Foreign Media Give Cold Reviews Calling 'Ogam2' a "Season 1 Rehash"... Also Praise It as "Vivid"

"Creativity Disappeared" "Season 1 Repeated"... Cold Reviews
“Fear and Tension Still Vivid” Praise Too
US Rotten Tomatoes Viewer Score in the 60s

Amid global anticipation, the Netflix series 'Squid Game Season 2' has been unveiled, but foreign media have continued to deliver cold reviews, calling it a "rehash of Season 1."

Squid Game Season 2 Official Trailer. YouTube Channel Netflix Korea

On the 26th (local time), as 'Squid Game 2' was released, major U.S. media generally rated the second season as inferior to the first. The New York Times (NYT) commented, "The second season shows more stylish killings, but the story is stagnant." It added, "Those who watched Season 1 will see things they have already seen again," and criticized, "While continuing the story, it makes little effort to expand it."

USA Today also said, "'Squid Game 2' remains violent but is more disappointing than shocking." The outlet noted, "Season 2 is similar to Season 1 in many ways but is less sharp and lacks originality," and stated, "It also fails to convey the anti-capitalist message that director Hwang Dong-hyuk mentioned." The Guardian pointed out that the overall development of 'Squid Game 2' is uneven, also criticizing that it takes too long to get to the main action. The Hollywood Reporter said, "The fun and ingenuity of the last season are gone, making it overall disappointing," while The Washington Post remarked, "Although there are some outstanding scenes, it is regrettable that the narrative as a whole becomes stagnant."

Squid Game Season 2 Official Trailer. YouTube Channel Netflix Korea

On the other hand, the U.S. film industry magazine Variety gave a positive review. In an article titled "'Squid Game' Season 2 is more intense, larger in scale, and maximizes immersion," Variety praised Season 2 for shedding new light on contemporary Korean societal issues such as capitalist exploitation, moral decay, and class inequality. It mentioned that this largely overcomes the repetitive elements of Season 1. It also added that the fears and tensions of the characters participating in the game, especially Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who has experienced everything, were still vividly portrayed.

'Squid Game 2' also seems to have failed to meet the expectations of some viewers. On the U.S. movie and drama rating site Rotten Tomatoes, as of 3 p.m. Eastern Time that day, the critic score was 82% out of 100, while the general audience score was 60%.