Squid Game season 1: Cast, Crew, Review, Release Date, Platform, Trailer

The first season of Squid Game, a South Korean dystopian survival thriller-horror television series, was created by writer and producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. It premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021.

The series features a star-studded cast, including Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, O Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung. The plot follows 456 financially struggling individuals who participate in a secret competition, where they must play deadly versions of childhood games for a chance to win a massive cash prize of ₩45.6 billion, equivalent to ₩100 million per contestant.

Upon its release, Squid Game received widespread critical acclaim and became a global phenomenon. It quickly became Netflix’s most-watched series, topping viewership charts in 94 countries. Within its first four weeks, the show was viewed by over 142 million households, accumulating 1.65 billion hours of watch time and surpassing Bridgerton as the platform’s most-watched series.

The show garnered numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for O Yeong-su and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung, making them the first Korean actors to win in their respective categories. It also received 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first non-English-language production to be recognized in this category. Lee Jung-jae’s win for Outstanding Lead Actor marked another historic achievement, as he became the first Asian actor to win the award for a non-English performance.

Plot

Episode-1:

Seong Gi-hun, a man drowning in debt and struggling with estrangement from his daughter and ex-wife, finds himself at a crossroads. His financial troubles have led him to desperation, and when a sharply dressed man approaches him in a subway station, offering a chance to play a simple game of ddakji for money, he is intrigued. After a few rounds, the mysterious recruiter presents him with an even more enticing opportunity—an invitation to participate in high-stakes games with life-changing rewards.

Initially hesitant, Gi-hun is forced to reconsider when his mother is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, leaving him unable to afford her medical treatment. Desperate, he accepts the offer, only to be sedated and later awaken in a massive dormitory alongside 455 other participants. Each person is identified by a unique number on their dark green tracksuits, and they are soon confronted by masked guards in pink jumpsuits. The guards explain the rules: the contestants, all struggling with severe financial hardships, must compete in six games over six days. The ultimate winner will receive a staggering cash prize in the billions. Overseeing the entire operation is a mysterious figure known as the Front Man, who enforces the deadly rules with chilling authority.

As the games commence, Gi-hun forms alliances, particularly with Player 001, an elderly man suffering from a brain tumor, as well as two familiar faces—Cho Sang-woo, a childhood friend turned investment broker, and Player 067, a pickpocket who once stole from him. The first game, Red Light, Green Light, takes a horrifying turn when the players realize the brutal reality: those who fail to stop in time are executed on the spot. Chaos erupts as terrified contestants try to escape, only to be mercilessly gunned down. Amid the bloodshed, Gi-hun, with the help of Sang-woo and Player 199, barely manages to survive, understanding too late that this is no ordinary contest—it is a game of life and death.

Episode-2

After the horrifying bloodbath of the first game, more than half of the contestants are dead, leaving the survivors shaken and terrified. Many demand to be released, unwilling to risk their lives any further. Citing the game’s third clause, which allows participants to leave if a majority agrees, they hold a vote. By a razor-thin margin, the players choose to end the competition and are returned to their normal lives—without a single won in prize money.

Back in Seoul, Gi-hun, traumatized and desperate for justice, reports the deadly games to the police. However, his claims are dismissed as absurd, except by Detective Hwang Jun-ho, who takes a special interest after learning that his missing brother may have been involved in a similar contest. Meanwhile, the players who left are given a chance to re-enter, and many reluctantly return, realizing that the brutal games may be their only hope of escaping their grim realities.

Among those who come back are Gi-hun, who needs money for his mother’s critical surgery; Sang-woo, now on the brink of arrest for financial fraud; Player 001, who prefers dying in the game rather than alone in the real world; Player 067, determined to rescue her parents from North Korea and secure a better future for her young brother, Cheol; Player 199, a Pakistani migrant worker who assaulted his employer for withholding his wages; and Player 101, Jang Deok-su, a gangster on the run from both gambling debts and vengeful former associates.

Unbeknownst to them, Jun-ho, determined to uncover the truth, secretly follows Gi-hun when the masked guards arrive to pick up the returning players, setting the stage for deeper revelations about the sinister operation behind the games.

Episode-3

Detective Hwang Jun-ho successfully infiltrates the deadly games by disguising himself as one of the masked workers. As he investigates, he uncovers that both the players and the staff operate within a highly secured facility located on a remote island. While he secretly gathers information, the players, now more aware of the brutal nature of the competition, begin forming alliances to increase their chances of survival. Gi-hun, Sang-woo, Player 001, and Player 199 join forces, hoping to navigate the challenges together.

