littlesatanhooves

Idea-wise, it's a Squid Game rip-off - minus the edge-of-your-seat excitement.

From the moment the premise unfolds, you can tell the creators were aiming for the same social commentary and tension that made Squid Game a global phenomenon. Unfortunately, what we get feels more like a watered-down imitation than a fresh reinterpretation. The storyline borrows heavily from the "desperate people competing for survival" formula, but it lacks the sharp writing, emotional intensity, and moral ambiguity that gave Squid Game its impact.

The pacing is uneven - dragging in the early episodes and rushing toward an unsatisfying conclusion. Where Squid Game thrived on unpredictability and character depth, this version feels telegraphed and shallow. You can almost predict who will live, who will die, and what twist will come next. The tension that should make you hold your breath never really arrives; instead, you're left checking how much longer until the credits roll.

Visually, the production tries hard - the sets are polished, the costumes eye-catching, and the cinematography competent. But slick visuals can't disguise the lack of originality. Even the moral lessons feel forced, as though the writers wanted to sound profound without saying anything new.

The acting isn't terrible, but the characters are written as thin archetypes: the noble hero, the greedy opportunist, the tragic victim. None of them evolve in meaningful ways. Without emotional investment, it's hard to care who wins or loses.

In short, this show had potential but chose imitation over innovation. It copies the surface aesthetics of Squid Game without capturing its soul. If you're looking for genuine suspense, complex characters, and thought-provoking drama, this isn't it - just a faint echo of a much better idea.

It wouldn't be inaccurate to add Behind Closed Doors to the title of the movie, because that's what this movie really is. You already see a lot of 'foreplay' (or flirting) going on in the actual TV series. The action which unfolds in this version just continues what would obviously be taking place in the privacy of the guests' rooms, which of course cannot be shown on commercial TV channels. As a matter of fact, some of the guest stars on the TV series behaved almost like your typical porn starlets. I won't say who but try watching S5 E18. Wink wink. Speaking of which, the acting is typical of the genre although a little more play acting, before the characters started shedding their clothes, would have helped improve the overall quality.

Let it be said once and for all that there will never be another movie on the rituals of Christian exorcism after The Exorcist (1973). After you have seen the original, you have seen them all, no matter how hard they try to make one different from another. I must say that I had a lot of expectations riding on 'The Pope's Exorcist', but after a few minutes into the movie, I lost all hope for something new, something different, something more exciting. It wasn't a bad movie actually. It's just that it tried to be more than another movie about demonic possession but like I said, you cannot stretch the premise any much further than what The Exorcist (1973) already achieved. Having said that, I wonder how the Blumhouse take on the forthcoming Exorcist, to feature Ellen Burstyn, will fare. I wait with bated breath,