As a film enthusiast who has had the privilege of traversing through various cinematic universes, I find myself deeply intrigued by the meta-cinematic elements that director Han Jae-lim has woven into “The 8 Show.” The varying aspect ratios are not just a nod to the claustrophobia of the participants’ lives outside the game, but also a subtle commentary on cinema itself. It hints at the series’ deeper layers, particularly as Jinsoo enters the film set, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
In the year 2024, the Korean psychological horror series titled “The 8 Show” swept across Netflix, offering a fresh perspective on the survivalist game show genre. Originating from an unanticipated source – in this instance, a webtoon – “The 8 Show” introduces us to eight contestants competing for vast sums of money. Their objective? To endure as long as they can within a minimalist building where time is accumulated by entertaining the audience.
While “The 8 Show” shares some thematic similarities with “Squid Game,” which delves into human morality and good versus evil, it offers a distinct perspective on its subject matter. This series tackles real-world issues such as social class and economic structure in a direct manner, highlighting problems like inequality and government corruption. As the story unfolds, it begins with a seemingly straightforward problem but soon gains momentum, as contestants on “The 8 Show” discover the game’s rules. Each new revelation introduces a twist, often intensifying the fear and tension.
At the conclusion of the eight-part series, some viewers might find it challenging to grasp the precise events unfolding. However, our role is to clarify the finale of “The 8 Show” – revealing its intent to reflect contemporary society through its narrative.
What you need to remember about the plot of The 8 Show
As a dedicated fan, I find myself immersed in the intriguing world of “The 8 Show.” Eight strangers, like me, are chosen to participate in what seems like a regular reality TV series. But there’s a twist – we stand a chance to win life-changing cash prizes. Upon entering the game, each of us is mysteriously assigned to live on a distinct floor of an eight-story building, based on a numbered card drawn before our entry. Little do we know, each level offers a unique and personalized experience for each participant.
On the ground level, a participant resides in a compact room designed for solitary living. As you ascend each subsequent level, the rooms grow larger. Each room houses a device offering an array of goods, which can be acquired using the individual’s earnings. The intriguing twist is that each competitor earns varying amounts of prize money per hour, enabling those on higher floors to afford extra luxuries. For instance, the woman living on the eighth floor eventually buys herself lavish bedding, expensive apparel, and various non-essential items, whereas those on lower floors make do with minimal belongings.
Simultaneously, only the 8th floor is given food, and it’s important to convince them to share with the lower floors so that everyone can have a meal. To extend their playtime, thereby increasing prize money, participants must also offer entertainment for the Showrunners, who manage the games, as well as any other viewers.
The most disturbing rules of The 8 Show
As a gamer diving into “The 8 Show”, let me tell you, the rules aren’t always straightforward. What makes it tricky is that we don’t get to grasp all the rules at once. Sometimes, even the contestants seem puzzled by them. For instance, each floor offers different earning rates for participants, but there’s also a way for them to buy stuff – in the “town square”, where everyone hangs out.
In the heart of our town lies a unique clock that counts down from 24 hours, marking the remaining time until the grand show concludes. As a spectator, I’ve noticed an intriguing aspect: contestants can earn more time by keeping the show engaging, but here’s the twist – they can also pool their time to jointly purchase items from the town square. However, each floor generates different revenue per hour, influencing purchasing decisions. Lower floors often opt for shared goods from the square, while upper floors prefer spending their substantial earnings directly. This economic disparity gradually escalates into a power struggle, with the wealthier top floors leveraging their resources – such as expensive weapons – to compel lower floors to provide continuous entertainment.
As time goes by in this series, it becomes clear that conflicts, violence, and injuries significantly extend the game duration. Consequently, the higher floors often force the lower ones to engage in risky activities. However, towards the end of the storyline, an essential rule surfaces – only the first floor has discovered this secret: for a 1 billion won fee, any player can swap rooms with another participant.
What happened at the end of The 8 Show?
During the midpoint of “The 8 Show,” I find myself aligning with the upper floors. This alliance consists of the enigmatic 8th Floor, who appears to feel no compassion towards others; the shrewd and cunning 7th Floor, whose sole purpose seems to be ensuring everyone escapes with maximum prize money; and the scheming, volatile, and vengeful 6th Floor, who’s bent on crushing his lower competition ruthlessly.
On the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th levels, a self-proclaimed elite class emerges, indifferent to the plight of other floors. They make life difficult for the rest by organizing cruel games and issuing threats when resistance is hinted at. However, the lower floors rise up in rebellion and manage to seize control, imprisoning their oppressors. The 5th floor expresses compassion towards the captives, but the upper levels exploit this kindness to regain power, leading to even harsher suppression.
In the near future, the 4th Floor takes control over the higher levels and orchestrates a second uprising. This rebellion results in an accord that lets the clock run down to zero, thereby concluding the game. However, as the time nears its end, the least fortunate, the 1st Floor, decides against ending the game. In a desperate bid to maintain the spectacle for the show creators, a tragic accident occurs, claiming the life of 1st Floor and bringing the game to an end. After their release, the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 2nd Floors gather for a private memorial service for their fallen comrade. Upon dispersing, they find themselves wealthier than before the show, having survived its tumultuous course.
