The 8 Show is an original Netflix drama that offers a fresh perspective on reality show competitions, featuring a game inspired by a cult classic movie that was previously banned.
Similarly to A Clockwork Orange, The 8 Show has participants devise unconventional methods to entertain themselves and earn their prize money, instead of being given predetermined games like in Squid Game. However, as certain players seize power, they coerce the remaining contestants to participate in a punishment reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange.
Despite their attempts to defeat 8F, 6F, and 4F, players 1F, 2F, 7F, and 3F were unable to gain control in the final episodes of the K-drama. 8F, who had accumulated the most money and was the most cunning of the group, ultimately took charge and began to manipulate the situation.
In order to both entertain herself and inflict punishment on others, she places 1F, 2F, 7F, and 3F into a distinctive device that is easily recognizable to horror enthusiasts. The participants are restrained in a chair with a head harness that forcibly keeps their eyelids open, rendering them unable to blink. To make matters even more unpleasant, a bowl of liquid is attached to their neck.
Despite the risk of drowning, the players are unable to look away from the projected images filling the room, leaving them at the mercy of their captors.
This scenario may sound familiar. It is reminiscent of the scene from A Clockwork Orange where Alex DeLarge undergoes the Ludovico technique. This technique involves aversion therapy in which Alex is restrained to a chair and forced to keep his eyes open.
The treatment forces him to endure a combination of sex and violence scenes, accompanied by the music of his beloved composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. As a result, he begins to feel physically ill and the intention is to manipulate his mind into associating violence with sickness.
It’s undeniable that The 8 Show drew inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 movie. Like the film, the K-drama features a significant amount of violence, with certain characters even enjoying it.
Despite its extreme violence, A Clockwork Orange initially received mixed reviews and faced various forms of censorship. It was given an X rating in the U.S. and was condemned by the Catholic Church. Additionally, the film was banned in Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, and Brazil, and was ultimately withdrawn from Britain at the request of Kubrick.
Viewers can stream The 8 Show on Netflix.
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