Movies and shows like 'Squid Game' to binge once you've finished the Korean thriller

Has your time with Seong Gi-Hun ended? Shows like 'Squid Game' will keep you busy until season 2 arrives

squid game
(Image credit: YOUNGKYU PARK/Netflix)

Ran out of episodes? No problem! Fortunately, shows like Squid Game abound for those who are obsessed with the Korean thriller—it's just a matter of knowing where to look.

If your journey alongside Oh Il-Nam, Ji-Yeong and Seong Gi-Hun has come to a close much too soon for your liking, we've taken the time to round up TV series and movies with a similar high-stakes theme. Trust us, they'll keep you plenty entertained while waiting for Squid Game season 2 (which can't come soon enough). 

From Japanese dystopian horror films to YA screen adaptations, our list of contenders includes a little bit of everything. Make yourself comfy and kick back for a new marathon. Who knows? Perhaps one of the choices will join the ranks as the one of the most watched Netflix series out there.

Ready to find your new obsession?



Movies and shows like 'Squid Game' 

Here's what to watch and where to watch it. Ready your Netflix queue, friends. 

1. 'Alice in Boderland'

Where to watch: Netflix

Arisu loves to game, but soon that obsession turns into his new reality. He's left in a parallel Tokyo with several friends, and the group's only chance of survival is to partake in life-or-death games—a far cry from the fictional scenarios they've encountered behind a screen. Is this starting to sound familiar? 

2. 'Sweet Home'

Where to watch: Netflix

In Netflix's apocalyptic horror, people from South Korea turn into monsters—a less-than ideal situation. One teen, however, asks for help from his neighbors to maintain peace and restore life as they know it. Will he be able to save humanity?

3. '3%'

Where to watch: Netflix

In this unsettling sci-fi, we fast forward to a world in which most people are impoverished and living in the area known as the Inland. However, whenever its residents turn 20, they have the option to take a series of difficult tests to make their way over to the wealthy paradise known as the Offshore. Considering only 3% of test takers are lucky enough to succeed, it's safe to assume these challenges are anything but simple. 

4. 'Nerve'

Where to watch: Hulu

Vee is getting a bit tired of high school (no surprise there). To spice things up, she decides to try her hand at an online game that puts her through a set of challenges. But what happens when they turn dark?

5. 'Circle'

Where to watch: Netflix

This is a psychological horror-thriller that'll really mess with your mind: 50 strangers are all facing death, but one of them won't be executed. Who will it be and how will the group decide upon him or her?

6. 'Battle Royale'

Where to watch: Tubi

If you thought your high school experience was challenging, it's nothing like what the ninth graders in Battle Royale experienced. Ninth graders are tasked with surviving on a deserted island by killing each other off. Should they break any rules, the explosive collars around their necks will detonate. Sounds a lot worse than algebra and bullies. 

Danielle Valente
Digital News Writer

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.


Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 


When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.