Abstract: Breaking with the usual dystopias of the “battle royal” micro-genre, the South Korean series Squid Game depicts a perverse and deadly competition on the margins of a seemingly contemporary society. The competition, far from being an anomaly, serves as a mirror revealing the pernicious ways in which the society functions. Through this mechanism, Squid Game examines similar issues to the cinema of Bong Joon-ho and further affirms the distinctiveness of South Korean film and television with regards to Hollywood.
