Are you already looking for new things to watch like Squid Game? We don’t blame you, since it’s become one of the most popular original series Netflix has ever seen. The new South Korean limited series reminds us of the phenomenon that once (and still sorta does) surroundedTiger King– you’ve either seen it, or you haven’t gotten around to watching it yet. And if you, like us, accidentally binged Squid Game in under a week, you might be hungry for more options. Well, we’ve poked around and come out with some picks of our own!
Here are our picks for the best things to watch if you like Squid Game.
Movies
Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Turns out, people were making movies about life and death games almost a century ago. This adaptation of a 1924 short story sees a group of people hunted for sport by a rich Russian count named ‘Zaroff’. While it lacks the SFX of the other picks on the list, this is one of those movies that is easy to watch, easy to remember, and gives you a fun look at the earliest example of the genre.
Where: Public domain, available in full on YouTube
Network (1976)
Rather than focus on what billionaires get up to when they get bored, Network is about the general public. That is, the general public as seen through the eyes of TV ratings. Turns out that when that’s all you care about, things can go off the rails pretty darn quickly, and with deadly consequences. It won multiple Academy Awards, but is maybe best known for the ‘I’m mad as hell’ scene.
Where: Available via STARZ on Crave and Amazon Prime Video
The Running Man (1987)
Working extremely well as an unofficial sequel to Network, this movie focuses on dystopian games shows. Namely, game shows where fugitives and prisoners must outrun professional killers. If they manage to do it, then they earn their freedom, but nobody has done it. Enter Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime.
Where: Available to rent on multiple platforms
Battle Royale (2000)
There’s no doubt that the Japanese hit movie Battle Royale literally created the mould that has been used for the past two decades. Some 42 Japanese middle school students are told they’re going on a field trip, gassed, and brought to an island where they are told to fight to the death until someone emerges victorious. If there’s one movie to watch off this list, it’s this one.
Where: Available via multiple streaming platforms
Train to Busan (2016)
Hear us out here. A bunch of random people are put in a live-or-die situation, with hints of ‘democratic rule’ that showcases the best and worst of humanity. And, while facing their adversaries, those who thought they knew what to do in extreme situations show cruelty and indifference to morality. Also, this movie’s star is Gong Yoo, who plays the recruiter in Squid Game. Now there’s a fun crossover! We guess the guy just loves train-related content.
Where: Available to rent on multiple platforms
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TV Shows
Alice in Borderland
It’s kind of weird that Squid Game became a global phenomenon while Alice in Borderland didn’t. Oh well – this Japanese limited series follows a very similar premise as Squid Game, as a group of friends are forced to compete in sadistic versions of classic games (like tag) to survive. It’s a little more fantastical, and a lot more sprawling, but it’s easily worth the watch.
Where: Available via Netflix Canada
3%
Netflix’s first Portuguese language series was, by all measures, a serious hit. It’s more location-oriented than financial, but it follows a group of Brazilian teens as they try to survive ‘The Process’ by completing various challenges. If they manage to do it (only 3% of applicants do) then they earn their spot on ‘The Offshore’ amongst the upper echelons of society.
Where: Available via Netflix Canada
Sweet Home
We’ll be honest, we glossed over Sweet Home mainly because it was released at a time when all we wanted to watch was The Muppets Christmas Carol. But, this supremely binge-worthy limited series has no shortage of interesting characters stuck inside an apartment building as a plague turns regular people into horrific monsters. Part The Last of Us, part REC, and wholly enjoyable.
Where: Available via Netflix Canada
Snowpiercer
Our second to last pick is a double-whammy of content. Of course, you’ve got the incredible movie from none other than one of South Korea’s most celebrated talents- Bong Joon-Ho. But then as a bonus, an entire prequel series (with solid reviews) has been out for a few years now. There are no monsters to be found here, unless you count those who will do everything to keep social hierarchy in line.
Where: Movie available via Netflix Canada and Crave, series available on Netflix Canada
Kid Nation
You didn’t think we would gloss over a real-world example, did you? Arguably the most unhinged reality show ever created, Kid Nation follows 40 kids as they, quite literally, try to create a functioning society in a ghost town with minimal adult interaction (and apparently, actively trying to make it worse for them). Then it was broadcast to the world. Yes, it’s completely real.
Where: Full series available on YouTube
BONUS PICK- Rat Race
How could we forget this early 2000s classic? Seriously the premise is as close to Squid Game as it gets- groups of people are told to take part in a cross-country race, with a cash prize of $2 million, all so that high rollers can bet on who gets there first. It’s crass, it’s dated, but it’s a movie with a cult following and arguably a more rewarding ending than Squid Game. Come at us about it.
Where: Available to rent on Apple TV
Alright movie and TV-lovers, that’s our roundup of some of the best things to watch if you like Squid Game. With any luck, there are a couple of picks you haven’t already seen!