Meanwhile, Player 067 sneaks into an air vent and spies on the workers, witnessing them melting large pots of sugar. Sensing that this might be a clue for the next challenge, she keeps the information to herself. Sang-woo, however, also deduces the nature of the upcoming game but chooses not to warn his teammates, instead selecting the easiest option for himself.

The second game, Ppopgi, requires contestants to carefully extract a pre-stamped shape—a star, triangle, circle, or umbrella—from a brittle dalgona (honeycomb candy) within a strict ten-minute time limit. Gi-hun, unaware of the difficulty levels, picks the umbrella, the most challenging shape. As the game begins, he struggles but ultimately succeeds by licking the back of the candy to dissolve it rather than carving it out.

Elsewhere, Player 212, a cunning and manipulative woman, smuggles in a lighter and secretly assists Deok-su in cutting out his shape, securing his survival. Meanwhile, one of the players, in a desperate act of defiance, takes a guard hostage and demands to see his face. Upon unmasking him, the player is shocked to discover that the worker is just a young man. Overcome with despair, the player turns the gun on himself and commits suicide. The masked figure known as the Front Man swiftly intervenes, executing the unmasked guard for breaking the strict rules of anonymity, reinforcing the ruthless control exerted over both players and workers alike.

Episode-4

Player 111, a disgraced doctor, secretly collaborates with a group of corrupt guards to harvest organs from deceased players, selling them on the black market in exchange for inside information about upcoming games. This illegal operation allows him to gain an unfair advantage over the other contestants.

Meanwhile, tensions escalate when Deok-su kills a player who accuses him of hoarding extra food. Surprisingly, the guards do not intervene, and instead, the prize pool increases with each death. Realizing that eliminating competitors can raise the prize money, Deok-su and his gang provoke chaos after lights out, instigating a brutal, free-for-all brawl in the dormitory. As players attack one another in the darkness, Gi-hun and his group manage to survive the onslaught by sticking together. In an effort to strengthen their bond, they finally exchange names—Player 199 is revealed to be Ali Abdul, a migrant worker from Pakistan, and Player 067 is Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector. However, Player 001, suffering from a brain tumor, struggles to recall his own name. Meanwhile, Han Mi-nyeo (Player 212), a cunning and unpredictable woman, secures her place in Deok-su’s gang by seducing him.

The third game requires players to form teams of ten, without knowing what the challenge entails. Sae-byeok recruits Player 240, a quiet girl around her age, to join Gi-hun’s group. When the game is revealed to be Tug of War, the contestants are horrified to discover that the losing team will be pulled off a raised platform to their deaths. Having received a tip from Player 111 about the nature of the game, Deok-su strategically selects only physically strong men for his team and ruthlessly rejects Mi-nyeo. Feeling betrayed, she joins Gi-hun’s team, which is at a disadvantage with its mix of physically weaker players, including elderly Player 001 and the two young women.

Deok-su’s team easily dominates their first match, sending their opponents plummeting to their deaths. Gi-hun’s team, however, finds themselves in a desperate struggle against a formidable all-male team, with their survival hanging by a thread.

Episode-5

Gi-hun’s team narrowly wins their tug-of-war match by following Player 001’s clever strategy and Sang-woo’s quick thinking. To prepare for another potential riot during the night, they build a barricade using bunk beds and take turns keeping watch. However, to their surprise, Deok-su’s team refrains from attacking, sensing that the group is now more vigilant and prepared.

As the night grows quieter, Gi-hun reflects on his past, recalling the time when he and his fellow workers protested mass layoffs at an automobile factory. The incident, which initially felt like a fight for justice, ultimately led to his financial struggles and despair. Meanwhile, Player 240 attempts to connect with Sae-byeok, sharing bits of her past in an effort to bond, but Sae-byeok remains emotionally guarded.

Elsewhere, Jun-ho continues his covert investigation and stumbles upon the organ harvesting operation, realizing that the guard whose identity he assumed was actively involved. When Player 111 demands to know the next game and is denied, he turns against the corrupt guards. This leads to their eventual downfall, as the Front Man swiftly executes all those involved, including Player 111, to maintain the integrity of the game.

Determined to uncover more secrets, Jun-ho sneaks into the Front Man’s office. There, he makes a shocking discovery—these deadly games have been running for over 30 years, with records dating back to previous winners. As he flips through the files, he is horrified to learn that his missing older brother, Hwang In-ho, was the champion of the 2015 tournament.

