A Warning from the “Pyramid Game”

A warning from “Pyramid Game” - Korean film about school violence — Bona was praised for playing the main role in the movie “Pyramid Game”. Photo: Producer

“Pyramid Game” takes the theme of school violence and revolves around Sung Su Ji (Bona) - a new high school student transferred to class 2-5 of Baekyeon Girls' School.

Here, every day at school becomes a nightmare for Su Ji as class rankings are based on a ranking system known as the pyramid game.

Every month, the total number of students will vote for their favorite classmate and rank them into 5 levels from A to F. And depending on the number of votes, the person who receives the F level will become the victim of bullying for the month.

After 10 episodes, the show ended on March 21 with Su Ji and her classmates in class 2-5 escaping the vicious cycle of the pyramid system and moving to a new school - Mi Ryo Girls' High School.

Meanwhile, Baek Ha Rin (Jang Da Ah) and the teachers who covered up this cruel game also paid the price for their wrongdoings.

In a new conversation with The Korea Times, director Park So Yeon emphasized that the plot serves as a warning not only to students but also to adults about school bullying.

“I wanted to raise awareness about the seriousness of school bullying through this work. I wanted to show how people's indifference and apathy can lead to terrible school violence.

It is the lack of awareness and apathy that has led to the creation of this game. I believe that the adults who leave children to play such games are the ones who actually create this game.

The story takes place with school children, but the weight of this work rests on the shoulders of adults, demanding that they come and see it. I hope that everyone can escape from indifference and apathy and look closely at their surroundings.”

It is worth noting that although the director tried to convey a meaningful message, the film's popularity raised concerns about the possibility of students imitating the game.

This is also the reason why some schools in Jeonju (Jeollabuk Province, South Korea) sent warning letters to parents to warn them about potential risks.

Talking about this, the female director frankly said: “I wanted to portray the psychological changes of students with the topic of school bullying and convey the message through their stories. Therefore, I was quite surprised to learn about this issue.

“I wanted to raise awareness about bullying by showing how students sabotage the game themselves, but hearing about such side effects makes me uncomfortable. My priority is not to promote violence, that is the most important principle.”

Meanwhile, the female lead Bona (playing Su Ji) said: “The message of “Pyramid Game” is that school violence cannot be justified by anything. However, it is regrettable to see students imitating it.

“I believe that the loss of judgment in immature children is a natural part of growing up. And the after-effects of the film highlight the need for adults to pay more attention to students,” Bona added.

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