SQUID GAME.

• Author: Shackford, Scott
• Position: TV

When habitually down-on-his luck gambler and divorced dad Gi-hun finds himself broke and humiliated, salvation comes calling in a secretive series of children's games turned violent. Win, and he'll get enough money to pay off his many debts. Lose, and he'll die.

There's nothing new about the concept of murder games, though the Korean show Squid Game adds its own creepy twist by attaching death penalties to familiar kids' pastimes such as "redlight, greenlight," tug of war, and even marbles. Part of the power of Squid Game is that its dystopia takes place in the now--many of the 456 participants, like Gihun, are caught up in South Korea's massive consumer debt culture.

Like Gi-hun, many participants are also black sheep. One of the series' dark early twists sees the contestants freed after the first harrowing round, only to have most of them...