Film Review: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS (2025): Popular and Fun Netflix Film is a Now a Theatrical Sing-Along Event
KPop Demon Hunters Review
KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, written by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan and Maggie Kang and starring Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Ahn Hyo-seop, Yunjin Kim, Ken Jeong, Lee Byung-hun, Daniel Dae Kim, Joel Kim Booster, Liza Koshy, Alan Lee, SungWon Cho and Cori Baik.
KPop Demon Hunters has just been released in theaters for a Sing-Along event weekend at the multiplexes and it’s a good way to catch a decent new Netflix animated film for the second time – or the first. It’s about three girls known collectively as a girl KPop group, Huntr/x. There’s the long twisty-haired Rumi (voice of Arden Cho), the reddish-haired Mira (May Hong) and the wide-eyed Zoey (Ji-young Yoo). They will be most memorable to viewers as characters in the order in which they are listed in the previous sentence.
Rumi is half-demon which drives part of the animated film’s story line. Demons led by Gwi-Ma are troublesome and the girls are always trying to do the best they can to stay out of trouble. They demon hunt in-between bouts of performing hit songs. They have been trained by the fearless Celine (Yunjin Kim). Enter the Saja Boys, a new demonic boy band who our girls take on after realizing their members’ true status. A member of this band, Ji-noo (Ahn Hyo-seop), is the main male character who goes back and forth between being decent and demonic. He made a pact with Gwi-Ma, so the bond formed between Ji-noo and Rumi becomes a tricky one.
In one scene, a woman mistakes Rumi for the girlfriend of our central male character which is funny. This movie had so much potential to be a great move thanks to the quality of the featured songs such as “Takedown.” However, the movie doesn’t always live up to its promise to be a true kids’ picture as it gets philosophical and deep in relation to the development of Rumi who is, arguably, the strongest and most heroic demon hunter in the picture. While the other two girls look memorable, they don’t have the unforgettable personality that Rumi showcases throughout the picture.
Described by some as a sort of animated Buffy the Vampire Slayer times 3, KPop Demon Hunters often falls short thanks to the lazy writing that saturates some of the mid-section scenes in the movie. Rumi gets the most development and the other two girls are reduced to mere plot devices who help shape the character manifestation of who Rumi truly is as a young woman. Luckily, the movie’s songs keep the action moving at a fairly steady pace and the action scenes prove to be enjoyable for appropriate viewers.
This new exercise in fun, KPop Demon Hunters, has taken on meaning with groups of young kids thanks to the way the movie zeroes in on the unpredictable bond between the demon hunters and the powers that threaten their sisterhood. A lot of the music is catchy, but not quite enough to warrant the theatrical release of the film for a second time. Being on Netflix, the movie has a solid fan base that justifies the movie’s attempt at being displayed in theaters for the second time, though, I suppose.
KPop Demon Hunters is, at the end of the day, a lovingly heroic story of a group of girls fighting together for justice in the demon world. It’s a girl vs. girl vs. boy movie, girl vs. demon picture, etc. and it’s a lot less profound than I thought it’d be. However, the film is immensely entertaining to behold despite its flaws. KPop Demon Hunters is ultimately saved by its memorable and hummable tunes.
As a sing-along event, it might help to watch the movie on Netflix first unless you crave to see this animated movie on the big screen. It’s no wonder that this memorable film most likely plans to become a franchise either on Netflix of the big screen or, even better, both. While the lead girls are certainly likable, there’s that doubt factor looming over the film as to whether or not these characters are all utilized to perfection.
This movie is like a near-quarterlife crisis of some (obviously fictional) demon hunter singers, and it has plenty of moments to enjoy even if it feels a bit threadbare in its plot execution and lacking in terms of any real surprises. Still, its’s an enjoyable movie to see at a Sing-Along if you’ve already attended one in the past and know what to expect from the story line and the song lyrics. This movie ends with a look at its best song being created in the studio by the musical artists and watching these energetic girls pour their hearts into the music makes us think that there’s going to be more to come for this potential series. It’s only a matter of time.
Rating: 6.5/10
Leave your thoughts on this KPop Demon Hunters review and the film below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more film reviews can visit our Movie Review Page, our Movie Review Twitter Page, and our Movie Review Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Mobile App, Google News, Apple News, Feedly, Twitter, Faceboo
Related Articles
