Unsu joeun nal

I think this finale,was in all honesty.. a mixed bag for me! There really were times where I was fully invested and emotionally sucked into this story, but at other times i just could not by what I was seeing!

First.. the finale game was great and really wrapped up the first scene from the pilot as well as the name of the show! I think they nailed this part with a great set piece, directing and emotional pay-off!

However.. the twist for me was poorly handled in my opinion! I dont think it felt earned and in the end it felt underwhelming! The conversation they had was good, but the whole set up.. I just did not by it!

Another part i liked was Gin-Hu honering his promise to Sae-Byeok! It qlso shows that the games have put you through so much that at the end.. is the reward even worth it?

Therefore i dont think the finale scene was bad either! I understand that for him to become a good father.. he first has to be able to live with himself.. and forgive himself!

A great series (or season) finale. While there are some things open ended, the most important stuff comes to a close pretty neatly. The final game is satisfying, the pay off after it is reality-crushing sad, the final twist (who the creator is) pays kind of 'Ten Little Indians' meets 'Saw' homage and while It could be not that shocking it's a good, effective capper to the character so the motivation of the game. After an emotional ending bonding two depressive fates into a well deserved hope, there's a (probably intentional) cliffhanger. Overall, a great ending to a great series.

After having watched a bunch of shows on Netflix, I have finally found something special here: The Squid Game. Upfront I've been a long-time fan of the alternative Korean film market, and this TV series is another gold star from their stables.

In this Season One, what we have is something is & isn't really that new a story, revolving around a bunch of people who ultimately choose to compete in a set of immature games that have deadly consequences, with the winner taking the spoils, a life changing sum of money.

The show is derivative and doesn't really hide that fact, taking elements directly/indirectly from Battle Royale, TXH 1138, Wicker Man, The Running Man, The Dark Knight and even countless survivor zombie films like Night of the Living Dead. You can add the obsession also in life with the countless number of reality TV shows too.

This mish-mash actually works. Why? It's because the set of characters are diverse BUT written in a believable manner which is quite an accomplishment. What we have is characters who are all flawed in some ways and end up having to make decisions on murky morale dilemmas which are life or death for them and/or their families & friends both within the game and not.

There are surreal settings which I won't spoil which will at first humour you but then scare you, as it's dark, violent and bloody.

Sounds crazy but actually it comes together as it's creating a Kafkaesque critique of modern life with a bitter outlook on our free market age and the power of big moneyed powermongers. This creates questions and issues which we all begin to ask ourselves, and you may find yourselves in the same delusions that you will always do what is right. That's clearly not all how life works sadly as you see here.

We have parallel stories of the characters lives outside, and a selfless cop trying to find his long lost brother. This all adds intrigue and greater depth. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a laziness in the writing of the rich faceless Western men. They were all practically old white men (one was of mostly like Chinese origin), and this seemed a bit cliched and narrow minded, and only partly diminished its aims. However, that shouldn't be one to ruin the rest of a great film.

I really enjoyed this series. It's about morale conundrums and a critique of our socities, our worries and those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It will leave you contemplating some questions about life, but it's not a political or revolutionary story. I'd highly recommend it to everyone to watch this.

I don't know whether you've heard about this one, but just to give it a bit of much needed publicity, "Squid Game" is a Korean show on Netflix. I'm kidding of course, whereas I'd personally prefer to be the one to discover something whilst it's relatively unknown, I came to "Squid Game" when it was already a worldwide phenomenon. Usually, hype like this is followed by inevitable disappointment, but I really liked the show and was impressed at how deep and character driven it was.

Desperate for money, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) agrees to partake is a mysterious game. Along with 499 other volunteers he is drugged and taken to an island and participates in various versions of children's games where the ultimate reward is an obscene amount of money, but the risk of failure is death. Between the games, alliances are formed and broken and the true nature of the competitors comes out.

As I say, what could be a cheap exploitation style show is elevated by so much work spent on investing in the characters - their backstories and motivations - as well as by the performers who do such a good job of playing them. All of the seven or so principle characters are excellent but it's Lee Jung-jae who is the lead and has the most transformative role. Gi-hun initially starts as a shady and unlikeable character, but one who's heart and kindness grow across the run until you can't help but love him.

The changing nature of the games can make for some heartbreaking moments, but it's the episode Gganbu, which is perhaps the most affecting hours of television that I've seen in a while.

Do I want a second season? Tough one. Personally rather than follow on the story from here, I'd rather find out more about The Frontman, what happened to him to get him to the point we find him.

A thrilling, tense and surprisingly emotional series. Well done.

The people who dislike this ending just want more gore and intense action like the rest of the show. Just enjoy this human moment. He kept his promise and stayed a good man. Great ending to a great show.