What did the ending of The 8 Show mean?
As a devoted viewer, I can’t help but see the show-within-the-show as a mirror reflecting our own world’s socio-economic landscape. It symbolically portrays the class divide, often serving as a sharp commentary on capitalist systems. The random card draw for room assignment is much like the roll of the dice at birth, determining whether we find ourselves in a lower, middle, or upper-class setting. In our world, time holds more value for those with greater wealth, and this concept is vividly depicted in the show.
In a similar fashion, individuals residing on lower floors in “The 8 Show” often have fewer resources and depend on the generosity of their upper-story counterparts for essentials such as food, medical aid, and hygiene items. The affluent wield significant power, compelling the less fortunate to perform labor that generates income for everyone, while the wealthy are expected to do minimal work beyond leveraging those below them to preserve their wealth.
After “The 8 Show,” as 1st Floor succumbed to death due to his longing for a lavish lifestyle he envied so much, the underlying truth emerges. The affluent will almost invariably have an easier time not just because of their current riches, but also because augmenting their wealth requires minimal effort and labor. Conversely, the impoverished struggle immensely to amass any wealth at all, even after a lifetime of hard work.
Who were the Showrunners?
As a dedicated gamer delving into “The 8 Show,” I’ve noticed a recurring enigma surrounding the Showrunners – an elusive collective behind this intriguing in-game series. They seem to possess wealth beyond comprehension, orchestrating the entire production while doling out staggering amounts to the players. Yet, they remain hidden, never making a personal appearance. So who are these shadowy figures? Truth be told, their identity isn’t crucial: They represent the true aristocracy, exploiting the less fortunate (the participants) for their own amusement; the show doesn’t appear to be broadcast publicly as far as we can discern.
Towards the finale, during the post-credit sequence, we find ourselves back at the 7th Floor, following his release from the game. It’s revealed that he is a screenwriter, and after a wealthy producer ridicules one of his ideas, he proposes a fresh concept inspired by his life in the building, creatively entitled “The 8 Show.” Essentially, it seems like his entire journey will be transformed into a show for public consumption. This could also be interpreted as a commentary on “Squid Game,” a Netflix drama that combines reality and fiction, which despite the cautionary messages within the series, turned out to become an actual reality, potentially leading Netflix to reconsider its strategies, given the legal issues they faced due to the show’s success.
Why did the participants choose their floor numbers?
Initially, when we encounter the eight contestants on “The 8 Show”, we know very little about their backgrounds. Their floor assignments appear to be determined by chance, with each participant drawing a numbered card prior to entering the building. This randomness symbolizes the unpredictable circumstances of a person’s birth, whether into poverty, wealth, or somewhere in between, and how these initial conditions can largely determine one’s socio-economic status throughout their lifetime.
Looking back, it now seems that the initial impression of randomness might have been misleading. Initially, none of us were financially well-off, but as the story unfolds, it’s revealed that contenders like me on the 6th Floor had a past in athletics and some, like the 8th Floor, were once prosperous artists who lost their fortune. On the other hand, the 1st Floor lived in poverty, the 2nd Floor was barely scraping by, and the 3rd Floor found himself deeply in debt due to a failed get-rich-quick scheme.
When we understand the identities of individuals beyond the game, their room assignments appear less haphazard. It could be that the selection of the numbered cards was a subtle message as well; each player might have intuitively picked a number reflecting their personal circumstances or self-perception. This theory makes sense for 4th Floor, a lower-middle-class woman who desired wealth and looked up to the rich, as she initially selects card #8 – her ideal position – before changing to #4 – her actual reality.
Who were the 8 participants?
Initially, we have minimal insights into the eight contestants, but as the series progresses, their backstories gradually unfold. Each episode delves into the past, revealing who these individuals were prior to entering the building, starting with the third-floor resident. He’s a young man living paycheck to paycheck, constantly seeking ways to amass wealth. Unfortunately, he gets ensnared in a scam by a man promising a lucrative investment opportunity in a high-risk business venture. This leaves him burdened with hundreds of millions in debt, pushing him to the brink of desperation. Consequently, he accepts the game’s alluring proposition of potentially winning billions in prize money.
2nd Floor is another wage slave, but one who doesn’t seem to have the same drive for wealth. She’s only participating to help a coworker who’s in dire need of money for medical care. Likewise, 1st Floor is a member of a struggling circus, lives with persistent health problems, and whose daughter will die if he can’t pay for her medical treatment. 4th Floor was a young woman who once had big dreams and big potential, but who now toils away as a parking attendant. 5th Floor was an ordinary middle-class woman.
At the end, we discover details about the last three competitors. The sixth level is a former baseball player who fell from grace due to a gambling incident, whereas the seventh level is a struggling writer in the entertainment industry, trying to sell a fresh script. The eighth level used to be a well-off socialite artist, but she too faced financial ruin; she appears to view life and wealth as mere games.
