Squid Game (2021)

Kernel Score: 88% · 17,209 ratings

Genres: Action & Adventure, Mystery, Drama

First aired: 2021-09-17

Seasons: 3 · 22 episodes

Is Squid Game worth watching?

Worth watching. Squid Game puts broke, desperate people into deadly children's games for money, and the first season is tense, bleak and easy to binge. It is violent and its satire is blunt, but it hooks you.

Watch it if you

  • like high-stakes survival games
  • enjoy bleak class satire
  • are fine with subtitles or dubbing

Skip it if you

  • dislike graphic violence
  • want subtle storytelling

Best for: Binge weekend

Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.

Where to watch Squid Game

US availability, updated 2026-10-23.

Overview

Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.

Squid Game parents' guide: ages 15+

Parents need to know that Squid Game is a TV-MA survival thriller in which desperate contestants compete in deadly children's games.

  • Violence & scariness: Intense — Contestants face lethal 'death games' with graphic violence and high stakes throughout the series.

Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official TV-MA rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.

Shows like Squid Game

If you liked Squid Game, these are the shows we'd watch next.

  • Alice in Borderland (2020) — 86%: Deadly games with a cast of players
  • Severance (2022) — 96%: Cleverly eerie, thoughtful workplace thriller
  • Lost (2004) — 94%: Mystery-box series that hooks you in
  • Dark (2017) — 93%: Dense, mind-bending European thriller
  • True Detective (2014) — 93%: Dark, atmospheric crime drama
  • Gangs of London (2020) — 88%: Brutal, high-intensity crime series

Cast

  • Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun / Player 456
  • Yim Si-wan as Lee Myung-gi / Player 333
  • Wi Ha-jun as Detective Hwang Jun-ho
  • Jo Yu-ri as Kim Jun-hee / Player 222
  • Lee Byung-hun as Front Man / Hwang In-ho
  • Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul / Guard 011
  • Kang Ae-sim as Jang Geum-ja / Player 149
  • Lee Jin-uk as Park Gyeong-seok / Player 246
  • Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik / Player 007
  • Park Sung-hoon as Cho Hyun-ju / Player 120

Squid Game FAQ

Is Squid Game worth watching?

Worth watching. Squid Game puts broke, desperate people into deadly children's games for money, and the first season is tense, bleak and easy to binge. It is violent and its satire is blunt, but it hooks you.

Where can I watch Squid Game?

In the US you can stream Squid Game on Netflix.

Is Squid Game OK for kids?

Squid Game is rated TV-MA. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that Squid Game is a TV-MA survival thriller in which desperate contestants compete in deadly children's games.

What shows are like Squid Game?

If you liked Squid Game, try Alice in Borderland, Severance, Lost and Dark.