As 'Squid Game' Season 3 has unveiled, foreign media generally expressed disappointment.
The New York Times criticized on the 27th after the release of Netflix series 'Squid Game' Season 3, stating, "It is one-dimensional and predictable. Junho's (played by Wi Ha-jun) quest to find the island that serves as the stage for the games remains a meaningless subplot until the end, and the scenes featuring the masked VIPs are not only much more cartoonish than before but also lack any significance."
It continued, "Director Hwang Dong-hyuk still skillfully directs the action, but even in this aspect, there is a lack of imagination. The last two games are poorly conceived, and the only suspense comes from the choices of the victims."
The British Guardian noted, "If Season 2 and Season 3 had been combined, it would have been a much more solid season," adding, "The brutality has intensified, and the violence continues like constant torture, while the satire felt in the early seasons has gradually disappeared. Many of the remaining participants are just cruel and horrific characters who kill without conscience. While there is certainly something to watch, it does not contain the sharp message like Season 1."
Hollywood Reporter also stated, "Season 3 is a journey too far to gain a few insights that occasionally appear, and the process is generally an unpleasant experience," and added, "Unlike the first season, it is bleak and despairing until the end. If the new characters introduced in Season 2 felt disappointingly weak, Season 3 does not even attempt to enrich them. What they all have in common is that they appear more like pawns being pushed on a chessboard rather than complex humans with agency and depth."
On the other hand, Time magazine praised, "The fact that Netflix delayed the conclusion of Season 2 without much meaning was a significant blow. However, fortunately, Director Hwang Dong-hyuk has regained control of the work and delivers a powerful punch in the final season, showcasing its original brutal charm," and stated, "While exposing a world where money takes precedence over humanity, it also draws us, who carelessly enjoy such a world, into complicity."
American film magazine IndieWire remarked, "Most characters meet their ends as expected, but the performances are intense and moving, and some of the epilogue's flashy decorations remain memorable for a long time," adding, "It provides enough closure to satisfy those still seated, and the brief and fleeting explosion of light reveals severe truths in the darkness."
‘Squid Game’ Season 3 depicts Gi-hun, who loses his best friend in the game he re-enters with his own purpose, the Frontman who hides his identity while infiltrating the game, and the final fates of the participants who survive in that brutal game.
‘Squid Game’ Seasons 1 and 2 rank first and second among Netflix's all-time non-English series. Seasons 1 and 2 have recorded a combined total view count of approximately 600 million views (the value obtained by dividing the total viewing time by the total running time of the work).
