New to Netflix and looking for a thriller? Start with ‘Squid Game’
New to Netflix and looking for a thriller? Start with ‘Squid Game’
It’s the global hit that changed Netflix and still delivers the most intense viewing experience on the platform.
If you just signed up for Netflix and you’re trying to figure out what thriller show to start with, I’m going to save you a lot of time. Now, you’ve got a few all-time greats to choose from. You’ve got “Ozark.” You’ve got “Breaking Bad.” But for me, there’s only really one option: “Squid Game.” It’s the most intense TV show I’ve ever seen — I’m talking sweaty-hands level intensity. Here’s why I think “Squid Game” is the first thriller you should watch when you sign up for Netflix.
Top thriller TV show to stream first when you sign up for Netflix
Why ‘Squid Game’ is the must-watch thriller on Netflix
“Squid Game” hits you immediately with one of the most ruthless hooks you’ll find anywhere on streaming. People buried in debt get invited to play childhood games for a life-changing amount of money… except if you lose, you die. That’s the premise. And it’s very, very intense. We see it all unfold through the eyes of Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who joins the game in the hopes of winning the big prize.
Once you’re in the games, things move pretty fast. They explain the rules, and from that very first game (red light, green light), it’s almost impossible to stop watching. Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of the show, is a master of suspense — like one of the greatest of all time. Each game sequence is built to squeeze every drop of tension out of the scenario, and because it’s life or death for these characters, the stakes literally could not be higher. This is the only TV show I’ve ever watched that literally gave me sweaty palms. Before that, only seeing “Gravity” in theaters came close to the intensity I felt watching “Squid Game.” It’s just so, so good.
But the show doesn’t just dish out cheap thrills. The intensity you feel is a result of deep, thoughtful world-building. The show looks incredible, with this weird, almost playful visual style that shouldn’t work with how dark the story is… but it does. You’ve got these bright, colorful sets that look like a twisted playground, guards in pink jumpsuits, and these massive game environments that feel like something out of a nightmare version of a kids’ TV show. That contrast is what makes everything hit harder. It’s not just violent for the sake of it. It’s unsettling in a way that sticks with you.
And then the show slows down just enough to make you actually care about the people inside it. Lee Jung-jae plays Gi-hun as this flawed, kind of messy guy who you don’t fully trust at first… and then suddenly you’re rooting for him. Same thing with the rest of the group. The runaway, the old man, the childhood friend. The show spends real time building those relationships, so when things start to go sideways, it really, really hurts. And in any given episode, you don’t know which of the characters you love is going to play their final children’s game. At times, the show is actually hard to watch because of that.
“Squid Game” also has a massive place in Netflix history. When this show came out, it didn’t just do well; it completely took over. It was the No. 1 show in 94 countries, pulled in over a billion hours of viewing in its first month, and basically became a global obsession overnight. Everyone was talking about it. The games, the costumes, the music. This was the moment where it became really clear that Netflix could take a non-English show and turn it into the biggest thing in the world if the storytelling hit.
Now, the show does continue past Season 1. There’s more story, more games, and more to explore in that world. But for me, there’s nothing better than that first season. It’s tight, it’s focused, and it hits in a way that nothing has replicated since. If you’re starting from scratch on Netflix and want to understand what the platform can do at its absolute best, this is where you start.
Squid Game
Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits — with deadly high stakes.
Watch the trailer for ‘Squid Game’
What is ‘Squid Game’ about?
“Squid Game” follows a group of financially desperate people who are recruited to compete in a series of children’s games for a massive cash prize. What they don’t realize at first is that losing the games comes with deadly consequences. We see the world mostly through the eyes of Gi-hun as he competes in the games, building alliances as he goes, and figuring out just how far he’s willing to go to survive. What starts as a simple contest quickly turns into something much darker, pulling Gi-hun into a system built on desperation, power, and control.
Other must-stream thriller shows on Netflix
If “Squid Game” pulls you in and you’re in the mood to stay in that darker, high-stakes world for a while, Netflix has some heavy hitters ready to go. “Ozark” is one of my all-time favorites, following a family that gets pulled into laundering money for a cartel and just keeps digging itself deeper with every decision. It’s tense, grounded, and gets darker as it goes. “Black Mirror” is a totally different kind of thriller, with standalone episodes that explore technology, society, and how things can go very wrong very quickly. Some episodes will mess with your head for days.
And then there’s “Breaking Bad,” which isn’t just one of the best thrillers on Netflix, it’s one of the best shows ever made. Watching Walter White’s transformation from high school teacher to full-blown criminal is about as gripping as TV gets.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”