Two years ago, only lazy people weren’t talking about “The Squid Game.” The success of the South Korean series was so deafening that it affected even children in the interior of Russia. There the young people toured the sites and held competitions in the series.
At the peak of its popularity, Netflix began filming the reality show “Squid Game: The Challenge.” The producers copied the scenery of the series, dressed the staff in recognizable costumes, gathered 456 diverse participants and chose $4.56 million as a prize: this is the largest amount in the history of projects of this type.
The plan only seems luxurious, but in reality everything went wrong. Even the old Russian shows inspired by “The Last Hero” turned out to be much more interesting.
“The Squid Game: Challenge”: where to watch?
The first five episodes are now available on Netflix. Four more episodes will be released on November 29 and the last one on December 6. There is no official Russian dubbing, only subtitles.
The video is available on the Netflix YouTube channel. The rights to the video belong to Netflix.
A lot of money and effort was put into the show.
I’ll start with the good. Reality perfectly recreates the conditions of the series. Do you remember the room where the “Red Light, Green Light” test was performed? In the show there are the same walls, the same sand on the floor, the same big, creepy doll. The striking resemblance makes it a little creepy: you only calm down when the paint bags explode on the participants’ chests. Ugh, this isn’t real after all.
And the spacious living room where the heroes of the series spent the night? In reality, the place looks identical: minimalist interior, bare walls, multi-story beds. Naturally, a huge ball hangs under the ceiling: as soon as someone falls, another $10 thousand falls there.
Beautiful and authentic
Photo: Netflix
This thoroughness is generally found in everything, from the locker room to the corridors through which the participants go to the tests. It’s nice to come back to these places and enjoy the style. Still, two years have passed since the premiere and there is still about a year left until the release of the second season.
The spectacle is a terrible shame.
It’s fun to watch familiar, adventurous places freeze at the sight of a spinning doll. There’s even drama in the challenges: When sweet grandma freezes before the finish line and the timer counts down the final seconds, your heart rate increases.
The popular claim that there was more passion in the trials of the series seems strange to me. What did the public want? So that the participants are not only expelled, but also beaten with a stick? The creators of the show did everything to make the tension as high as possible.
First exam
Photo: Netflix
The problem is that enthusiasm for the design diminishes quickly and the tests themselves last an average of 10 minutes, which is not enough, considering that the episodes last an hour. What happens the rest of the time?
“House 2”!
Imagine a participant who loves to eat. The standard lunch seems meager, so he slyly returns to the line and receives a second helping. “Well, I had the food and it’s fine, why bother?” you might think. The reality heroes will not agree: they will argue about their competitor and his arrogant act for several minutes. At this point, all the spectators will be a little dumbfounded.
And here are the athletes huddled together in a group and showing off in front of each other. God, you’ve never heard so much nonsense about biceps and curls. Although the worst thing is the innovation of the organizers: they allow random participants to expel an opponent. When the opportunity arises, the public is faced with a long and meaningless debate about whether it is okay to offend someone.
Worried about those who abandoned
Photo: Netflix
Even more time is devoted to participants sitting in front of the camera and talking about themselves. There are too many talking heads and almost everyone, to put it mildly, doesn’t care. Additionally, a hero who receives five minutes of airtime may be eliminated in the next challenge. Well, why should he know about his hobbies, his kids, and his dog?
“The Squid Game: Challenge” does not seem to be a driving program, but an analogue of “House 2”, where everyone makes scandals and says selective nonsense. It’s just embarrassing to watch.
This entire jackpot will go to one person.
Photo: Netflix
“The Squid Game: The Challenge”: Is it worth watching?
The reality show looks great and impresses with a cool prize, but this does not help it fulfill its main goal: to entertain the viewer. Therefore, it is better to skip the news and wait for the second season of “The Squid Game.”
The Squid Games: Challenge: 5 out of 10
Appreciated
The sets and costumes are a delight. The tests are mostly interesting.
I dont like him
90% of the running time is taken up by stupid chatter. The participants were expressionless.
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