Squid Game (2021)

Squid Game parents guide

The thing to know: extreme gore, more than a TV-MA usually carries. Beyond that, real scares and several jump scares.

Scare

Properly scary

Frightening, not just tense.

Jump scares

Several

More than a couple of sudden jolts.

Gore

Extreme gore

Our top level for gore.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

Moderate

Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.

Language

Strong

Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Squid Game scary?

Yes, properly. Squid Game is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is Squid Game?

Extreme gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is Squid Game rated, and is it OK for kids?

Real scares, several jump scares, and moderate sex and nudity. The TV-MA is earned, so not for kids.

What is Squid Game about?

Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.

Cast and crew

More like Squid Game

• Vagabond (2019)Suspenseful · full attention · strong violence · emotionally heavyA stuntman uncovers a vast corruption scandal, and a secret agent navigates a world of relentless, gritty suspense.
• All of Us Are Dead (2022)Properly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingTrapped high school students navigate a relentless zombie outbreak with gritty, high-octane action and bleak suspense.
• Alice in Borderland (2020)Properly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyFriends navigate a surreal, gritty Tokyo, competing in dangerous games with relentless suspense.
• Attack on Titan (2013)Properly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingHumanity battles colossal, flesh-eating Titans in a relentless, bleak fight for survival behind towering walls.
• Kingdom (2019)Properly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally heavyA crown prince fights a zombie plague and political conspiracy in a relentless, gritty, and bleak medieval Korea.
• Game of Thrones (2011)Epic · full attention · brutal violence · graphic goreNoble families clash in an epic, gritty war for control, while an ancient evil awakens in the frozen north.
• Banana Fish (2018)Gritty · full attention · brutal violence · graphic goreA teen gang leader and a photojournalist navigate New York's gritty underworld while investigating a deadly new drug.
• Akame ga Kill! (2014)Bleak · full attention · brutal violence · extreme goreA young assassin joins a ruthless crew, fighting an epic battle against depravity in a relentless, bleak world.

Squid Game is on our Halloween, Goriest, Most violent, Edge of your seat and Stressful lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “funny but not stupid, under two hours”

Lists with the same feel: Tearjerkers.