by From a unique project led by an author to sentence a lucrative franchise, “Squid Game” has turned into a real capitalist enterprise. Has the Netflix series betrayed?
It is a success story as we can see little, but should we rejoice? Squid Game was not supposed to be an extended series. Conceived as a unique work, she drew attention thanks to her acerbic criticism of capitalism by staging in debt and desperate in a deadly game to win millions.
Hwang Dong-Hyuk, its creator, has long brought this project, presenting it as a reflection on economic inequalities in South Korea. And the subject is easily transposable in any developed country. However, its dazzling success prompted Netflix to order a suite, a decision that made Hwang by surprise. After fighting financially for years, he revealed that he did not earn a lot of money with the first season, despite the huge personal and creative investment he provided for more than ten years.
After having undergone this financial precariousness, the arrival of this unexpected opportunity was necessarily impossible to refuse. The success of the series led Hwang to agree to extend Squid Game, but at what cost? By being enchanted by the sirens of success, he seems to betray his initial vision of a social criticism. What was to be a work of committed art has turned into a consumer product.
Commodification in Gogo
With the never seen and international success of Squid Game, the exploitation of derivatives has established itself as obvious. The emblematic costumes of pink soldiers, armed with their masks – so pop – have crossed the screen to dress the fans. These outfits, which symbolize the brutality and violence of the series, are now sold as disguises for Halloween. Ironically to see a series, which denounces the cynicism of a capitalist system where human dignity is destroyed in the name of deadly entertainment, finding itself to promote derivative products which exploit this same violence.
No Ju-Han/Netflix
This commodification does not stop at costumes. Netflix even launched a reality TV show inspired by the series, Squid Game: the challenge, where participants compete for a price of $ 4.5 million. Although all participants left in one piece, this concept reflects a cynical exploitation of the original work. The series, which was to be a cry of revolt, then became a pure commercial spectacle without any background.
Jackpot for Netflix
Today, Squid Game is much more than a series: it is a real brand. Its success enabled Netflix to capitalize on this franchise, to generate huge profits. Although nothing has been officially announced, rumors of spin-offs hover, and an American remake under the direction of David Fincher is in the boxes. What ask questions about the integrity of the original message in the series. How is a work that criticizes capitalism becoming a cash machine?
Hwang Dong-Hyuk, while recognizing commercial success, seems aware of the paradox. He admits that the series exists in a capitalist system and that partnerships with brands – in this case McDonald’s and Uber – are inevitable. “”We started by wanting to create a commercial product. It would be too easy to criticize wanting to take advantage of something that criticizes the capitalist system. No studio will want to create a story too critical of society,“He said to Guardian.
No Ju-Han/Netflix
Finally, Squid Game embodies the duality of a work that denounces capitalism while taking advantage of its drifts. Hwang Dong-Hyuk has managed to create a series that captivates and questions, but he also opened the door to a commercial exploitation which could compromise his message. But in the end, it is always the consumer and/or the spectator who chooses. We can criticize the series, but we cannot deny that Squid Game pushes us to question our own relationship to consumption and culture.
