Poster for ‘Squid Recreation.’ Picture: courtesy of Netflix
When Squid Game first hit our screens in 2021, it was a gut-punch of a present. With a chilling premise that threw a bunch of determined, debt-ridden strangers right into a twisted enviornment the place childhood video games changed into lethal trials, it didn’t simply hit a nerve due to its shock worth. It was a darkish commentary on the brutality of financial inequality, the dystopian influence of capitalism, and the phantasm of alternative in a rigged system—one which didn’t really feel too far faraway from our personal actuality. It’s no marvel, then, that the present grew to become a record-breaking international phenomenon, with Season 3 debuting at #1 in 93 international locations with a whopping 60.1M views in simply three days, according to Netflix. So in case you’ve simply binged the actor season and are craving extra of the cutthroat survival and high-stakes stress, we’ve received you lined. Listed here are 5 reveals that hit simply as arduous.
Kaiji: The Final Survivor (2007)
Kaiji, a hapless gambler, finds himself in a determined scenario as a result of a mounting debt that leaves him no alternative however to enter a harmful playing occasion. On this twisted collection, one improper transfer can value you. If you happen to’re drawn to the psychological warfare of Squid Recreation, you’ll love Kaiji’s recreation of cat and mouse, the place it’s each man for himself in a ruthless maze of lies and scheming. The extraordinary anime tv collection adaptation of Playing Apocalypse: Kaiji, the primary chapter of the Kaiji manga collection, exposes humanity’s darkest flaws, exhibiting us what occurs when an overwhelmed, overburdened society buckles beneath stress.
Alice in Borderland (2020-present)
A Japanese psychological survival thriller wherein Ryōhei Arisu’s (Kento Yamazaki) life is turned the wrong way up when he finds himself in a abandoned Tokyo. The town is eerily empty, and the one approach to survive is by taking part in lethal mind teaser video games. There’s merely no escape, and so, he should play alongside different trapped contributors. Because the video games grow to be more and more brutal and insane, Arisu should weigh the price of survival in opposition to the price of his humanity. It’s a surreal survival recreation that makes you query the worth of life and the price of our decisions. It’s as darkish as Squid Recreation, however comes with sufficient suspense and shocks of its personal.
3% (2016-2020)
A dystopian world unfolds on this Brazilian collection the place the haves and have-nots are separated. Paying homage to Squid Recreation’s bloody battle on a creepy island, the premise right here is to achieve entry into the elite society, “Offshore.” Solely 3% of those that try this grueling course of will succeed, whereas the remaining are left to endure the tough, impoverished world of “Inland.” The contestants threat all of it, physique and thoughts, with stakes as excessive as dying. It’s a thought-provoking thriller on social disparity, and what it takes to get forward in life typically. If you happen to like reveals that mess along with your head whereas making you suppose, you’ll love this one.
Bodily 100 (2023-present)
This Korean actuality collection pits 100 bodily robust contestants in opposition to one another in battles of energy, flexibility, and psychological toughness, pushing them past their limits by a collection of intense, punishing challenges. The contributors ARE knocked out one after the other till solely one in all them is left standing to say the grand prize. It’s an intense, precarious setting that reveals out the true nature of its contestants, very similar to Squid Recreation.
The 8 Present (2024)
This Korean black comedy thriller is like Squid Recreation’s cooler cousin—competitors, survival, and depravity, however with out bloodbaths. You may suppose you’re trapped in a bizarre eight-floor constructing, taking part in a recreation with seven strangers the place you’ll be able to earn cash by the minute. However, there’s a catch: the upper flooring get extra advantages. With inequality rising, assets turning into restricted, doubts creep in, and dangers multiply. The thoughts video games are ruthless, the challenges get more and more intense, and the stress will get beneath your pores and skin. The layers are slowly peeled again to disclose a dog-eat-dog society, the place alliances are shaped solely to plot an ideal betrayal. If Squid Recreation stored you on the sting, The 8 Present is a darkish, gripping journey that can pull you in deeper.