Squid Game: The Challenge Review: In What World Was This A Good Idea?
It should go without saying that a "Squid Game" reality competition series is a terrible idea. Seriously, I shouldn't have to say it and this series was doomed to completely miss the point of "Squid Game" just by its very existence, but here we are. "Squid Game" was Netflix's most popular series ever and it's understandable that the streaming service would want to capitalize on it to some degree, but since the original show is about the horrors of capitalism and the game is clearly considered evil, maybe they shouldn't have recreated that very same evil game in reality. All reality television is morally questionable to some degree because the audience is getting entertainment from the struggles and often the suffering of real people, but there's something about "Squid Game: The Challenge" that feels especially insidious.
"Squid Game" was a global phenomenon that heavily criticized capitalism through the use of a fictional game show. The game wasn't broadcast to the entire world, like Netflix's show will be, but rather to a set of rich elites. These VIPs are the clear villains of the original series, but in making a reality series out of those same games, Netflix becomes the VIPs. As part of the audience, it's hard not to feel complicit in the contestant's pain, and that makes "Squid Game: The Challenge" a tough watch.
A meticulous recreation — for better and worse
"Squid Game: The Challenge" can be praised for few things, but the production itself is impressive. Almost everything from "Squid Game" has been recreated down to the tiniest detail, including the giant dormitory with stacked beds where the contestants sleep, several of the game rooms, and even the bizarre M.C. Escher-inspired staircases. The attention to detail is really something to behold, and there are moments where you almost have to remind yourself that it's a game show and not actually "Squid Game." The camera work and editing during the games is more cinematic than the average reality series, which adds to this effect and can be rather unsettling.
While there's something charming about the contestants getting excited when they see certain rooms or props based on the original series, it's also kind of strange because they would be acting differently if it was the real deal. Sure, the stakes are still very high because the contestants are unpaid and put their lives on hold to try and win the massive $4.56 million prize, but no one's dying if they fail in a game. They do have to pretend they're dead, however, and an ink pack on their chests bursts with a loud pop, spraying them with black ink. The ink packs look and sound a lot like the fictional "Squid Game" characters being shot with rifles, and I wonder if they originally had red ink and realized that they would come under fire for being glib about murder. As is, it's still pretty rough.
A competition series based in cruelty
Even if you can move past the dubious decision to "kill" contestants when they lose, "Squid Game: The Challenge" also still has to account for the fact that medics reportedly had to be called in repeatedly during the very first game, a recreation of "Red Light Green Light" complete with the giant girl robot. Contestants reported that they had to hold painful positions for up to "hours" at a time, which explains some of what's shown in the episode. People give up on holding positions after what's edited to look like only moments, and their loud declarations that they "can't do this" seem melodramatic. The dormitory room was also reportedly freezing, and contestants can be seen trying to warm themselves or keeping their hands in their jacket pockets.
Once the contestants who complete "Red Light, Green Light" get into the dorms, they're given dinner and it's disgusting. The paltry meals look like the worst of public school lunches, and contestants frequently become combative over food and complain about being hungry. Look, I love watching people imagine all of the food they want to eat on "Naked and Afraid" because they're there of their own volition and there's no prize. With "Squid Game: The Challenge," the prize is so huge and the stakes are so high that it almost doesn't feel like the contestants have much of a choice.
It's immoral and icky, but is it entertaining?
Say you can separate yourself from the contestants' pain, or you don't mind because they've signed on for this, the question still remains — is "Squid Game: The Challenge" any good as a competition reality series? The answer, as much as it pains me to say it, is yes. Everything from a production standpoint is impressive, from the sheer size of the competition to the way both the games and "downtime" are shot and edited. There are clear heroes and villains, alliances that come to mean something, and the games themselves are (mostly) compelling. For example, it's impossible to make Dalgona, the cookie game, anything but disgusting in real life, especially when one of the contestants is having a stress reaction and is near to vomiting. Of the five episodes sent to critics, that was the only truly unpleasant or boring game. I was genuinely disappointed when I ran out of episodes, because I wanted to see what would happen to the contestants I had gotten attached to. It's fairly well-made reality television, but at what cost?
When the rest of the episodes release, I will not finish "Squid Game: The Challenge," even though I'll admit that I'm curious how it all turns out. That's because of the talented creatives who put the series together and the contestants themselves, and I honestly feel like they all deserve better somehow. The reality series shouldn't have to teach us the same lessons as the original series all over again, but that's what we got.
/Film Rating: 4 out of 10
"Squid Game: The Challenge" premieres on Netflix on November 22, 2023.