Why did we never learn more about the participants?
At the culmination of “The 8 Show,” it’s tough not to perceive the message the series is conveying regarding our world. However, one aspect that might leave viewers pondering is the private lives of the eight protagonists. Throughout the program, we are given just enough information to grasp their characters, and this was intentional, as stated by director Han Jae-lim in an interview discussing the complexities of the characters.
According to the director, the lack of specific details about each character in the story was purposefully done so that viewers could recognize aspects of themselves in any of them.
In doing so, Jae-lim aimed to construct a piece where the audience could visualize themselves as part of the story, thereby facilitating a deeper comprehension of the ethical quandaries presented. This was crucial because it enabled the work to not only provide entertainment, but also spark thought-provoking debates about such relevant topics.
What does director Han Jae-Kim say about the meaning of The 8 Show?
In “The 8 Show,” the series concludes with a rebellion by residents from the lower levels against those living on the upper floors, which can be seen as a symbolic representation of class conflict. However, according to director Han Jae-lim, this struggle runs much deeper, reflecting parallels to the competitive nature of the arts industry.
“I found [the participants’] predicament strikingly relatable to our own,” he said in an interview with Korean Film, comparing the players’ need to entertain in exchange for extra time and prize money to his role as a director. Whether a creator is a director, writer, actor, or even a YouTube influencer, Jae-lim said that he believes that it’s becoming harder and harder to keep audiences engaged. “We are competing with more sensational and easier projects with weaker narratives, and the slow cinema and classic movies that we know of are fading.”
It’s clear how 7th Floor, a dedicated screenwriter striving to craft a captivating script, might resonate strongly with the character Jae-lim, as he identifies himself in this role.
Why did The 8 Show use 2 different aspect ratios?
In “The 8 Show,” I find myself introduced to a character named Jinsoo, who eventually earns the moniker of 3rd Floor. Our encounter happens with him fleeing from a couple of tough guys seeking repayment for an owed debt. This tense sequence is presented in a square format, a 1:1 aspect ratio that’s smaller than the traditional 4:3 used in 20th-century TV shows. However, as he dives into the game, the series transitions smoothly to widescreen.
From then on in the series, whenever we delve deeper into the lives of the characters through flashbacks, the program consistently adopts a 1:1 aspect ratio. According to director Han Jae-lim during his interview with Korean Film, this was done to portray the characters’ limited existence. He noted that their lives are restricted within this 1:1 ratio, yet within the game world, they seem to expand beyond their confined reality. In essence, he aimed to make the show appear more authentic than the characters’ actual lives.
In a more implicit way, I aimed to convey that the changing aspect ratios in the series reflect its self-reflective nature, especially when Jinsoo steps onto the movie set.
How does the Ending of The 8 Show compare to the original web series?
It’s likely that many viewers know that “The 8 Show” is based on a well-known Korean web series. What might be less known, though, is that the Netflix version merges two original works by creator Bae Jin-soo: “Money Game” and “Pie Game.” Although “The 8 Show” takes inspiration from both, it also significantly changes certain elements in the process.
In the original “Money Game,” players aimed to stretch their initial funds as far as possible to amass the maximum amount at the end. On the other hand, the “Pie Game” works differently; participants can extend both time (and thus money) by engaging in aggressive games or actions. Purchases are made collectively from a common pool of winnings, and additional time can be earned through violent acts.
In the original “Pie Game” webcomic, the first floor character is not the compassionate figure presented in the Netflix adaptation; instead, he serves as the main antagonist. Director Han Jae-lim clarified in an interview with the Korean Times that as the story evolved into a more direct representation of social classes, it was important to make the first floor character appear sympathetic, even depicting him as a character reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin.
Could we see a sequel to The 8 Show?
By the finale of “The 8 Show,” it’s evident that not much more needs to be said. The series effectively conveys its messages about class struggle, capitalism, and the advantages of collective living, while also highlighting how the contemporary world can be ruthless towards those less fortunate. Naturally, with such a successful series, fans are left wondering if there might be another season or a continuation of the storyline.
As the series concludes, leaving many loose ends for potential continuation, the characters’ personal journeys and use of their prizes could serve as intriguing themes. For instance, 3rd Floor spends all his winnings on 1st Floor’s funeral, but what about the others? Moreover, the post-credits scene hints at a fresh TV series conceived by 7th Floor, drawing from his time as a contestant on “The 8 Show.” This new show could be an exciting development.
Firstly, it’s worth noting that Director Han Jae-lim has hinted at a second season in an interview with Korean Film. He mentioned that he made a promise to creator Bae Jin-soo for a cameo role in the potential sequel. On the other hand, Netflix might decide to develop a reality show inspired by the series, with less violent games as we saw in “Squid Game”. However, one may question if such a show would make it onto our list of top reality TV shows.
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2024-10-21 19:30