made its way on Netflix on December 26, 2024, and it’s garnering impressive responses from both the critics and the general audience.
The positive reviews have led to strong Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores. Squid Game Season 2 has garnered soaring ratings from the critics.
Michael Ordoña of the San Francisco Chronicle uses adjectives such as “smart,” “provocative,” and “twisted” to describe the sophomore outing of the South Korean thriller series.
Ordoña adds, “It deepens characters, steps up the action, and moves the story forward while retaining the first season’s dark absurdity.” The Wrap’s William Goodman praises Lee Byung-hun’s performance as Front Man in Season 2, calling it “a real standout.” Goodman also states that the second season is “more brutal, haunting, effective — and yes, in its twisted way — entertaining than ever.” In contrast, Ben Travers of IndieWire is a lot more reserved with his praise.
Reflecting on the dichotomy between seasons, Travers notes that while the first season was all about discovery, “Season 2 survives by knowing there’s less to discover.