🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 27 (from laksa161)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa027.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/squid-game-review\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/squid-game-review\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/squid-game-review","crawl_time":1775841950,"first_indexed_time":1632769017,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,purewow!www,\/entertainment\/squid-game-review s443","src_root_hash":"6618640092714052227","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"An Honest Review of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ - PureWow","meta_descriptions":["Netflix’s new Korean thriller ‘Squid Game’ is currently ranked number one in the U.S., but is it really worth the watch? Here’s why one gore-averse viewer still highly recommends the disturbing series."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The first episode of this\nKorean thriller\nopens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come).\nWe see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision.\nNow we enter the dystopian\nHunger Games\n-esque competition\npromised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin.","attrs_markdown":"![](https:\/\/sb.scorecardresearch.com\/p?c1=2&c2=39712200&cv=3.9.1&cj=1)\n\n- [style](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/style)\n- [fashion](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/fashion)\n- [beauty](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/beauty)\n- [reviews](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/reviews)\n- [shopping](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/shopping)\n\n[food](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/food)\n\n[family](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/family)\n\n[wellness](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/wellness)\n\n[about us](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/about-us)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/subscribe)\n\n[About Us](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/about-us)[Style](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/style)[Fashion](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/fashion)[Beauty](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/beauty)[Reviews](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/reviews)[Shopping](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/shopping)[Food](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/food)[Family](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/family)[Wellness](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/wellness)[Entertainment](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment)[News](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/news)[Home](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/home)[Recipes](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/recipes)[Travel](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/travel)[Pets](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/pets)[Horoscopes](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/horoscopes)[Gift Guides](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/home\/holiday-gift-guide)[Weddings](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/weddings)[Cultures](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/cultures)[Money](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/money)[Books](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/books)[Tech](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/tech)[New York](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/ny)[Los Angeles](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/la)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/subscribe)\n\n[entertainment](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment)\n\n# Netflix’s New K-Thriller ‘Squid Game’ Is Disturbing and Fascinating and I Cannot Wait for Season 2\n***\n![Author image: unnamed](https:\/\/assets.purewow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/unnamed.jpg)\n\nBy [Abby Hepworth](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/author\/abby-hepworth)\n\n•\n\nPublished Sep 27, 2021\n\n*\\*Warning: Minor spoilers ahead\\**\n\nI am an absolute wimp when it comes to gore and violence in TV shows and movies. But something about the candy-colored images and funny name of [Netflix’s new *Squid Game*](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/squid-game-netflix) intrigued me enough to stop and watch the trailer. The premise is like a Nickelodeon game show turned fatal, with “contestants” playing a series of children's games where they get murdered if they lose. It is pretty much immediately made clear that this show involves plenty of violence and yet I, a person who couldn’t even stomach the Wikipedia descriptions of movies like *Saw* or *Final Destination*, needed to know more—I needed to watch the show.\n\nWhile the first episode was wonderfully compelling (if a bit jarring at times), it was the premiere episode’s abrupt end and the twists of episode two (and beyond) that really pulled me in and led a gore-averse pacifist like myself to devour all nine episodes. And I am not the only one—the show is currently the number one Netflix show in the U.S.\n\n![squid game review 2 1360x979](https:\/\/assets.purewow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/squid-game-review-2-1360x979.jpg)\n\nNetflix\n\nThe first episode of this [Korean thriller](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/best-korean-drama-films) opens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come).\n\nWe see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision.\n\nNow we enter the dystopian [*Hunger Games*\\-esque competition](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/movies-like-hunger-games) promised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin.\n\n![squid game netflix 1360x979](https:\/\/assets.purewow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/squid-game-netflix-1360x979.jpg)\n\nNetflix\n\nThere were absolutely scenes where I squirmed in my seat, but realistically there isn’t all that much gore as compared with shows like *[The Walking Dead](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/news\/andrew-lincoln-leaving-walking-dead-reason)* or *[Game of Thrones](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/news\/game-of-thrones-second-prequel-series-details)*. The discomfort came much more from the disturbing juxtaposition between the candy-colored sets and nostalgia-filled games with folks being shot in the head with very little warning. The premise is obviously quite similar to *[The Hunger Games](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/news\/hunger-games-prequel-movie)* and *Battle Royale*, and the evil mastermind behind this gruesome setup feels vaguely similar to Jigsaw (in that they wear a mask and murder people through games) from *Saw*, but even if you watched and loved those films you won’t be able to guess where *Squid Game* is headed.\n\nThe sets are absolutely incredible and the music choices are perfection, but it’s the performances by Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun and Oh Yeong-su as the old man that really sold me and made me want to watch episode after episode. (HoYeon Jung also deserves high praise for her portrayal of Kang Saw-byeok, who is much more than just a rebellious pickpocket.) It isn’t made immediately clear whether or not the series of games must culminate in a single winner or if multiple people can split the prize money—a whopping 456 million won—and it isn’t so easy to decide who to root for. The thought of any of the main ensemble dying, as some must eventually do, is heartbreaking. Regardless, I must say congratulations to Netflix for transforming this scaredy-cat viewer into a horror-bingeing believer.\n\n## Purewow Rating: 4 Stars\n*Squid Game* is best watched as a 9-hour long movie so I highly suggest binging multiple episodes at a time. The episodes all vary in length and most end in what feels like the middle of a scene (don’t worry, they feel more like cliffhangers and less like frustratingly random breaks). Simply by the structure of the game setup, things become somewhat predictable or at least inevitable. But even though I could see where the show was headed, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of watching and it was still exciting to see it play out all the way to the end. \n\n*For a full breakdown of PureWow's entertainment rating system, click [here](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/purewow-rating-system).*\n\n*Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click [here](https:\/\/link.purewow.com\/join\/75o\/signup-news).*\n\n**RELATED**\n***\n\n[This New Home Invasion Thriller Just Became the \\#1 Movie on Netflix After Only Two Days](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/intrusion-netflix)\n***\n\n***\n![unnamed](https:\/\/assets.purewow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/unnamed.jpg)\n\n[Abby Hepworth](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/author\/abby-hepworth)\n\n### Editor\n- Covers fashion, trends and all things running\n- Received certification as an RRCA run coach\n- Has worked in fashion for over a decade\n\n[read full bio](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/author\/abby-hepworth)\n***\n### More Stories You'll Love\n[entertainment \/ Danielle Long Netflix's New \\#1 Show Absolutely Lives Up to the Hype—and I'm Not the Only One Who's Obsessed](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/love-on-the-spectrum-season-4-netflix)\n\n[entertainment \/ Danielle Long This Gritty Serial Killer Thriller Just Hit Netflix’s Top 10—and I Can Tell Why Viewers Are Obsessed](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/netflix-detective-hole)\n\n[entertainment \/ Clara Stein Reese Witherspoon Gets Emotional After New Show Is Renewed for Season 2 Before Season 1 Even Airs](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/elle-renewed-season-2)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz 15 Shows and Movies to Watch This Weekend](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/what-to-watch-this-weekend)\n\n[entertainment \/ Danielle Long This Chilling Horror-Thriller Just Became Netflix’s \\#2 Show & Audiences Are Divided](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/netflix-something-very-bad-is-going-to-happen)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz The 5 Best Shows of March, Hands-Down](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/best-shows-march-2026)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz This New Prime Video Series Is One of the Funniest Shows I've Seen in Ages](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/bait-prime-video-riz-ahmed-review)\n\n[entertainment \/ Sponsored The Secret to Brighter-Looking Eyes During the Big Game Weekend? We Found It at Gallery Club House](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/gallery-club-house-2026)\n\n[entertainment \/ Jillian Quint The 85-Minute Broadway Show Everyone Is Talking About](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/every-brilliant-thing-daniel-radcliffe-broadway-review)\n\n[entertainment \/ Danielle Long This Fresh Take on Sherlock Holmes Is the Best New Show on TV RN](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/young-sherlock-prime-video)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz \"Jury Duty\" Is Back with Crazy New Characters and a New 'Real Person'—Here, My Honest Season 2 Review](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/jury-duty-season-two-company-retreat-review)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz Vampire Rock Opera 'Blood\/Love' Slays Off-Broadway (No, It Doesn't Suck)](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/bloodlove-off-broadway-review)\n\n[entertainment \/ Danielle Long Netflix’s \\#1 Documentary Is Wildly Controversial—and It Has People Terrified](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/netflix-inside-the-manosphere)\n\n[entertainment \/ Nakeisha Campbell Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Wife: Everything to Know About British Director Sam Taylor-Johnson](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/aaron-taylor-johnson-wife)\n\n[entertainment \/ Philip Mutz I Finally Found the Role Nicole Kidman Wasn't Born to Play—But I Love Watching Her Play it