5 Worst Parts Of Netflix's Squid Game That Make This Series Flawed

By Karmen on 11 Oct 2021

Digital Editor

Netflix's Squid Game is conquering the world right now and rightfully so. The story is gripping, the action is intense, and there are deeper messages that are incredibly relatable and relevant in our society.

Not everyone is a fan, though, with some deeming it an overrated and overhyped derivative of similar works like As the Gods Will and Battle Royale. This is appalling to hear as someone who is obsessed with this series to the point of looking up theories on the workers and playing the free Squid Game Roblox game. Then again, Squid Game does have its flaws despite being a great show on the whole.

Keep reading to check out the five worst parts of Squid Game!

#1 The VIPs

Photo from Netflix

Where do I even begin. Written as vile and crude, the filthy rich, bedazzled mask-wearing VIPs were already repulsive characters, but coupled with the actors' terrible acting skills, their scenes were unbearable to watch.

The script was awkward at best and the lines were delivered in an unnatural fashion, with the actors sounding like they were reading cue cards in an amateur school project.

This is understandable as there probably isn't a large pool of talented foreign actors in Korea, so they had to make do with whoever was at hand. Still, the VIP scenes were a cringefest and ruined the immersive experience of watching the series.

#2 Sae-Byeok's Elimination

Photo from Netflix

Sae-byeok (Kang Ho-yeon) is best girl and she deserved to be the winner. As Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) was clearly written as 'the chosen one' who would most likely win, Sae-byeok's chance of survival was banked on being a co-winner alongside him. Sadly, any hope for this was dashed in episode 5 where it was revealed at there was ever only one winner per game since 1988.

Sae-byeok's exit was frustrating for three reasons. One, she had a noble and pure-hearted reason to get out of there alive and with the money. Two, she proved herself to be clever, highly skilled and resourceful - all the things you need to win the games. And three, she was offed in the most random way - a glass shard stuck in her abdomen. Her demise was so unsatisfactory and felt like a plot device just to further Gi-hun's character growth.

#3 Ali's Character

Photo from Netflix

Ali's (Anupan Tripathi) character, while lovable, seemed somewhat like a gullible foreigner stereotype. His name, 'Ali Abdul', is the most generic Arabic name there is. It's like naming a white character John Smith. And besides being a nice guy, he's not really given any notable characteristics that make him stand out as an individual.

His elimination was hard to watch not just because I wanted him to survive, but also because his naivety seemed ridiculous. Even considering his unfamiliarity with Korean culture and his trust & fondness of Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), it's difficult to believe that a 33 year-old adult could be tricked that easily.

That said, Ali is still one of the best characters in the series and had many standout moments including saving Gi-hun in episode 1 and mocking Mi-Nyeo after the tug-of-war game. The series also brings greater awareness of the discrimination and exploitation that foreign workers face in South Korea.

#4 That Toilet Scene

Photo from Netflix

After forming an alliance, Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryoung) and Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) sneak off to the bathroom for an afternoon delight. This scene might be necessary narrative-wise but it could've been cut a lot shorter.

#5 The Slow Pacing In Episodes 1 & 2

Photo from Netflix

While the first two episodes of Squid Game was important for building the characters' backstory and setting, it felt draggy at some parts. The storytelling was effective but the characters' sob stories veered on the melodramatic and could've done with more subtlety.