WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Seasons 1 of Squid Game and Alice in Borderland, now streaming on Netflix.
With Netflix's Korean series Squid Game breaking expectations on the streaming service, it makes sense interest in like-minded properties is piqued. Ironically, Netflix also has Season 1 of the Alice in Borderland manga adaptation out since last year, so let's break down which survival thriller is better.
What Is Squid Game About?
Squid Game focuses on hundreds of people in debt in Korea, all being propositioned by dealers to come to an island for a series of challenges. They're meticulously profiled, as the game's bosses know these people are so desperate, they'll leave their families behind for a chance to win millions.
It turns out to be true, because they team up in various childhood games, but also turn on each other, showing mankind can be monsters too. The show is more about people lying to themselves and becoming desperate enough to backstab others, even when it's not really called for, all because more dead contestants means the jackpot is larger.
What Is Alice in Borderland About?
Alice in Borderland revolves around thousands of people somehow being teleported from Japan into an empty version of the country to play twisted games. Here, they're given phones with digital handlers laying down rules so that winners can claim cards that signify victory.
Folks can take rest days, but their time in the realm will expire, so they need to keep playing to win. Admittedly, they're in a more open society with more provisions than Squid Game. However, the game is made even more dangerous as lasers shoot down to kill players or dealers endangering the handlers' control. The whole idea is to keep people inside the borders the bosses have laid out. In this case, this puppeteering is more for the pleasure of the higher-ups, who bet without really giving the lab rats a shot at hope or getting out.
How Are Squid Game and Alice in Borderland Similar and Different?
The common theme of humanity turning on each other is obvious, as both have death games where players can succeed by working together, and others where they need to kill each other to survive. Both games also have plants in the games manipulating things. Conversely, Squid Game allows folks to win money in their trials but in Alice in Borderland, the prize isn't really set out, as there's no money or promise of being returned to the real world.
It's not truly clear if aliens, A.I. or magic is at work in Alice in Borderland, whereas Squid Game is occurring in the real world, with just science and morals involved -- as rich folks draw pleasure in the suffering. What's also very different is Squid Games doesn't really have a hero, as even Gi-hun does nasty things to win. Alice in Borderland, though, has the pure Arisu and Usagi falling in love, trying to help themselves and others to victory, with self-preservation being the main goal.
Which Netflix Survival Thriller Is Better?
Ultimately, Alice in Borderland is better because it's just so unpredictable. We're not sure who has agendas outside of Arisu and Usagi, not to mention the games require a lot of clever thinking. It's more akin to tricks from Saw, pushing people to solve puzzles rather than embark on a series of more basic tasks like cutting out honeycombs, tug of war, or jumping from glass pane to glass pane.
Alice in Borderland is simply put, more cerebral, as seen with all that's required to solve the witch's murder, the machine gun tag, and also, the escape room in the first episode. Thus, by being both a mental and physical threat, it stands out ahead of an impressive Squid Game that just doesn't quite hit these genius heights, despite being equally intense at times.
Squid Game and Alice in Borderland are both streaming on Netflix.