Why are we all so damn obsessed with death game TV?

By Jack Ramage

Published Oct 16, 2021 at 09:10 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

23551

Squid Game, the Netflix phenomenon—which has since become the most-streamed series of all time on the platform and has boosted Korean media stocks a whopping 50 per cent—has definitely got the world turning heads… Without giving away too many spoilers, the plot involves a scene where individuals are kidnapped and forced to play a series of games to win prize money—if they lose, they die. The ‘death game’ concept adopted by many other series, from The Hunger Games trilogy to Alice in Borderland, has had a significant rise in popularity over the last decade or so. But why are we so drawn to the hellish dystopian landscapes—the fictional scenario of characters placed into a game which is literally: sink or swim; kill or be killed?

Why do people love death game TV?

There’s something strangely gripping about the scenario of human beings being stripped down to their primal instincts—void of social inhibitions. In essence, it is the ‘what if’ which is fun to fantasize about. People like to imagine themselves as winners—reasoning their way through the borderline of unfair puzzles and impossible situations. But let’s be realistic, games have losers—and with the survival rate of Squid Game being 1 in 456, would you take your chances?

Within the death game genre, there is usually one particular trope that draws in the viewers: the main character is usually just an average person. In Alice in Borderland, Ryōhei Arisu is just a normal guy—it’s an aspect that makes him actually quite endearing. He’s not particularly strong and struggles to apply himself in the real world—the main character is void of Hollywood perfectionism, which gives him a level of relatability, the ‘I could be that guy’ feeling. Seong Gi-hun, the gambling-addicted father who is the lead star of Squid Game is the same: he isn’t particularly impressive and only makes clever moves when it counts. People love to root for the underdog, and the storytelling of these shows have tapped into that.

But what about the science?

Okay, so that might be stating the obvious, but what about all the psychological research explaining why we’re all so obsessed with death game TV? Surprisingly, when digging for details, I was left empty-handed. Indeed, there is a wealth of information on why we’re drawn to the horror genre but not specifically the death game genre. Researchers, if you’re reading this, you know what to do—the world needs to know…

Luckily, there are a few points we can draw on to explain why Squid Game has made such an impact over the last month. Research in the Journal of Media Psychology found that people watched horror movies for three reasons: tension, relevance and unrealism. For some, tension from the shock and thrill of a horror or thriller movie can be an entire experience of its own. Others are drawn to the relevance—as mentioned earlier—with specific characters the viewer can relate to in a dystopian universe. For others, horror can be a satisfying experience of ‘unrealism’—the enjoyment of knowing, for a fact, that it’s all fake anyway. 

To put it simply, it’s complicated. “There are different experiences people have while watching horror movies,” Doctor Katherine Brownlowe, an assistant professor in the departments of neurology and psychiatry at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Bustle in an interview. “Some people enjoy the gore, some people like being startled, and some people love the sheer escapism it offers.”

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

Who TF Did I Marry TikTok saga is being turned into a TV show by White Lotus star

By Abby Amoakuh

German AfD party under fire for handing out Nazi-inspired fake deportation tickets to migrants 

By J'Nae Phillips

From it girl-coded headphones to unsnatchable phone cases, techwear is Gen Z’s new obsession

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

University academic who sent girl to Iraq for FGM jailed for a meagre 4 and a half years

By Charlie Sawyer

Influencer Molly Rutter’s TikTok controversy: Is she a lolcow or just another exploitative creator?

By Abby Amoakuh

Russian President Vladimir Putin trolls everyone by endorsing Kamala Harris in US election

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

P&O Cruises under fire after staff caught on film wearing KKK-like costumes at Christmas party

By Abby Amoakuh

Loki actor reveals he’s now homeless following horrific physical and emotional abuse at home

By Abby Amoakuh

Americans chose a convicted felon over a woman of colour for president. How did this happen?

By Abby Amoakuh

As the Israel-Hamas war worsens, an Israeli and a Palestinian discuss the prospects for peace

By Abby Amoakuh

How mukbang YouTuber Nikocado Avocado tricked the world with hidden 2-year weight loss transformation

By Charlie Sawyer

Vegan festival in New York compared to Fyre Festival by angry plant-based mobs

By Louis Shankar

5 essential TV shows to watch before the chaos of the 2024 US presidential election

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Balenciaga’s new $450 barefoot shoe sparks outrage for leaving feet exposed

By Abby Amoakuh

Meta now allows content calling women property and household items on its social platforms

By Abby Amoakuh

#swiftieracism begins trending on X after Taylor Swift fans hurl racist abuse at Beyoncé

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Unpacking the drama around the viral fake Crumbl Cookie pop-up in Australia

By Alma Fabiani

Don’t gatekeep your clothes anymore, join Traid’s Closet Clear-Out Challenge

By Charlie Sawyer

UK doctors and nurses accused of sexual assault and rape still practicing, new data reveals

By Charlie Sawyer

Did the Daily Mail shut down the TikTok parody account History Mail?