The high-stakes psychological games of Netflix series Squid Game resonated with the global audience upon its 2021 release, adding to the growing fanbase of the death game genre. With Season 2 of the Korean thriller leaving fans craving for more, and the next instalment set for a release later this year, we curated a list of seven films and shows that will keep your adrenaline pumping until Squid Game returns with Season 3.
Kaiji
The 2007 anime series Kaiji follows Kaiji Itou, an unlucky gambler who gets forced into a series of life-or-death games to pay off his debts. With deadly challenges and psychological torture at every turn, Kaiji serves as a major inspiration for shows like Squid Game, offering its unique take on survival and the lengths people can go to in desperation.
Where to watch: Netflix
Alice in Borderland
Starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, this 2020 Japanese thriller series is a must-watch for those who enjoyed the twists and turns of Squid Game. Loaded with tricky puzzles, Alice in Borderland follows three friends who are transported to a mysterious, deserted version of Tokyo. After being trapped with no hope of escaping, the trio are forced to participate in dangerous games in order to survive.
Where to watch: Netflix
Battle Royale
Regarded as one of the seminal works in the survival genre, this 2000 Japanese classic film, directed by Kinji Fukasaku, pits a group of junior high school students against each other on a remote island, where they must kill or be killed. As part of a mandate by a totalitarian Japanese government to curb juvenile delinquency, the students are made to fight each other wearing explosive collars. Battle Royale’s brutal concept, anxiety-inducing turns and its dark depiction of how juvenile convicts are treated make it a must-watch.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The 8 Show
The Korean thriller series The 8 Show is a nerve-wrackling thriller where eight individuals trapped in a mysterious eight-storied building take part in a dangerous game to earn a hefty amount of money for each minute they survive. After being provided rooms on the floors, the contestants need to buy all their daily use products at a hundred times the usual cost. The revelation that the people on the higher floors are earning more than the ones on the lower floors leads to a power struggle between the players.
Where to watch: Netflix
3%
This Brazilian dystopian series has a unique spin on the survival genre. In the distant future, where most of the population lives in poverty, an elite group lives in a virtual paradise. Every year, 20-year-old individuals are offered the chance to join the elite group — but only if they succeed to pass a series of gruelling challenges. Only 3 per cent of the participants succeed and leave behind their impoverished homeland. With its sharp social commentary and nail-biting tension, 3% is perfect for fans who enjoyed watching the class struggles depicted in Squid Game.
Where to watch: Netflix
Saw
If you’re intrigued by the deadly traps and moral dilemmas of Squid Game, the Saw franchise takes these themes to their grisliest level. Known for its torture games that compel participants to confront their darkest secrets, Saw explores the consequences of our choices in a horrifying and visceral way.
Where to watch: Prime Video
The Platform
This Spanish thriller is a social allegory under the veneer of a survival story. It is set in a vertical prison where food is distributed unequally from top to bottom, with the people at the top receiving lavish items and those at the bottom left with nothing. A haunting exploration of class, greed and survival, The Platform’s unsettling atmosphere and biting commentary make it worth a watch.
Where to watch: Netflix