Exploring Chinese and Western Audiences Reception Regarding International Communication of Entertainment: Take Squid Game and Hellbound (2022) as Cases

Abstract

Taking Squid Game and Hellbound as examples, this paper analyzes the extent to which Chinese and Western audiences have received and decoded international media works. Through the evaluations on IMDb and Douban, this paper aims to explore the dimensions of the evaluation of cross-cultural films by Chinese and Western audiences and study the dominant values and aesthetics of movie-watching in different cultures, so as to provide a critical reference for the study of how international film and television works to cater to audiences with different cultural backgrounds. On this basis, this paper also introduces the theory of film analysis and cultural studies to explore the possible cultural, social, and historical reasons behind the different audiences receptions to Squid Game and Hellbound. As mentioned above, the differences between Chinese and Western cultures at different levels are discussed, and some suggestions for future cross-cultural communication strategies are put forward.