This past weekend’s biggest big-screen hit didn’t go straight to the big screen. Animated actioner “KPop Demon Hunters” premiered in June on Netflix, reportedly racking up over 180 million views in its first eight weeks. A special one-weekend-only “Sing-Along” version of the film was released to select theaters this past Saturday and Sunday, taking in an estimated $18 million. A haul like that warrants a review, even though the theatrical “Sing-Along” version is not scheduled to play beyond its specified engagement (plans could always change, of course). This review is based on the Netflix version of the film, which is how it will be available for the foreseeable future. Sorry, but I just can’t take “it gives the sold-out theater a raucous party atmosphere” into account on this one.
The premise is that demons once had run of the Earth, sucking out people’s souls whenever they wanted. A team of fierce Korean warriors found a way to banish the demons to the underworld using their voices, creating a shield called a Honmoon through which most of them could never pass, and the few that could get in could be fought off by the warriors and the people they inspired with their singing. The tradition of singing warriors passed down through the generations with the current incarnation being a KPop girl group called Huntrix.
The members of Huntrix, leader Rumi (Arden Cho), hardened Mira (May Hong), and cutesy Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), split their time between being the biggest popstars in the world and fighting the occasional demons that make it through the Honmoon. With the rise in population and social media in recent years, their music may soon be heard by a wide enough audience to permanently fortify the Honmoon and keep demons away forever. Rumi looks forward to the day when demons are no longer a threat to humanity, because then she won’t have to worry about the world freaking out upon learning that she’s half-demon. Until then, it has to remain her shameful secret, even to her best friends.
Demon leader Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun), having gotten nowhere for centuries by sending up occasional vicious demons to battle the hunters, takes a suggestion from long-suffering musician demon Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) to send up seemingly-benevolent Kpop boy band Saja Boys. The group, led by Jinu himself, is tasked with stealing fans away from Huntrix so Gwi-Ma can greedily feast on their souls. A professional rivalry ensues, eventually evolving into a battle for the universe.
The film is very much setting itself up as the first chapter in a long series. Future installments will no doubt flesh out the backstories of the members of Huntrix, especially Rumi and her half-demon heritage. Normally I’d complain about the film getting too cocky in assuming that there will be future installments, but its success is already established and it was probably a safe bet that a property with this wide-appealing subject matter was going to be a hit anyway.
How was my introduction to “KPop Demon Hunters”? Okay, I guess. The human vs demon action isn’t particularly memorable, and while I know I’m going to get in trouble for saying this, I wasn’t crazy about the songs. It’s not unusual for a good KPop song to turn me into a zombie fanboy before it’s through the first chorus, but something, maybe the wordiness, kept these songs from having that effect on me. But I did like the personalities of the main characters and the way they played off each other and the Saja Boys. Plus there are some good visual gags courtesy of some of the animation team behind those inspired “Spider-verse” movies. I don’t like the property enough to stay with it if its success drops off, but as long as it stays successful, I’ll enjoy its success.
Grade: B-
“KPop Demon Hunters” is rated PG for action/violence, scary images, thematic elements, some suggestive material and brief language. Its running time is 95 minutes.
Robert R. Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. His weekly movie reviews have been published since 2006.
Last Update: Aug 25, 2025 8:39 am CDT
