Squid Game

The problem here isn't just the mindless violence -- and the desensitization and loss of human empathy that it contributes to -- but the alarmingly hopeless moral positions in which the characters find themselves. That there is blood and gore splashed liberally across every scene is only the beginning. The rest is the horrific, animal brutality that is imposed upon the characters in the name of survival. For example, in episode 4, players are pitted against each other in teams playing tug of war -- only they're playing it on platform raised high in the air. The rope dangles over an abyss, which is between the two teams, and the goal of the game is to pull the other team off the ledge. Once a team has fallen, a guillotine drops down and cuts the rope, plunging the members of the losing team to their death. There is a lot of careful cinematography here focusing on the faces and emotions of the losing team as they realize that they will not survive the game. It is gut-wrenching to watch then, not only because of the gore, but because of the "Faces of Death" attempt at audience titillation as well. (And a disgusting comment on our society that this is where we find our entertainment these days.) While the "game" here is horrific enough in itself, many children (and others who are prone to asking "what if" and "why" questions) may try to hypothetically place themselves into some of the moral dilemmas posed by this series, which could be extremely triggering and upsetting. Weirdly, also, I thought I had Netflix set up to block it, and yet my child was still able to access it from her phone. (I didn't block it, though, until after I realized what it was, at which point, she'd already streamed the whole series. Lesson learned.) This is not, as promoted, a smart commentary on capitalism, or greed, or any other social aspect of modern society. (For that, try reading Erich Fromm instead.) It is a far extreme presentation of human desperation, Lord-of-the-Flies-style, rated TV-MA and with multiple masked characters with guns. It's etched in my mind now, too, a new ugly space that won't go away. I wish I'd never seen any of it, and strongly discourage it for children.

For me when I watched the first episode it was bloody but not that realistic. But with the other episodes get ready to see inappropriate stuff and a lot of torture. I think you should be at least 13 years old to watch squid games.