Netflix’s 22-Episode Sci-Fi Thriller Is Still One of the Best Ever Made 5 Years Later

Published Sep 20, 2026, 4:42 PM EDT

Amanda M. Castro is a Network TV writer at Collider and a New York–based journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, where she is an Associate Editor, and The U.S. Sun, where she previously served as a Senior Consumer Reporter.

She specializes in network television coverage, delivering sharp, thoughtful analysis of long-running procedural hits and ambitious new dramas across broadcast TV. At Collider, Amanda explores character arcs, storytelling trends, and the cultural impact of network series that keep audiences tuning in week after week.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Amanda is bilingual and holds a degree in Communication, Film, and Media Studies from the University of New Haven.

Squid Game didn't just become one of Netflix's biggest shows — five years later, its record still looks almost impossible to touch. According to Netflix's current all-time data, Season 1 generated more than 2.2 billion hours viewed during its first 91 days, a total that still puts even the streamer's biggest English-language hits in the rearview mirror. Netflix has spent years producing massive global successes since then, but none has managed to reach the same heights. And with even Stranger Things falling short, it's getting harder to imagine what could actually beat it.

'Squid Game' Set a New Global Benchmark

Squid Game premiered in late 2021 and became a true global phenomenon unlike almost any original series before it. Netflix's updated all-time figures now put Season 1 at 2.205 billion hours viewed during its first 91 days. Season 2 added another 1.38 billion hours, while Season 3 reached 894.3 million, giving the franchise a level of sustained global dominance that very few streaming shows have managed.

This is not just about viewership numbers; it is about how Squid Game has become part of popular culture. Its basic premise — desperate individuals playing fatal games for money — resonates with people around the world, regardless of language or nationality. That clarity helped squash typical barriers that foreign-language dramas face, turning every new episode into an appointment to watch, debate, and meme.

Even 'Stranger Things' Couldn't Beat 'Squid Game'

If any challenger hopes to unseat Squid Game's legacy, it will have to do something even Netflix's other defining franchises haven't managed. Stranger Things 4 remains the closest English-language challenger by hours viewed, with 1.838 billion during its first 91 days. Even the long-awaited final season, Stranger Things 5, finished at roughly 1.39 billion hours — enormous numbers that nevertheless leave a substantial gap between Hawkins and the games.

That helps explain why beating Squid Game requires more than a well-shot action series or even an established franchise. The show generated a “watch it now, or you're behind” feeling that turned TV watching into a shared event. The streaming landscape is more fragmented than ever — gone are the days when a single show could easily dominate conversations the way Game of Thrones once did. Yet Squid Game managed precisely that by tapping into widespread social and economic anxieties. The show's commentary on inequality, debt, and the commodification of survival resonated with countries facing rising living costs and widening economic gaps. That relevance — not just spectacle — made it feel like something “of the moment.”

More than just action set pieces, Squid Game delivered survival drama with universal stakes. It turned childhood games into dangerous trials, layered with social critique that helped the series live beyond the screen. That global appeal ultimately became one of the franchise's defining qualities, with each new season turning into an international streaming event.

Why Traditional Action Won't Cut It Anymore

Look at the shows that have dominated streaming recently: Many rely on star power, comic book IP, or familiar genre tropes. But Netflix's biggest action wins aren't traditional action at all — they're high-concept survival thrillers built around a core idea that's instantly shareable. The social media burst around Squid Game was unlike anything Netflix had seen: its “Red-Light, Green-Light” clip became the streamer's top-performing TikTok video ever with more than 128 million organic views. On platforms like TikTok and YouTube, Squid Game-inspired clips and memes racked up billions of impressions, driving discovery and encouraging binging long after the initial release date.

That kind of momentum isn't born just from clever choreography or flash-bang sequences — it comes from a show that people want to talk about, imitate, dress up as, and riff on. Sweatpants-clad fans lined up around global activations, giant installations, and immersive experiences in cities from New York to Seoul. At the same time, merchandise collaborations with major brands stretched the series into everyday culture.

What Future Contenders Need To Learn About 'Squid Game'

Image via Netflix

Future contenders might look at Squid Game's success and think the recipe is just to make something shocking with violence and games. But the real secret sauce was combining instant accessibility with universal themes. Netflix executives pointed out that voice-of-audience signals — like watching the show's actors' social followings explode or seeing Squid Game content trend globally on professional sites like LinkedIn — were rare even for breakout hits.

Take the show's distinctive visual language: pink jumpsuits, geometric playground arenas, and lantern-colored dystopian sets. These weren't just stylistic choices. They were bold icons that made the show easy to identify, easy to reference, and hard to ignore. Combined with a premise that anyone — once told about it in a sentence — could understand, the result was a cross-cultural conversation machine.

Beating Squid Game won't just be about breaking hours watched. Five years after its debut, no season on Netflix's current English- or non-English-language all-time TV lists has surpassed its 2.205 billion hours viewed. Even shows with years of built-in fandom have fallen short. Whatever eventually takes its place won't simply need to become Netflix's next major hit; it will need to create the kind of global moment that changes the streamer's definition of one.

Squid Game

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