Back in 2021, Netflix’s hit series, Squid Games provided us with an exhilarating horror series that left the world with anticipation, wondering what would happen next after director Hwang Dong-hyuk left viewers on their toes from season one’s mega cliffhanger. This year, he uses the same effect, revealing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, that season three will be returning to Netflix in June of 2025 to continue season two’s storyline. Both seasons are based in one time period, yet split into two to provide more detail and not rush what happens, as there are lots of features and storylines to explain. The director’s stylistic choice has gained significant popularity creating the need for more content. What makes this season different than before, is that the background as to why both director Hwang Dong-hyuk and main actor Lee Jung-Jae made certain choices in writing, casting decisions, directing, and improvisation during multiple interviews, giving the audience a sense of why this series is such an emotional and powerful trainwreck of feelings. People were baffled by how someone who seemed so regular, created such gruesome and twisted mind games during both seasons of Squid Games. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is a 53-year-old South Korean filmmaker from Soul. When he was five years old, his father sadly passed away, leaving him with a broken childhood. At a very early age, he always enjoyed writing and filmmaking. He made lots of films and got a few minor awards in college, later continuing by creating a film by the name of My Father in 2007. This movie was quite successful as it was based on a true crime. But at the same time, it got lots of mixed reactions because he had not gotten permission from the case’s family. The controversy got him in trouble, keeping him from signing any other offers for a long period of time. At 38 years old, Hwang Dong-hyuk lived with his mother in a small home with raging debt and no hope of a way out, much like the main character Seong Gi-hun. This provided a window for viewers to see how symbolic this film can be. After spending a while with no motivation to continue his passion for filmmaking, he decided to spend most of his time doing things he loved. “I couldn’t get an investment, so – tired and broke – I went to comic book cafes and read a lot of comic books about survival games and gambling, and at that time, because I was so helpless and broke, I felt that if I could earn this prize, I myself would join one of those games… and that’s how I started writing Squid Game.” His idea for Squid Game sparked back in 2008. Yet he decided to wait more than a decade to release it, as he had multiple projects going on in those 10 years. He slowly built up his portfolio, winning awards, and putting out more dramas. It was finally in 2021 when his road to luxury emerged, and he was able to show the world his true talent as a filmmaker that he has had ever since he was a young boy. However, this fame and fortune did not fool Hwang into becoming one of the “VIPs.” He states, “Everyone says I’m the happiest person in South Korea, but the truth is, I’m not happy. I’m struggling every day and night.” Not a lot of people realize that he wrote and directed this film, resulting in days when he worked for 20 hours and slept for three. Countless months of going back and forth between directing and no sleep can take a huge toll on someone. The director described it as mental torture. Once he finished season one and saw all the uproar from fans, he knew he would have to spend countless nights working to please his fans. He states he always envisioned Squid Game’s global appeal, but even he’s surprised by its off-the-charts success. Although the pay is good, he says that life remains the same. Because Hwang was once in a situation with characters like Seong Gi-hun and Kang Sae-book, he knows now that fame doesn’t mean happiness, and that he still deals with the same issues he faced when he believed he had no future. “In a Capitalist society, anyone can find themselves in Gi-Hun’s position at any time,” Hwang states as he explains the Capitalistic viewpoint that Squid Game portrays through the luck, corruption, elite hierarchy, and poverty in today’s world. This series along with multiple other movies such as The Hunger Games showcases our Capitalistic world and how those in it fall in place to create a large societal union of greed. “I think what fundamentally continues to drive this system is human selfishness and greed. These days I am becoming more pessimistic about human nature. I almost think that for homosapiens it’s greed that allows them to create a society that they feel most comfortable in.” Hwang understands how society works and why there are issues as big as poverty still going on in our world today since he had to go through the hardships of losing a death in the family and growing up with little to no resources. His standpoint on Capitalism is said to be portrayed in extreme manners throughout both seasons one and two of Squid Game, yet when taking a closer look at why he chose these directive paths, it is clear that this series is not much of an exaggeration when compared to a human’s everyday life. Players who struggle with debt, usually from gambling, drugs, and alcohol addictions. are transported to an island where different ranks of wealth watch them compete in playing children’s games to potentially win 45.6 billion Korean won which equates to around 31 million U.S dollars. The game’s motive is based upon the wealthiest of society and those who have the most power. To them, life is pointless and boring with all the money they have, so they go and watch the struggling lower class kill themselves for what they think will give them happiness. This provides a full circle moment in the film, portraying that society will never be satisfied with the outcome and will always crave more. The VIPs watching from above are there because their life is meaningless, and they have nothing else to live for now that they achieved wealth. Juxtaposed with how those competing are there due to their unwillingness to continue life without money. This irony portrayed throughout the series indicates the selfishness and greed that society is living in these modern times. What’s difficult to understand is why humanity is always striving for more, and why is more never enough. After taking a deeper dive into the film and examining certain games and characters, the answer lies right in front of the viewers. The games are portrayed to show that the strongest, most intelligent, and the most resilient person should win these games and be set up to be fair for all. As a matter of fact, characters are killed on the spot if authorities find they may be cheating, as that puts the rest of the characters at a disadvantage. Yet in reality, the entire system is cheating itself. Some games may include skills such as strength or mind tricks, yet in the grand scheme, everything about these games is unfair. For one of the games in season one, for example, the players have to guess which glass is sturdy enough to stand on, and which will leave them plummeting to their deaths. This game is held last, as it showcases that no matter how much skill or talent someone may have, the majority of life is all about injustice. This is a clear indication of Capitalism’s corruption and the reason why the world has a majority of world issues that include poverty, starvation, drug issues, and gambling. The director is trying to say that these people did not choose these lives to live, but that Capitalism chose it for them. Although the harsh death games provide the viewer with a thrilling fiction show, the connection between the corrupt elites in the show goes hand in hand with today’s government. Netflix knew that the concept for this horror show would blow the charts due to its creativity and a large amount of thought behind it. As viewers wait for season three, they are unfolding hidden secrets and Easter eggs included in season two. Discovering future games, analyzing any details they could miss, and predicting any plot twists that may occur were all a part of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s idea to gain more traction. His plan now is not to be successful, as he claims, “Money is just a number; it doesn’t mean anything to me.” Instead he wants to provide fans with a show that differentiates from the rest. Squid Game’s uniqueness and intense plot makes this show worth everyone’s time to watch.
