The animated Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters follows a K-pop group that secretly protects the world from demons. Their biggest threat is a group of demons in disguise, threatening to steal their fans. Since its premiere on June 20, 2025, it has garnered over 236 million views. This establishes it as the number one most-watched movie in Netflix history.
As someone who’s watched the movie over six times and memorized all the songs and dances, here’s my take on the wildly popular film:
As a story idea, the movie, which fuses K-pop with American music, is ingenious. The film’s popularity has sparked a K-pop interest in younger audiences that has the potential for many more culturally inclusive movies in the future. Songs from the fictional K-pop groups of Huntr/x and the Saja Boys have repeatedly risen above existing K-pop groups on the Billboard 100, demonstrating both how popular and effective this merging of cultures was.
The movie highlights many themes that aren’t touched on in much kid-friendly pop culture, such as body positivity and the struggle to be accepted as you are, which I personally relate to. I also appreciate that it features realistic, multi-faceted characters with whom viewers of all cultures can relate. One such character is Rumi, who has to struggle with the fact that parts of her identity are hated by her friends. This was particularly relatable to me as an African American because I have encountered people who did not accept my identity, making me feel like an outsider, similar to Rumi.
I believe that the majority of the SCH community would both enjoy and benefit from KPop Demon Hunters. Younger children and tweens will enjoy it at the surface level—the action, the music, and the animation—while teens and adults will be able to recognize and appreciate the themes and deeper meaning within the movie. Not only is KPop Demon Hunters action-packed and solid musically, but it also features themes that align with SCH’s mission, such as inclusion, acceptance, and integrity. It is both thematically and musically a beautiful film that all age ranges can enjoy.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, KPop Demon Hunters began streaming on June 20, 2025. A sing-along version was shown temporarily in theaters from August 23 to 24, 2025.
There is a potential for a sequel, which Netflix and Sony are currently discussing. It remains to be seen if the sequel will match the quality of its predecessor.
