Bibliographic Information:
Title: Squid Game
Creator / Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Production Company: Siren Pictures
Release Date: September 2021 Genre/Format of the Title: Survival Drama, Mystery, Thriller / TV, Streaming (Netflix)
Running Time: 55 min / ep
Rating: TV-MA
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-Joon
Awards or Honors: 2021 Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Series – Long Form (IMDB)
Logline: "Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake."
Author Background: Hwang Dong-hyuk is a South Korean director best known for Silenced (2011) and Squid Game (2021). He originally wrote the story for Squid Game ten years ago but the world was not ready for such a unique story; the series was continually rejected by media companies and actors. After seeing the success of webtoons in Korea, he changed his feature film idea into a television series (IMDB, n.d).
Plot Summary: Seong Gi-hun has essentially given up on life when a stranger approaches him to play a game. A simple game in which he picks a blue card to flip his opponent's red card. After many losses (of which he received one slap each), he finally manages to flip his opponent's card, granting him a cash prize and a phone number with an invitation to participate in future games. The offer is too tempting to pass up, and Gi-hun calls the number, boards a van full of other people and is drugged to sleep. When he wakes up, he is surrounded by others like him: confused, lost, and mesmerized by the floating piggy bank. Everyone is forced to play a series of games, each deadlier than the last. As the games progress and people die, the piggy bank is filled with cash for the last surviving member to claim. Will Gi-hun be able to survive to win the Squid Game?
The game that started it all...
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items: The series is only nine episodes, but you get some really great character development; they really get a lot out of a 55 minute episode. The main character, Seong Gi-hun, is a deadbeat, hopeless, gambling addict who steals from his own mother. He starts the show as a pretty unlikable character. However, as the games progress and the stakes are raised, everyone shows their true colors. Seong Gi-hun turns out to be a pretty good guy whose life took a turn for the worse, leading him to gambling and self-loathing. The adrenaline from the games clears his mind and heart and we as the audience get to see that transformation happen as people die around him. The show's premise is fun, interesting, and sets you up for a lot of thrilling, deadly games. There is also commentary on classism, human nature, and money. Overall, this show is a lot of fun and there is a lot to enjoy in this short series - there's a reason everyone's talking about it.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Squid Game competition - ROBLOX Edition
ROBLOX, the popular online game platform, has added a version of Squid Game to the mix. There has been an increase in youth playing a version of Squid Game on ROBLOX at the library. This online game platform allows multiple users to play together, at the same time, across different computers. Participating teens will join the same Squid Game ROBLOX lobby: whoever wins the game will take home library swag.
Food: Everyone will get their own "Honeycomb" sweet that they can either eat or try to extract without breaking. This was another trial that was seen in the popular series of Squid Game.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: A man who finds himself in insurmountable debt is suddenly presented an opportunity. A chance to get out of an impossible debt. A chance at freedom. A chance at happiness. All Seong Gi-hun has to do is win the Squid Game. To do that, he must survive a series of deadly games and beat hundreds of other desperate people like him. The stakes have never been higher.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: The games are definitely violent so if the series is challenged it will probably be for hyper violence. However, I would argue that the violence is not gratuitous and that it only serves the narrative. The violent games are meant to be a reflection of how brutal life and capitalism can be and how powerful people don't value the lives of the poor. The violence depicted on screen and the authentic reactions to that violence, are part of what makes the show so great.
Reason for Inclusion: This show is incredibly popular; it blew up in a massive way. There were so many parodies and fan challenges after the show came out. The best part about all of this popularity is that Squid Game is a well-told, well-directed, thrilling, entertaining story. This is a great way to expose young viewers to the greatness that is South Korean cinema and storytelling.
Enhancements
Official Trailer
Behind the Scenes of Squid Game