If you’re missing Squid Game check out this shocking 2005 thriller

If you binged Season 2 of Squid Game over the festive period, don’t panic, as the perfect movie to fill that gap in your life is out there, and it’s even sicker and more twisted than the Netflix show.

Squid Game Season 1 launched in September 2021, and quickly became the streamer’s most watched series ever.

After an agonising three year wait, Season 2 dropped on December 26, 2024, and immediately set viewership records.

The combination of thrills, horror, black comedy, and twisted games makes the show seriously bingeable, so if you’ve already powered through all seven episodes of Season 2, here’s a movie to fill the Squid Game-shaped hole in your life.

Why Squid Game fans should watch 13 Tzameti

13 Tzameti is a French/Georgian film from 2005 that’s shot in stark black-and-white rather than the bright colors of Squid Game, but mirrors the Netflix show in terms of both plot and theme.

It won awards at the Sundance and Venice film festivals, and while it grossed just $800k from a $1.6 million budget, the movie has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83%, and has developed a cult following over the intervening years.

For a sense of the similarities between 13 Tzameti and Squid Game, here’s the film’s official synopsis:

“Sebastien leads an impoverished life with his immigrant family, constantly struggling to find the money for their next meal. When hired to repair the roof of the morphine-addicted Godon, Sebastien eavesdrops in on a conversation which appears to offer a quick and easy solution to his money troubles.

“Taking on the identity of Godon, Sebastien follows a series of clues which lead him ever closer to his impending fate. The trail eventually leads Sebastien into the heart of the French countryside and face to face with a ring of clandestine gamblers who bet on human lives. From this point on there is no turning back.”

Revolver

One only has to tweak a few sentences and plot points, and you’ve pretty much got Seong Gi-hun’s story and plight in Squid Game. Sebastien is even assigned a number like Seong, which is why the film is titled 13 (Tzameti is Georgian for that number).

But where they really connect is at the start of the new season, because in 13, Sebastien is thrust into a deadly game of Russian Roulette, which is also what multiple characters are forced to play during Season 2 Episode 1 of Squid Game.

In 13 Tzameti, bullets are added to the guns after each round, just as the Recruiter does when playing with the lives of his victims in Squid Game. Though if you thought the Netflix show was grim, wait until you see the dark places Sebastien goes as he tries to survive the movie…

How to watch 13 Tzamati

13 Tzameti isn’t available to stream in either the US or UK right now, meaning the only way to view it is by purchasing the movie on DVD.

If you want to watch that story play out on a streamer right now, however, there’s an American remake available, which features a surprisingly star-studded cast.

Co-written and directed by Gela Babluani – who also helmed the original – the American ’13’ stars Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Michael Shannon, 50 Cent, Alexander Skarsgård, Ray Winstone, Sam Riley, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Gaby Hoffmann, and was released in 2010.

The reviews were poor, scoring the film an approval rating of just 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s currently streaming on Tubi, Starz, Fuba, Roku, Hoopla, Plex, Freevee, and Fandango, while this 13 is also available to rent on Apple and Prime Video.

For more Squid Game action, you can read everything we know about Season 3, our predictions for the third and final chapter, and which Squid Game characters might meet their grisly end.