Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game is a pretty intense show. (How could it not be when it’s about people in Korea getting snatched up to play kids games or die?) A new behind the scenes video shows how scenes from various episodes of the insanely popular Netflix original were filmed, and even while you’re fully aware that all of this isn’t real, watching the cast do these games for the show sure is something to see.
Maybe it’s because there’s no music. Unlike typical behind the scenes videos that we’ve become used to over the years, the 12-minute footage here is all played completely straight, with no insight from a director of Dong-hyuk about the show. There’s no cutaways to the actors recalling a particular moment or much goofing around. The video just treats it like you’re there on set with the crew, and it works.
It’s worth watching if you like seeing how shows get made, or if you just really love Squid’s cast and seeing them interact with each other. If you were fans of Jung Ho-yeon (Kang Sae-byeok) and Lee Yoo-mi (Ji-yeong), you’ll be pleased to see them sit together and laugh. It’s also just interesting to see them simulate gunshots by just having someone yell “bang!” extremely loudly and the actors go into self critique mode immediately once the cameras stop rolling.
To say that Squid Game has been a hit would be an understatement. Since it arrived in late September, the show will reportedly generate nearly a billion dollars in value for Netflix, even when it cost considerably less than that at $US21.4 (A$29) million. And everyone’s trying to get in on the (squid) game, with various crypto scams and content creators trying to make their own version of the games, just with less murder…hopefully. Either way, it’s not much of a surprise that Netflix has picked up the show for another season.