Korean contestants who play deadly games for a large cash prize See more Kit L @Kitz_Editz123435 Jul 28, 2026 Finally found a good show to watch after the ending of Stranger Things, really loved this season. See more diogo13 T @Tua_mera Jul 15, 2026 Uma obra viciante e sangrenta que usa uma premissa brutal de jogos de sobrevivência como uma metáfora brilhante sobre a desigualdade social. Sustentada por uma estética visual icónica, excelente realização e personagens profundamente humanas, entrega uma primeira temporada tensa do início ao fim, apesar de um ligeiro deslize nos episódios finais. See more Kit T @Kitz_Editz123 Jun 14, 2026 Finally found a good show to watch after the ending of Stranger Things, really loved this season. See more Read all reviews
Squid Game — Season 1

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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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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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