Netflix’s 3-Part Survival Thriller Was The Streaming Sensation Nobody Saw Coming

Netflix’s 3-part survival thriller arrived with relatively little fanfare. Yet, it became one of the most successful TV shows in history. Survival thrillers are hardly new territory, but their impact cannot be underestimated. Movies like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner have become global sensations for good reason. The combination of high stakes with psychological warfare makes for an entertaining watch.

This survival thriller didn’t have the kind of large-scale marketing that other TV shows Netflix has backed enjoyed, but that actually makes its success even more admirable. In the future, we will look back and think Squid Game would have obviously become as popular as it did, but at the time of its release, this wasn’t exactly obvious.

No One Could’ve Predicted Squid Game’s Success (Not Even Netflix)

Squid Game Broke Several Viewing Records

When Squid Game premiered on Netflix, its success really couldn’t have been predicted. After all, it was a Korean series that came out at a time when K-dramas were still considered niche. Surprisingly, within days of its release, it became one of Netflix’s most-watched TV shows of all time.

According to Tudum, Squid Game season 1 had over 260 million views. Its sophomore season, which arrived three years after its first installment, was just as popular and raked in 152 million views. The show’s final season didn’t have the same staggering viewership numbers, but 106 million views is nothing to laugh at.

We could argue that Netflix, which is known for leveraging user data to guide content decisions, recognized that Squid Game would resonate with fans of Korean dramas, but even their deductions probably didn’t capture the show’s true capacity. While speaking to Variety, Netflix Korea Content Chief Don Kang admitted that the creators behind the series didn’t expect it to be a global sensation.

“We never expected it to be Netflix’s number one show globally, ever.”

In Squid Game season 1’s opening scene, we are introduced to Gi-hun, a seemingly regular man deep in debt and trying to find a way to provide for his mother and daughter. What happens next is something that no one saw coming. Instead of a regular drama, the show became a survival thriller with people in dire financial situations playing children’s games that end with the losers dying.

The premise alone set it apart from other shows, but it’s truly how it focused on its characters while including high-stakes situations that make it one of the best TV shows of the past decade. No one was safe in the series, which raised the tension and kept audiences glued to their screens.

Squid Game also has perfect pacing; it’s not too slow, nor does it rush through its storylines. Because of how great the series is, people began recommending it on social media, and with that, it became Netflix’s most-watched show.

Squid Game’s Success Changed Streaming Forever

Squid Game Proved That Streaming Was The Future

Squid Game didn’t just break viewership records; it fundamentally reshaped the streaming landscape. Before the survival thriller’s success, non-English TV shows didn’t receive as much attention from the big streaming services as they do now. Sure, K-dramas were popular long before Squid Game premiered, but even they weren’t bringing in the kind of viewership numbers like the show.

After Squid Game’s success, investing in international TV shows became the norm.

After Squid Game’s success, investing in international TV shows became the norm. While Netflix currently dominates when it comes to international releases, other streaming platforms are now following in the streaming giant’s footsteps. The survival thriller proved that the way to popularity is by telling bold stories that audiences have never seen before.

Squid Game’s most notable influence is that it proved there is a place for international voices on the global platform. Because of that, the entertainment industry’s mindset is now different from how it was pre-Squid Game. Now more than ever, we are getting to watch original stories at a scale never seen before.

Sources: Tudum, Variety