By now, we don’t need to explain what Squid Game. It is a worldwide hit and you can’t even scroll though social media without coming across a post about it. 

It has gone so viral until anyone who has not watched it feels like they need to watch it, or they’ll miss out on a global trend. 

All in all, the series is definitely amazing but enough about the series and the actors, let’s talk about the genius director behind the thrilling series: Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Here are some facts that will prove he is truly a mastermind: 

1. He wrote the script in 2008

Yes, that’s right, he wrote a futuristic show where people die while playing games of survival before the Hunger Games era of movies. While that fact is something that impresses us, it certainly did not impress investors and actors at that time who thought it was too unconventional and brutal. 

Thankfully 12 years later, the plot became more relatable and intriguing so, Director Hwang decided to expand it in 2019. A rejected plot turned worldwide hit. 

2. Hiding the biggest hint in a name

The Director gave the name Oh Il-nam, which literally translates to number one man (Il mean one, nam means man) to the mastermind of the series, proving that in reality Director Hwang is the real mastermind. 

Besides the name, he is also wearing the number 1, and he ranks number 1 in terms of wealth and power. 

You also get another foreshadowing moment when the animatronic girl in the game “Red Light, Green Light” doesn’t detect him when scanning the crowd. 

3. The music in the series was meant to create familiarity in an unfamiliar world

Sheesh that sounds complex AF. What it basically means is that, instead of playing some suspenseful music, the soothing music was chosen to provide comfort while something uncomforting was playing on the screen. 

Another element is the usage of familiar music like Fly Me to the Moon and Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube to provoke horror. This element merely reflects the dark side of some of our childhood games that at the time felt so innocent and fun– losing just mean you loss but in the game, losing means you die.

4. Ant colony inspired the shapes on the masks

In an ant colony, the ants all look the same, but they are all actually divided into groups that carry out different tasks. So, in the series, the soldier’s uniforms were designed the same way. They all look the same, like ants but the shape differentiates their duties. 

5. The dorm wall paintings foreshadow the games

If you notice that after more participants died, there were lesser beds. This revealed the hidden paintings on the walls that show the games that would be played. Here are some exaples: 

+ Red Light, Green Light

+ Tug of War

+ Dalgona Candy

6. Escher’s Relativity was portrayed in the film

A top-down shot in episode one, gives the viewers a view of a colourful but disorientating stairs that was actually inspired by a lithograph print by Dutch artist M.C. Escher named Relativity which portrays a world with a very different law of gravity compared to the real world. 

7. Less CGI, more real life

Yes, that’s right, the Director wanted to limit the CGI done to as minimum as possible to make the whole series feel more real than ever! He also felt like with most of the props being real and in full scale to size, the actors could physically connect with the props and give a more realistic and authentic performance.  

For example, in the first game, the 456 participants were all played by real actors.