Netflix’s critically acclaimed Korean survival thriller show Squid Games 2 is streaming on Netflix. Three years after Hwang Dong-hyuk’s show captivated the audience the world over, the second instalment had generated a lot of buzz since the launch of its trailer.
Although I was a bit late to the party, but managed to watch the entire show at a go. And here I am with a spoiler-free review Squid Games 2, where 456 contestants play six games with a deadly twist.
Squid Games 2 plot
It’s been three years since Seong Gi-hun won the Squid Games. He leaves the airport terminal intending to meet the Front Man behind the deadly games. He removes a tracking device implanted behind his ear to avoid being tracked.
He has now employed his former loan shark Kim to track down the game’s recruiter. Gi-Hun manages to find the recruiter and, under circumstances we won’t reveal to you, returns to the game he once played.
Gi-Hun has new fellow contestants in the game which has a similar format with new contests. There is a twist to the game: after every round, contestants have to vote if they want to leave with the prize money accumulated at that time.
But Gi-Hun has not returned to the game to win for the second time. He wants to END IT! Will he succeed? Who will support him in this highly risky mission, where failure means death?
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Squid Games 2 cast and crew
Lee Jung-jae returns as Gi-Hun, the lead protagonist of the Squid Games universe. The 52-year-old actor was seen as Sol in American science fiction TV show Star Wars: The Acolyte. Besides Jung-Jae, Squid Games 2 also features Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Lee Seo-hwan and others.
Squid Games 2 review
Honestly, Squid Games 2 is a bit weaker than the first instalment. The thrill which shot Squid Games to the limelight, does fade in the second version. But as a sequel, it is still engaging.
The new games and the overall plot do add to the thrill. The ending of the second season does leave you with a sense of curiosity.
According to Tudum, the show’s creator Hwang Dong-hyuk last year wrote to his fans, “I am beyond excited to be writing this letter to announce the date for Season 2 and share the news of Season 3, the final season. The fierce clash between [Gi-hun and Front Man’s] two worlds will continue into the series finale with Season 3, which will be brought to you next year.”
If you are a die-hard fan of Squid Games and loved the first season, the second season will disappoint you a bit. But it is not at all bad.