Episode-6

After the brutal execution of Player 111 and his co-conspirators, the remaining players are reassured that the games are meant to be fair, ensuring that everyone has an equal chance at survival. As tensions rise, the fourth game begins, with players being instructed to form pairs. However, they soon discover the harrowing truth—rather than working together, they must compete against their own partner in a marble game of their choice. The goal is simple but cruel: one player must win all of their partner’s marbles within thirty minutes to survive.

Sae-byeok and Player 240, Ji-yeong, take the time to share their life stories, bonding over their hardships. As their game nears its end, Ji-yeong realizes that Sae-byeok has more to live for—her younger brother and the hope of reuniting with her family. In a heart-wrenching moment, Ji-yeong deliberately loses, sacrificing herself so that Sae-byeok can continue.

Meanwhile, Sang-woo, desperate to survive, deceives Ali by tricking him into giving up his marbles. Ali, believing Sang-woo’s promise to work together, is left betrayed and defenseless as guards drag him away. Deok-su manages to win against his own henchman, Player 278, further solidifying his ruthless nature.

Gi-hun, struggling against Player 001, the elderly Oh Il-nam, initially appears to be losing. However, he soon takes advantage of Il-nam’s apparent dementia, tricking him into giving up his marbles. As Gi-hun collects the final marble, Il-nam stops him and reveals that he had been aware of the deception all along. Despite this, Il-nam smiles and allows Gi-hun to win, calling him his “gganbu” (trusted friend) one last time before accepting his fate.

As the game concludes, Gi-hun and Sae-byeok are left devastated by the deaths of their friends, the emotional weight of their victories overshadowing any sense of relief.

Episode-7

After surviving the brutal marbles game, the players return to find Mi-nyeo still alive. Since she had no partner in the previous game, she was given a free pass to the next round. Meanwhile, a group of foreign VIPs arrives at the facility, eager to watch the games in person. These wealthy elites had been remotely betting on the matches and now seek the thrill of witnessing the carnage firsthand.

Jun-ho, still disguised as a masked worker, takes advantage of the VIPs’ presence. When one of the guests propositions him in a private room, Jun-ho overpowers him and records his confession about the games before making his escape from the island.

The fifth game is revealed to be a deadly bridge-crossing challenge. Players must step onto one of two glass panels per row, but only one panel in each pair is made of tempered glass, capable of supporting their weight. The other is regular glass, which shatters on impact, sending unlucky players plummeting to their deaths.

As the game begins, those at the front of the line are forced to blindly test the glass, sacrificing themselves for those behind them. Deok-su, unwilling to risk his own life, stalls and refuses to move forward, pressuring others to go ahead while the timer counts down. Mi-nyeo seizes her chance for revenge, grabbing Deok-su and pulling him down with her to their deaths, making good on her earlier promise that she would kill him if he ever betrayed her.

Player 017, a skilled glass worker, steps up and begins identifying the safe panels using his knowledge of glass refraction. However, the Front Man, unwilling to let skill determine the outcome, orders the lights to be turned off, robbing Player 017 of his advantage. With time running out, Sang-woo takes a ruthless approach—he pushes Player 017 to his death, forcing him to reveal the correct final panel.

In the end, only Gi-hun, Sang-woo, and Sae-byeok successfully cross the bridge. But as the game ends, explosive charges detonate the remaining glass panels, sending shards flying through the air. All three players are injured, with Sae-byeok suffering a severe wound from the blast. Now, with only three contestants left, the final showdown approaches.

Episode-8

With only three finalists remaining, Gi-hun, Sang-woo, and Sae-byeok are provided formal attire for their last night in the facility. However, Sae-byeok is gravely injured from the exploding glass bridge, though she tries to hide the severity of her wound.

After a tense dinner, each player is left with a steak knife, subtly encouraging them to eliminate each other before the final game. Gi-hun, aware of Sang-woo’s ruthless nature, proposes an alliance with Sae-byeok to stop him. But rather than strategizing for survival, Sae-byeok, in her weakened state, makes a heartfelt request: she asks Gi-hun to promise that if he wins, he will take care of her younger brother, Cheol.

Later that night, Gi-hun, overwhelmed with anger and desperation, nearly stabs Sang-woo in his sleep. But before he can go through with it, Sae-byeok stops him, reminding him that he is not a killer.

As Sae-byeok’s condition worsens, Gi-hun rushes to call for medical help. However, while he is away, Sang-woo seizes the opportunity and coldly kills Sae-byeok. By the time Gi-hun returns, he finds her lifeless body, and the guards arrive only to take it away, offering no aid. Furious and heartbroken, Gi-hun lunges at Sang-woo, but the guards restrain him.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho manages to escape the facility, reaching another island where he tries to send evidence of the games to the police. However, he is quickly tracked down by the Front Man and his soldiers. To Jun-ho’s shock, the Front Man removes his mask, revealing himself to be Jun-ho’s missing brother, In-ho.

