Netflix has been faced with new allegations that the working conditions for its real-life Squid Game were ‘inhumane.’
The worldwide streaming platform has dismissed any accusations of ‘of significant harm’ when following suggestions that participants required medical assistance due to shooting in very chilly weather.
The show, which debuted last year, is a spin-off of the popular Korean drama and, similarly, puts 456 competitors through a range of trials.
While, unlike the original series, competitors in Squid Game: The Challenge will not die when knocked out, they do have the opportunity to earn a massive cash reward of $4.56 million (£3.7 million).
Several anonymous competitors, however, have come out to criticise the reality programme, with one calling the circumstances ‘extremely horrible’ due to the frigid weather.
They were alluding to the drama’s version of the game Red Light, Green Light, in which participants strive to run over a finish line in five minutes but must stay totally still if the red light is activated – any movement leads in automatic elimination.
According to Variety, the participants were had to remain still for considerably longer than the two minutes specified, with one wait lasting 26 minutes in a game that lasted seven hours rather than the two guaranteed.
This was all shot in freezing temperatures, which caused players to ‘buckle,’ according to one contender, who added, ‘they were dropping like flies.’
During the filming of Red Light, Green Light, medics were summoned at least eight occasions.
They explained that while some of what has been reported is not as ‘extreme’ as what actually transpired ‘it’s definitely not as minimal as is being conveyed by Netflix.’
‘It’s not like we signed up for Survivor or Naked and Afraid. The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game,’ they added.
Meanwhile, a second player told the outlet: ‘This is not a Bear Grylls survival show if they had told us it was going to be that cold, no one would have gone through with it.’
However, the candidates praised Netflix for their pre-production attention and inspections.
One commented: ‘The application process was unlike anything I’ve ever done. The background checks and psychological checks…they were emailing, calling or texting me every day from October to January.
‘The people I communicated with at Studio Lambert were so kind and supportive. I was thinking, ‘This is gonna be a great experience; these are great folks!’
‘But once the game started, I said, “What happened to these people? What happened to them caring about us?”‘
In a statement, Netflix said: ‘We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.
‘While it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue.’
Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.