Squid Game fans eager to see the Netflix hit’s second season — due for release sometime in 2024 — can now pass the time with a similar series. The 8 Show, another South Korean thriller, hit Netflix on Friday. And though Squid Game is a hard act to follow, The 8 Show might just become viewers’ next obsession — and here’s why.
1. It’s another hard-hitting K-drama.
Directed and written by Han Jae-rim, The 8 Show is “a slow-burn series that reveals just how vulnerable humans are to the darkest sides of a hyper-capitalist society,” Netflix’s Tudum blog reveals. Sound familiar, Squid Game fans?
2. It also follows money-hungry contestants navigating a dangerous game.
The 8 Show’s synopsis lays out the new series’ Squid Game-like premise: “Eight individuals trapped in a mysterious 8-story building participate in a tempting but dangerous game show where they earn money as time passes.”
Netflix
3. It’s a “uniform” series.
As with The Squid Game, the contestants of The 8 Show have to ditch their everyday clothing for a numbered uniform once they start the challenge. In the case of The 8 Show, the uniform numbers denote the contestants’ floor numbers. And the contestants soon suspect that the floors enforce a certain social hierarchy…
4. It’s violent — with a twist.
The 8 Show certainly gets violent — IMDb gives it a “moderate” rating for violence and gore, citing scenes of torture and fighting. Unlike in Squid Game, however, The 8 Show’s contestants lose all their winnings if one of them dies!
5. The aesthetics are a match.
Like Squid Game’s cinematography, The 8 Show’s is characterized by harsh lighting, saturated colors, and jarring camera angles. Plus, The 8 Show’s eight levels are connected by stairs not unlike Squid Game’s Escher-like stairwell.
6. And it might even sound familiar to Squid Game fans.
The two series have a shared cast member: Yuuki Luna, who voiced Ji-Yeong in the English-language version of Squid Game, provides the voice of Se Ra in the English-language version of The 8 Show.
7. There’s more to discover after watching the series.
Just like how Squid Game fans could check out the reality show Squid Game: The Challenge, The 8 Show viewers have more to enjoy after the end credits. The TV series is based on the Bae Jin-soo’s Naver webtoon Money Game and its sequel, Pie Game.
8. It’s already being hailed as a successor to Squid Game.
What’s on Netflix and ScreenRant say The 8 Game may just be the next Squid Game. And the South China Morning Post says The 8 Show “piggyback[s] on the achievement of the most successful Netflix show of all time” — and that fans might just enjoy the imitation!
The 8 Show, Now Streaming, Netflix
Squid Game, Season 2, TBA, 2024, Netflix