In-ho attempts to persuade Jun-ho to join the operation, insisting that this is the only way to survive. But Jun-ho refuses to compromise his morals. Without hesitation, In-ho shoots Jun-ho in the shoulder, causing him to stumble backward and fall off a cliff into the sea below. His fate remains unknown.

With the final confrontation set, only Gi-hun and Sang-woo remain, facing off in the ultimate test of survival.

Episode-9

The final game, the titular Squid Game, pits Gi-hun against Sang-woo in a vicious and emotional battle. Weakened but determined, Gi-hun gains the upper hand and subdues Sang-woo. However, at the last moment, he refuses to kill his childhood friend. Instead, he invokes the third clause to end the game and spare them both.

But Sang-woo, overcome by guilt and defeat, chooses to take his own life. With his dying breath, he asks Gi-hun to take care of his mother. As his friend collapses, Gi-hun is declared the winner and is sent back to Seoul with a bank card containing his massive prize.

Returning home, Gi-hun finds his world shattered once again—his mother has passed away in his absence. The trauma of the games and his personal losses leave him hollow, unable to touch the blood-stained money for a whole year.

Then, an invitation arrives, addressed to “Gganbu.” Following the instructions, Gi-hun finds Oh Il-nam, the old man he thought had died, lying on his deathbed. Il-nam confesses that he was the mastermind behind the games, creating them as entertainment for the ultra-wealthy who had grown bored of their lives. He explains that he personally joined Gi-hun’s group to relive the joy of his childhood before his inevitable death.

As they talk, Il-nam proposes one final wager: will a freezing homeless man outside receive help before midnight? Gi-hun watches anxiously as people pass the man by. Finally, at the last moment, a kind stranger helps him. Moments later, Il-nam dies, marking the end of their conversation.

Determined to make amends, Gi-hun retrieves Sae-byeok’s younger brother, Cheol, and ensures that Sang-woo’s mother takes him in, providing them both with a portion of his winnings.

Finally, Gi-hun decides to move on, booking a flight to Los Angeles to reunite with his daughter. However, just before boarding, he spots the same game recruiter playing ddakji with a new victim. Rushing to intervene, he takes the invitation card from the unsuspecting player and calls the number.

The Front Man answers. His voice is cold and commanding. He warns Gi-hun to board his flight and move on.

But instead of complying, Gi-hun turns around and walks away from the terminal—a determined fire in his eyes. He refuses to let the horrors of the Squid Game continue unchecked.

The game is not over for him yet.

Director	Hwang Dong-hyuk Kim Ji-yong
Story	Hwang Dong-hyuk
Screenplay	Hwang Dong-hyuk
Dialogues	Hwang Dong-hyuk
Cinematography	Kim Ji-yong
Editor	Nam Na-yeong
Music	Jung Jae-il
Producer	Hwang Dong-hyuk Kim Ji-yong
Cast	Lee Jung-jae Park Hae-soo O Yeong-su Wi Ha-joon Jung Ho-yeon Heo Sung-tae Kim Joo-ryoung Anupam Tripathi Yoo Sung-joo Lee Yoo-mi Kim Si-Hyun Lee Sang-hee Kim Byung-chul Kim Yun-tae Lee Ji-ha Christian Lagahit Kim Young-ok Kang Mal-geum Park Hye-jin Park Si-wan Gong Yoo Lee Byung-hun Kim Pub-lae Lee Jung-Joon John D Michaels Daniel C Kennedy Lee David Geoffrey Giuliano Stephane Mot, Kwak Ja-hyoung, Cho Ah-in, Michael Davis, Lee Seo-hwan
Release Type	OTT
Language	English
Production	Netflix
Budget	$21.4 million
OTT Platform	Netflix
OTT Release Date	September 17, 2021

Squid Game season 1

Story:

More Details

Latest News on Squid Game season 1

Upcoming Celebs Birthdays

Karthik Palani

Vishnuvardhan

Neha Shetty

Sahithi Dasari

Shahnawaz Pradhan

Payal Rajput

Meera Mitun

Neha Kakkar

Shekhar Kapur

K. Devi Vara Prasad

Upcoming Movies

Vidaamuyarchi

Biker

Rachel

The World of Mowgli

Psych Siddhartha

Love Insurance Kompany

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Patang

Shambhala

Dacoit