Squid Game 3 review: Lee Jung-jae's show is still deadly but less thrilling

India Today

8 hours ago

Let's get one thing out of the way. 'Squid Game Season 3' is not here to merely play but to also give you closure to the deadly game that keeps you hanging by a thread. Will Player 456 survive? Again? What about Player 222? The Front Man? Will Jun-ho (Wi Ha-Jun) finally find the island? The third and final season of Netflix's juggernaut series begins right where it left off, but does it match the emotional depth and layered storytelling of the previous seasons? Well, the answer is as complicated as the games themselves.advertisementDirector Hwang Dong-hyuk returns at the helm, taking his Emmy-winning formula and dialling up the gore and stakes, though not necessarily the emotional tension. In this season, the rebellion is dead, quite literally, and the survivors are thrown back into the inferno. The first new game is a blood-soaked version of hide-and-seek where the only way to survive is to kill. It's brutal, intense, and just like that, you're reminded that no one is safe.From there, we move into a game that reimagines skipping ropes with the finesse of a nightmare. One wrong move, and you plummet from a dizzying height. There's a liability twist that adds pressure, and while the tension is high, the emotional weight doesn't always land. Unlike Season 1, where you found yourself crying for Ali or gasping over Sae-byeok, here you're mostly bracing for impact. There's not a lot of room to breathe or care deeply. advertisement
The cast delivers, particularly Yim Si-wan as Myung-gi. He's magnetic, terrifying, and awfully human all at once. He will make you detest his character with an intensity that compliments his acting prowess. Kang Ha-neul plays his part with the calm precision we've come to expect, while Park Sung-hoon's arc will probably stay with you long after the final credits roll. His portrayal of a transwoman who remains selfless even at the most important part of a survival game is as quietly devastating as it is powerful. Jo Yu-ri (yes, K-pop fans, that Yuri) delivers one of the more memorable standout performances as Jun-hee. Her dilemma and strength as a pregnant woman are equally heartbreaking and stressful.But where 'Squid Game 3' falters is in its attempt to juggle too many threads without giving enough time to the ones that matter. Wi Ha-jun as Jun-ho is criminally underused, and Lee Byung-hun's mystique as the Front Man is watered down by a screenplay that never really lets him take charge in Season 3. Park Gyu-young delivers her best. The emotional pull that Season 1 and parts of Season 2 thrived on, through quiet moments of humanity in an inhuman system, is largely ineffective in the final season.advertisementAnd then there are the VIPs. They return in full force, with a caricaturist accent that is more annoying than impressive. Intended as avatars for the audience's voyeurism, they instead become the series' weakest link, breaking immersion every time they enter a scene. Their presence would've worked better cloaked in mystery.The plot threads with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), now visibly unravelling under grief and vengeance, trying to ground the chaos. But the character who once held the heart of the story now feels like he's on autopilot. You want to root for someone and you do - the baby. Yes, the baby! It says something about the narrative when the only character you're emotionally invested in is the one who can't speak.Visually, the show is top tier. The set design is immaculate, the death sequences are choreographed with unsettling beauty, and the soundtrack does what it needs to do without being overbearing. But aesthetics aside, 'Squid Game 3' often trades meaning for momentum, and not always successfully.Would we still recommend watching it? Absolutely. It's gripping, well-crafted, and occasionally stunning. But does it live up to the emotional gut punches of Season 1 or the revelations of Season 2? Not quite. 'Squid Game 3' is a darker, bloodier beast but one that could've benefited from a little more heart behind the havoc.Streaming on Netflix from June 27, the Korean show has a total of six episodes.- Ends3 out of 5 stars for 'Squid Game 3'.