Netflix’s drama “Squid Game” Season 2 is receiving various reviews from international media. Major media outlets in the United States on the 26th, local time, generally stated that this season is more disappointing than the first. The New York Times published an article titled “Squid Game Flashes a Warning Light,” criticizing that while the second season of the Netflix hit showcases more stylish carnage, the storyline is stagnant.
The review added that people who watched the first season will see a repeat of what they’ve already seen and that Season 2 lacks effort to expand the story over its seven-hour duration. It further questioned if the series is merely a means to display more brutal slaughter, making viewers cheaper versions of the in-drama “VIPs” who watch the games.
Similarly, the Hollywood Reporter, in an article titled “Netflix’s Korean Hit Lost Its Edge,” described the second season as completely disappointing, lacking the fun and creativity of the first season, and missing new details or insights about the essence of the games. USA Today noted that the latter part of the series turns into rather generic action scenes and leads to a conclusion that provides no definitive ending.
The Guardian from the UK commented that “Squid Game” was originally a perfect single narrative, but too many episodes in Season 2 painfully drag out the story.
In contrast, the U.S. film industry magazine Variety gave a positive review with an article titled “Season 2 Is Bloodier, Bigger, and Intensely Immersive.” It praised the season for overcoming the repetitive elements of Season 1 by highlighting concepts like capitalist exploitation, moral corruption, and class inequality, which seem to trouble modern Korean society, from a new perspective.
Meanwhile, on Rotten Tomatoes, a well-known movie and drama content rating site, as of 3 p.m. Eastern Time, critics scored Season 2 at 82% out of 100, while general viewer ratings were at 60%.