Fine, Squid Game and House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths are two tonally different shows, but are they actually?
House of Secrets is a bizarre, shocking truth that lives within us, among us, around us, all the time. We have seen otherwise happy people going for astrologers, babas and even tantriks in distress. Can we accuratey predict when can they take a totally wrong turn? Or, start behaving in a life-threatening manner?
Squid Game also has the same approach. It plays on our fears, our dark sides and a will to break out of shackles and have fun at any cost!
A lot of good Korean dramas and films are very dark in nature and most of the time they are borderline voyeuristic and appealing to dark subconscious. In last two decades of so, they have caught up with the world, and not so surprisingly, have carved a fanbase. Why has that happened? Because our roots take us back to the times when paranormal and mildly dark rituals weren’t seen from the perspective of science. They were there, widely accepted and practiced.
Haven’t we heard of goat and even human sacrifices to hold a bridge from being washed away in floods? Or, making a temple at the place of frequent road accidents!
Both Squid Game and House of Secrets have a similar narrative which take place right under the public glare yet in complete seclusion. The idea is to present these unnatural acts as something which might not be acceptable in a civilised society, yet everyone knowingly or unknowingly participating in it.
This is about suffering in silence and believing that death can end all the pain. They never think of the ones they leave behind.
One major difference though is that while Squid game is all about visible violence, House of Secrets keeps it concealed, but aren’t they both inflicting the pain on the people they know, they love and like?
The idea of going to our primitive set-up is something that drives both the shows. It’s not magical realism anymore, but sheer rawness of the idea of living, the process of surviving.
So, think again, Squid Game and House of Secrets might be the same story!