Anyway](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/scarpetta-review-prime-video-nicole-kidman)\n\n[entertainment \/ Marissa Wu Please Please Please Do Not Let This Movie Win Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/one-battle-after-another-review)\n\nSee More\n\nCompany\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/about-us)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.gallerymediagroup.com\/careers)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.gallerymediagroup.com\/contact)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/www.gallerymediagroup.com\/advertise)\n- [Instagram Portfolio](https:\/\/www.gallerymediagroup.com\/social-portfolio)\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/sitemap\/html-sitemap)\n\nLegal\n\n- [Terms & Conditions](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/terms)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/privacy-policy)\n- [Editorial Policy](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/editorial-policy)\n- [Contests](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/page\/contest-rules)\n- [Do Not Sell or Share My Information](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/dns)\n\n[![Gallery Media Group logo](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/static-gmg\/gmg-site\/images\/logos\/gallery-media-group-logo-gray.webp)](https:\/\/www.gallerymediagroup.com\/)\n\n©2010-2026 Wow MediaProducts, Inc doing business as PureWow. All rights reserved.\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/subscribe)\n\nCookie Settings\n\n[style](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/style)[food](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/food)[family](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/family)[wellness](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/wellness)","attrs_readable_markdown":"The first episode of this [Korean thriller](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/best-korean-drama-films) opens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come).\n\nWe see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision.\n\nNow we enter the dystopian [*Hunger Games*\\-esque competition](https:\/\/www.purewow.com\/entertainment\/movies-like-hunger-games) promised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin.","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

3 hours ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/squid-game-review
Last Crawled	2026-04-10 17:25:50 (3 hours ago)
First Indexed	2021-09-27 18:56:57 (4 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	An Honest Review of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ - PureWow
Meta Description	Netflix’s new Korean thriller ‘Squid Game’ is currently ranked number one in the U.S., but is it really worth the watch? Here’s why one gore-averse viewer still highly recommends the disturbing series.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	The first episode of this Korean thriller opens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come). We see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision. Now we enter the dystopian Hunger Games -esque competition promised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin.
Markdown	![](https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=39712200&cv=3.9.1&cj=1) - [style](https://www.purewow.com/style) - [fashion](https://www.purewow.com/fashion) - [beauty](https://www.purewow.com/beauty) - [reviews](https://www.purewow.com/reviews) - [shopping](https://www.purewow.com/shopping) [food](https://www.purewow.com/food) [family](https://www.purewow.com/family) [wellness](https://www.purewow.com/wellness) [about us](https://www.purewow.com/page/about-us) [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.purewow.com/subscribe) [About Us](https://www.purewow.com/page/about-us)[Style](https://www.purewow.com/style)[Fashion](https://www.purewow.com/fashion)[Beauty](https://www.purewow.com/beauty)[Reviews](https://www.purewow.com/reviews)[Shopping](https://www.purewow.com/shopping)[Food](https://www.purewow.com/food)[Family](https://www.purewow.com/family)[Wellness](https://www.purewow.com/wellness)[Entertainment](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment)[News](https://www.purewow.com/news)[Home](https://www.purewow.com/home)[Recipes](https://www.purewow.com/recipes)[Travel](https://www.purewow.com/travel)[Pets](https://www.purewow.com/pets)[Horoscopes](https://www.purewow.com/horoscopes)[Gift Guides](https://www.purewow.com/home/holiday-gift-guide)[Weddings](https://www.purewow.com/weddings)[Cultures](https://www.purewow.com/cultures)[Money](https://www.purewow.com/money)[Books](https://www.purewow.com/books)[Tech](https://www.purewow.com/tech)[New York](https://www.purewow.com/ny)[Los Angeles](https://www.purewow.com/la) [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.purewow.com/subscribe) [entertainment](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment) # Netflix’s New K-Thriller ‘Squid Game’ Is Disturbing and Fascinating and I Cannot Wait for Season 2 *** ![Author image: unnamed](https://assets.purewow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/unnamed.jpg) By [Abby Hepworth](https://www.purewow.com/author/abby-hepworth) • Published Sep 27, 2021 \Warning: Minor spoilers ahead\** I am an absolute wimp when it comes to gore and violence in TV shows and movies. But something about the candy-colored images and funny name of [Netflix’s new Squid Game](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/squid-game-netflix) intrigued me enough to stop and watch the trailer. The premise is like a Nickelodeon game show turned fatal, with “contestants” playing a series of children's games where they get murdered if they lose. It is pretty much immediately made clear that this show involves plenty of violence and yet I, a person who couldn’t even stomach the Wikipedia descriptions of movies like Saw or Final Destination, needed to know more—I needed to watch the show. While the first episode was wonderfully compelling (if a bit jarring at times), it was the premiere episode’s abrupt end and the twists of episode two (and beyond) that really pulled me in and led a gore-averse pacifist like myself to devour all nine episodes. And I am not the only one—the show is currently the number one Netflix show in the U.S. ![squid