Netflix fans traumatised as ‘messed up’ thriller dubbed ‘new Squid Game’ leaves them ‘screaming at their screens’
NETFLIX viewers have shared their terror after watching a new dark comedy thriller on the streaming platform.
Titled The 8 Show, the South Korean series tells the story of eight people in need of cash who are invited to take part in a suspicious reality TV show.
The contestants are trapped in an eight-storey building in Seoul, with the group earning more money the longer they stay.
However, things are made more difficult by all resources apart from food and water costing 1,000 times more than usual prices.
Meanwhile, an unseen audience watch as all eight contestants are forced to fight for their lives.
Day by day, a countdown clock ticks down as the eight players start to turn on each other.
Throughout the show, they need to figure out the game’s hidden rules before they run out of time.
The series is written and directed by Han Jae-rim while it is based on the Naver webtoons, Money Game and Pie Game, by Bae Jin-soo.
The cast includes Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min and Lee Yul-eum, among others.
The 8 Show was released worldwide on Netflix on May 17.
Viewers have taken to social media to describe their unsettled feelings after watching the ‘messed up’ series, as one person wrote: “Squid Game vibes but this one is so psychologically messed up.
“I love it. Really focuses on human nature and hierarchy.”
Another viewer added: “While it was more intelligently written than Squid Game (and also more creative), at the end of the day it wasn’t as hard-hitting as Squid Game.”
A third person shared: “One of the best series ever! Watched it in one day, because you just can’t stop watching.”
A fourth commented that the show had them ‘screaming at their TV’, adding: “Worth the watch.”
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As for Squid Game, its first season centred on a group of more than 450 players, all in deep financial trouble.
They are drawn into participating in a series of deadly children’s games in a bid to win a large cash prize.
Season one premiered in September 2021 and a second outing was confirmed in June 2022, while it is expected to broadcast in December this year.
A reality competition series inspired by the format, Squid Game: The Challenge, aired on Netflix in November and December 2023.
Much like the scripted series, the format featured 456 players, the largest cast in reality TV history, competing to win $4.56 million.
The vast lineup was eventually whittled down to just three players: Phill, Mai and Sam.
In the end, it was Mai who went on to win the life-changing jackpot.