The 8 Show’s best punishment was inspired by iconic banned movie

The 8 Show is a new Netflix drama with a unique take on reality show challenges, with one game that’s inspired by an iconic cult movie that was banned.

Unlike Squid Game where the contestants take part in predetermined games, The 8 Show has players find a twisted way to pass the time and accumulate their prize money. But, as some contestants take control, they force the others to take part in a punishment very similar to A Clockwork Orange.

By the final episodes of the K-drama, players 1F, 2F, 7F, and 3F have failed to take control as their plan to defeat 8F, 6F, and 4F didn’t work. With 8F a bit more devious and having the most money accumulated, she begins to run the show.

To punish others and keep herself entertained, she puts 1F, 2F, 7F, and 3F in a unique contraption that horror fans should immediately recognize. The players are strapped to a chair with a head harness that pries their eyelids open. They are unable to blink, and to make it worse, have a bowl of liquid strapped around their neck.

If they fall asleep, they could very well drown. At the same time, the room is filled with projected images. Unable to blink or look away, the players beg for mercy.

Sound familiar? The scene mimics the scene in A Clockwork Orange where Alex DeLarge goes through the Ludovico technique. It’s a form of aversion therapy where Alex is strapped to a chair with his eyes pried open.

He’s forced to watch scenes of sex and violence alongside the music of his favorite composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. The treatment begins to make him sick to his stomach and is meant to rework his mind to become ill at the thought of violence.

There’s no denying The 8 Show took inspiration from the 1971 movie by Stanley Kubrick. After all, the K-drama has its fair share of violence, with some of the characters relishing it.

A Clockwork Orange initially received mixed reviews due to its extreme violence. The was given an X rating in the U.S., while the Catholic Church condemned the movie. A Clockwork Orange was also banned in Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, and Brazil, while the film was withdrawn from Britain at the behest of Kubrick.

The 8 Show is available to stream on Netflix. For more, be sure to check out the most anticipated K-dramas this year.