K-Pop Demon Hunters is the newest release by Sony Animation. Photo: Sony Pictures.
I have to be honest, I was not expecting to write a review about a movie that centres around K-pop musicians who secretly fight off demons to protect their fans from a secret underworld.
Nor was I expecting it to be a positive one. But here we are, a reader and a writer sharing mutual confusion via a review on the internet.
With all that said, Holy s#@$ this movie is a banger!
K-Pop Demon Hunters follows Rumi, Mira and Zoey, musical sensations who perform under the name Huntrix to the masses by day and slay demons by night. In a long lineage of performers who use the power of music to uphold Honmoon, a barrier that keeps demons from entering the human world, Huntrix are the latest tasked with protecting the earth.
The three girls are inseparable, and when they aren’t on stage, they enjoy the simple pleasures of sitting on the couch and relaxing. However, after a lengthy tour, their relaxation is put on hold when a rival K-pop group, The Saja Boys, begin to steal their fans.
The Saja Boys are revealed to be puppets of the lead demon, Gwi-Ma, who wants to take over the world (or something, I can’t lie, I kinda tuned out because of how ridiculously cool this all was).
Despite the Huntrix trio being hellbent on exposing the Saja Boys as the demons they are, one of the girls, Rumi, has a dark secret. She is part demon herself.
Okay, I won’t spoil anymore; otherwise, that would defeat the purpose of telling you to watch this, which you should!
K-Pop Demon Hunters is a rare film in the sense that, despite its corny and over-the-top nature (this isn’t a blight on the film, it’s exactly what it should lean into), it still manages to tell an incredible story of accepting one’s identity, overcoming feelings of seclusion and overcoming adversity.
It’s not a typical Disney formula kinda of film either. It’s not afraid to put its Asian influences front and centre. Being so clearly proud of its cultural setting makes it impossible for viewers to throw shade at anything they are seeing.
I originally went in looking for nitpicky details to bring this movie down, but by the end of the first musical number, I stopped caring and just let the rollercoaster ride carry me through.
It is a cardinal sin that I haven’t mentioned the music yet because it slaps!
K-pop isn’t usually my thing; I don’t discriminate against those who love it, but it’s usually a skip for me. With that said, the lyrics and visuals of the musical numbers tied in with the themes of the film and the setting the characters are in make this film.
I laughed, I cringed, I audibly questioned what the hell I was watching, but at no point was I not entertained or not enjoying what I was watching, and that is a testament to the creators of the film being given the reins to go all out on their vision.
This is a credit to Sony Animation, too. With the home runs that were the Spider-Verse movies and now this, they have built a reputation of allowing their animated movies to take risks, and it’s something we need more of.
The film has sat in Netflix’s top 10 films for months, and being the crowd-pleaser it is, I can see why. The film will soon have a theatrical release, and I can guarantee I will be there on day one.
K-Pop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix and will be released in cinemas later this year.
