With the global phenomenon of K-pop dominating the social landscape for several years, it was almost overdue for a movie to capitalize on the genre’s success. Finally, “KPop Demon Hunters” arrived, blending girl power and one of the catchiest soundtracks you’ll ever hear in your life into one bright, colorful package primed to take the world by storm.
In an era where new intellectual property has become harder to find than a unicorn in the wild, “KPop Demon Hunters” was an immediate anomaly. Few movies in the year 2025 gain much traction without being a remake, sequel, or spin-off, so to hear of a movie being not just this massively successful (enough to get a theater release, one of the few Netflix movies to do so), but also original was exciting beyond imagination.
Telling the oft-repeated story of demons and heroes, we find our protagonists as the three singers of the K-pop girl group, Huntr/x. Behind the stage, though, singers are tasked with using their vocals to strengthen the Honmoon, which, when completed, will transform into the Golden Honmoon and seal away the demons and the demon world forever. To prevent this, demons are sent up to the human world, disguised as a boy band called the Saja Boys, in order to prevent the demon world from being lost forever.
While the premise is borderline insanity, the movie works on so many levels that it’s almost impossible to fault it for anything. The colorful visuals pop, engaging us in the fight and dance sequences. Sometimes almost cartoonish, the storybook-esque animation, combined with an aesthetic sometimes recalling anime, lock us into every frame. While watching, it’s hard not feel this movie was very much inspired by the comic book treated animation of “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.”
The real heart of this movie is, however, the soundtrack. The adrenaline rush of “Takedown” and the soaring chorus of “Golden,” have become inescapable in today’s media, and for good reason. The songs in this movie shine just as bright as the colors on screen. This film works so well due to the seamless use of K-pop songs in a movie titled, well, “KPop Demon Hunters.” There is a legitimate reason to watch this movie solely for the soundtrack, and each of these songs has a hook catchy enough to be buried in the brain for eternity. Even if this movie were total trash, I would rewatch it just for the songs. Yes, they are THAT good.
Soon after the movie’s release, the world caught on, and Huntr/x flew up the charts to become the world’s third most-streamed K-pop band, only behind the already established juggernauts BTS and Stray Kids. While these “virtual” bands, such as Damon Albarn’s side project Gorillaz, have had success before, this level of success for a technically fake band, and one formed only in a movie, is totally unprecedented.
Even though I rave about the soundtrack, which admittedly does the heavy lifting to get this film off the ground, the references to Korean culture and language help ground this film in its roots and make it feel authentic. For example, the Honmoon, the shield that separates the demon world from our own, literally translates to “Soul Gate,” and each member of Huntr/x wields a blade used in traditional Korean combat. Additionally, their representation of old Korean ladies is nothing short of immaculate. Go to any Korean church, and I guarantee you will see several like them.
The strong emotional core of the movie is also solid. Huntr/x protects the Honmoon, which represents perfection and flawlessness. Not all things are perfect, though, and the movie’s message speaks to embracing the imperfections and accepting yourself for who you are. I thought this to be a poignant message, especially in the landscape of K-pop, where uniformity is prioritized among members.
For everything, “KPop Demon Hunters” is a good movie buoyed by an incredible soundtrack. Surrounded in a landscape by remakes and sequels, “KPop Demon Hunters” is a fresh idea amid a sea of old ones, and a true celebration of the music that made it.