Squid Game (2021) May 2026

While the "death game" genre isn't new (think Battle Royale or The Hunger Games ), Squid Game feels uniquely visceral because it twists innocent childhood memories into nightmarish, high-stakes ordeals. More Than Just a Thriller

The story centers on (played by Lee Jung-jae), a gambling addict drowning in debt who is offered a mysterious chance to turn his life around. He joins 455 other desperate players on a secret island to compete in six traditional children’s games. The catch? Elimination means death. Squid Game (2021)

45.6 Billion Reasons to Rewatch: Why Squid Game (2021) Still Hits Different While the "death game" genre isn't new (think

Beethoven:

Symphony No. 3, Mvt. IV (mm 44-76)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. II (3 Excerpts)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. III (mm1-79 and 141-218)

Symphony No. 6, Mvt. V (mm 25-55, and 133-163)

Symphony No. 8, Mvt. III (Trio)

Symphony No. 9, Mvt. II (mm. 17-57)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 1-96)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 92-163)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 431-525)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 541-594)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 663-671)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 765-810)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm. 903-916)

Bizet:

Carmen Act I (No. 8)
Carmen Act III (No. 24)

Brahms:

Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt III (3 Solo Excerpts)

Symphony No. 2, Mvt II (mm. 1-15 and 49-55)
Symphony No. 2 Mvt. IV (Beg until m. 42)

Symphony No. 3, Mvt I (Reh E until 7m after Reh F)
Symphony No. 3, Mvt III (Beginning until Reh B)
Symphony No. 3, Mvt IV (mm 1-18)

Symphony No. 4, Mvt II (Reh C until m. 55)
Symphony No. 4, Mvt IV (Reh B-D)

Variations on a Theme by Haydn (Var, I and V)

Debussy:

La Mer (2m before Reh 9 until 6m after Reh 9)

Elgar:

Enigma Variations (Var. XII B.G.N.)

Ginastera:

Variaciones Concertantes (Theme for Cello and Harp)

Mahler:

Symphony No. 2, mvt. I (Beginning until Reh. 2)

Symphony No. 4, mvt. I (mm 1-52)
Symphony No. 4, mvt. I (Reh 7-8)
Symphony No. 4, mvt. III (3 Excerpts)

Symphony No. 5, Mvt. I (Reh 2 and 4-6)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. II (12m after Reh 11 until Reh 13)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. V (Reh 2 until Reh 3)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. V (Reh 17 until 5m after Reh 20)

Massenet:

Don Quichotte, 2nd Interlude

Mendelssohn:

Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave) m 1-33
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scherzo (C-D and N-O)
Symphony No. 4 “Italian” Mvt. I (mm 25-85, 260-287))

Mozart:

Don Giovanni, Act I, No. 12
Overture to “The Magic Flute” (Two Excerpts)

Symphony 35, Mvt. I (Beginning until Reh. B)
Symphony 35, mvt. IV (Beginning until m. 54 and 57-105)
Symphony 35, mvt. IV (mm. 134-197)

Symphony 39, Mvt. I (mm. 13-21)
Symphony 39, Mvt. I (14m. before Reh. A until Reh. C)
Symphony 39, Mvt. IV (27m. after Reh. B until Reh. C)

Symphony 40, Mvt. I (mm.115-138)
Symphony 40, Mvt. I (mm. 191-225)
Symphony 40, Mvt. IV (mm. 49-63, 125-206, 229-236)

Overture to the Marriage of Figaro (3 Excerpts)

Prokofiev:

Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 1 Mvt. VI (Romeo and Juliet)
Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2, Mvt II (The Young Girl Juliet)
Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2 (Friar Laurence excerpt)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. III (Reh 72 and 75-77)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. IV (Reh 79-80 top line)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. IV (88, 91-92, 93-95)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. IV (106-107)

Puccini:

Manon Lescaut, Act III Intermezzo (mm1-10)
Tosca, Act III (Reh 7 until 7m after Reh 8)
Tosca, Act III (12m before Reh 10 until 1m after Reh 11)

Rossini:

William Tell Overture (Opening Excerpt)

Schoenberg:

Verklarte Nacht (Two Excerpts)

Schubert:

Arpeggione Sonata (Exposition)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. III (mm1-56)
Symphony No. 9, Mvt. IV (mm1-37)

Shostakovich:

Symphony No. 1, Mvt. IV (Reh 36-40)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. I (Reh 32-39)
Symphony No. 5, Mvt. III (Reh 89-92)
Symphony No. 15, Mvt. II (opening cello solo)

Sibelius:

Symphony No. 3, Mvt. I (Reh 3-4 and 13-15)

Smetana:

Bartered Bride, Overture (Two Excerpts)

Strauss, Richard:

Die Frau ohne Schatten, Act 2 Scene II (cello solo)
Don Juan (Three Excerpts))

Don Quixote (Theme, Var I, Var V)

Ein Heldenleben (Page 1, Reh 6-14, and 1m before 46 until 5m after 49)
Elektra, (1m before 221a until 6m after 227)
Salome, Scene III (6m before 141 until 5m before 149)

Von Suppe

Solo from Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna (Ein Morgen, ein Mittag und ein Abend in Wien )

Tchaikovsky:

Swan Lake Suite, No. 4 Scene (Cello Solo)
Symphony No. 4, mvt I (mm. 27-35)
Symphony No. 4 mvt II (mm. 21-42)
Symphony No. 6 mvt II (mm. 1-25)

Verdi:

Aida, Act I (mm 1-32)
Aida, Act 3, No. 6 (6m before X)
Requiem, Offertorio (mm. 1-62)
Rigoletto, Act II, No. 9 (Reh 27 until end of No. 9)

Wagner:

Das Rheingold, Scenes 2 and 3,
(35 until 35G)
Die Walkure, Act I (Reh 8a until 8c)
Götterdämmerung, Vorspiel (Beginning until 20m after Reh 1)
Tristan und Isolde, Act I Preulde