Netflix fans traumatised by new 'psychologically messed up' show which they say is 'better than 'Squid Game'

People have been left ‘glued to their screens’ after watching a new Netflix dark comedy thriller which has been likened to smash hit ‘Squid Game’ - and some even say it’s better.

The South Korean series called ‘The 8 Show’ tells the story of eight people who are in need of money who are then invited to take part in a suspicious new reality TV show. The contestants are then trapped in an eight-storey building in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, and given the chance to earn a higher amount of money the longer they are able to stay.

Of course, it’s not easy for them to stay in the big building. All resources that they need, apart from the basic food and water, cost 1,000 times more than usual prices. What they don’t know, however, is that an audience they can’t see is watching them as - and all eight contestants will be forced to fight for their lives.

Throughout the show, they must work out the game’s hidden rules before they run out of time. Day by day, a countdown clock ticks down - and of course all the eight players do start to turn on each other as they try to uncover the rules they are unwittingly playing by.

The series is written and directed by Han Jae-rim while it is based on the Naver webtoons, Money Game and Pie Game, by Bae Jin-soo. The cast includes Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min and Lee Yul-eum, among others.

The show has similar vibes to ‘Squid Game’, which centred on a group of more than 450 players who were all pulled in to participating in a series of deadly children’s games in a bid to win a large cash prize because they are all in huge financial trouble. Season one premiered in September 2021 and was a huge hit with viewers. A second season was confirmed in June 2022 and it is expected to broadcast in December this year.

Viewers have taken to X to describe their unsettled feelings after watching the show. One person wrote: “Squid Game vibes but this one is so psychologically messed up. I love it. Really focuses on human nature and hierarchy." Another person said: “The 8 show on netflix is really good. Isn’t getting hype as squid game but these koreans know how to make an interesting series.”

One viewer went as far as declaring: “The 8 Show is better than Squid Game.” Another declared: “There's a series called “The 8 Show” on Netflix, it is a bit similar to Squid Game but it shows how human desires and power go hand in hand, it mirrors capitalism and greed too. You need to watch it, it had me glued to my screen, it's the “realest” series I've watched this year.”

One person labelled it a masterclasses in film making and screenwriting” and said the acting, cinematography, characters and concept were all “10 out of 10”. Another person begged Netflix for s second series of the show - and also asked that they’re not made to wait years, like they have been made to with ‘Squid Games’.