Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of the smash-hit Korean thriller series ‘Squid Game’, which is currently sitting atop Netflix’s list of most watched shows in 94 countries around the globe, has explained the theory behind the popularity of the Squid Game which will soon become the most viewed piece of content on Netflix in any language, ever in history.
For Netflix, the Korean show’s phenomenal success is both a pleasant surprise and a vindication of a long-held belief that distinctive, culturally authentic content travels farthest.
For Hwang Dong-hyuk, the experience has been altogether dumbfounding even as he explains the theory behind the popularity of the series.
He said; “Well, when I began making Squid Game, I actually did target a global audience. The children’s games that are featured in the show are those that will bring out nostalgia from adults who actually played them as a kid; but they’re also games that are really easy to grasp. So anyone watching, from anywhere in the world, can understand the rules of the games very easily.
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“And since the games are so simple, the viewers don’t need to focus on trying to understand the rules. They can instead focus on the inner feelings and the dynamics between the characters a lot more, and then they can get immersed into the whole experience, cheering for and empathizing with the characters.
“And personally, I wanted to create a story that is very entertaining — something really fun to watch. I mean, it may be ironic for me to say that because there are some terrible atrocities that happen in the story, but I really wanted to create a story that will be immersive. And I wanted the viewers who watch Squid Game to start questioning themselves. How am I living my life? Who am I among these characters, and what kind of world am I living in? I wanted these questions to be asked. As you start watching, I want you to think, “What kind of story is this? This is all too surreal.” But then as you watch more, you will get attached to the characters and start cheering for some of them, and hating others. And then eventually, you should have the experience of connecting it all to the real world that we’re living in. In that way, you’ll be able to draw some of the messages from the series.
When asked if there will be a season two for the series which concluded in a very open-ended way, with lots of further storytelling potential in season one, Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed that there are some threads in season one he’d be excited to return to and explore further in season two.
He said; “It’s true that season one ended in an open-ended way, but I actually thought that this could be good closure for the whole story, too. Season one ends with Gi-hun turning back and not getting on the plane to the States. And that was, in fact, my way of communicating the message that you should not be dragged along by the competitive flow of society, but that you should start thinking about who has created the whole system — and whether there is some potential for you to turn back and face it. So it’s not necessarily Gi-hun turning back to get revenge. It could actually be interpreted as him making a very on-the-spot eye contact with what is truly going on in the bigger picture.”