game review 2 1360x979](https://assets.purewow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/squid-game-review-2-1360x979.jpg) Netflix The first episode of this [Korean thriller](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-korean-drama-films) opens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come). We see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision. Now we enter the dystopian [Hunger Games\-esque competition](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/movies-like-hunger-games) promised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin. ![squid game netflix 1360x979](https://assets.purewow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/squid-game-netflix-1360x979.jpg) Netflix There were absolutely scenes where I squirmed in my seat, but realistically there isn’t all that much gore as compared with shows like [The Walking Dead](https://www.purewow.com/news/andrew-lincoln-leaving-walking-dead-reason) or [Game of Thrones](https://www.purewow.com/news/game-of-thrones-second-prequel-series-details). The discomfort came much more from the disturbing juxtaposition between the candy-colored sets and nostalgia-filled games with folks being shot in the head with very little warning. The premise is obviously quite similar to [The Hunger Games](https://www.purewow.com/news/hunger-games-prequel-movie) and Battle Royale, and the evil mastermind behind this gruesome setup feels vaguely similar to Jigsaw (in that they wear a mask and murder people through games) from Saw, but even if you watched and loved those films you won’t be able to guess where Squid Game is headed. The sets are absolutely incredible and the music choices are perfection, but it’s the performances by Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun and Oh Yeong-su as the old man that really sold me and made me want to watch episode after episode. (HoYeon Jung also deserves high praise for her portrayal of Kang Saw-byeok, who is much more than just a rebellious pickpocket.) It isn’t made immediately clear whether or not the series of games must culminate in a single winner or if multiple people can split the prize money—a whopping 456 million won—and it isn’t so easy to decide who to root for. The thought of any of the main ensemble dying, as some must eventually do, is heartbreaking. Regardless, I must say congratulations to Netflix for transforming this scaredy-cat viewer into a horror-bingeing believer. ## Purewow Rating: 4 Stars Squid Game is best watched as a 9-hour long movie so I highly suggest binging multiple episodes at a time. The episodes all vary in length and most end in what feels like the middle of a scene (don’t worry, they feel more like cliffhangers and less like frustratingly random breaks). Simply by the structure of the game setup, things become somewhat predictable or at least inevitable. But even though I could see where the show was headed, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of watching and it was still exciting to see it play out all the way to the end. For a full breakdown of PureWow's entertainment rating system, click [here](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/purewow-rating-system). Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click [here](https://link.purewow.com/join/75o/signup-news). 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Readable Markdown	The first episode of this [Korean thriller](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-korean-drama-films) opens with an explanation of a charming playground game called “the squid game,” cluing us into the origin of the show’s title. (Don’t worry if you don’t grasp the rules of the squid game right away, all the games are explained in full later on.) We then jump to Seong Gi-hun, our main protagonist, eating at his mother’s house. Despite her advanced age, she works very hard trying to provide for herself and her adult son, while Gi-hun appears entirely ungrateful, going so far as to steal her debit card to pull money from the bank before heading off to bet on horse races. We learn he has an immense amount of debt, most owed to violent loan sharks who threaten to steal his organs if he cannot repay them (yeah, you should accept the horrifying absurdity of deals like this early on, as there are even more to come). We see Seong Gi-hun take his young daughter out for a birthday dinner, gifting her with a neatly wrapped box won in an arcade game—another demonstration of his gambling addiction—that turns out to be an all too realistic looking water gun. On his way home, he meets a well-dressed stranger who offers him 100,000 won if he can win a game of ddakji (another simple playground game), but if he loses the man will slap his face. Gi-hun plays for god knows how long, losing round after round until his face is red and bruised before he finally wins just once and is gifted with the money as promised as well as a business card and an offer to play more games for cash if he so chooses. While it’s clear that our lead has a lot of issues, he’s also frustrated with his dwindling role in his daughter’s life and the burdens he places on his mother. He decides to take the stranger’s offer and play another game. Oh, how he’ll come to regret that decision. Now we enter the dystopian [Hunger Games\-esque competition](https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/movies-like-hunger-games) promised in the trailer. Gi-hun and 455 other players, all of whom are revealed to owe massive amounts of money to the government and more nefarious organizations, find themselves waking up in a warehouse dressed in matching green tracksuits with numbers attached. We meet the rest of the ensemble cast, including Cho Sang-woo (a “successful” businessman and Gi-hun’s friend from childhood), Kang Sae-byeok (a pickpocket who earlier stole money from Gi-hun) and Oh Il-nam (an old man recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and by far the most interesting of the side characters). Masked individuals prompt them all to sign a contract with just three clauses—a player is not allowed to stop playing, a player who refuses to play will be eliminated and games may be terminated if the majority agrees—and then the horrifying and deadly “games” finally begin.
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