Unless you have been living under a rock, you have certainly heard of the breakout Netflix hit K-Pop Demon Hunters. Despite being released back in June 20th, 2025 the soundtrack is still topping the Billboard Hot 100 with “Golden” at no. 1, “Your Idol” at no. 4, “Soda Pop” at no. 5 and “How it’s Done” at no. 10. It has even become the most viewed movie on Netflix with 266 million views passing the previous record holder “Red Notice.”
The movie follows the three members of Huntr/x who are Rumi, Zoey and Mira. They are K-pop idols by day and demon hunters by night. Together, they use the power of their fans to keep up the Honmoon, a barrier that blocks the demon realm from accessing the surface. This careful balance is put under threat by a new demon boy band the Saja Boys who are trying to destroy the Honmoon by stealing Huntr/x’s fans.
The relationship between the Huntr/x girls feels incredibly realistic. Throughout the whole movie, they all supported each other through their hardships. For example, Mira and Zoey’s concern about Rumi overworking herself was especially heartwarming. The trio also had plenty of silly moments. One of my favorites was when Zoey started fawning over a picture of Mystery Saja and Mira ripped it off the wall.
The animation is stunning as usual from any Sony Pictures Animation film. Movements are bouncy and smooth especially in the amazingly choreographed fight scenes. The facial animations are also incredibly expressive. There are many moments in the movie where characters’ expressions are greatly exaggerated such as Zoey getting razor sharp teeth before chowing down on some snacks. This cartooniness really helps show the personality of the girls and other characters.
One of the few issues I have with the movie is that Zoey and Mira got pretty sidelined in the story. We got to learn so much about Rumi’s backstory, motivations, and personal struggles. The most we learn about Zoey and Mira’s past are just from a few lines in “Golden.” They also didn’t get much screen time on their own while Rumi got tons of scenes to herself. This made the two of them feel more static rather than dynamic characters.
The biggest standout for me is certainly the music. From the punchy “Takedown” to the Emotional “Free” all of them are absolute earworms. My favorite is “How It’s Done” because of its fun rapping verses. I also had a great time trying to do the dances for a lot of the songs even though I’m a bad dancer.
Netflix capitalized on the fame of K-Pop Demon Hunters by giving it a limited theater run on Aug. 23 and 24. It made $19.2 million in those 2 days. The short time it was released made good use of FOMO. The theater release was also a sing along version. This made it feel more like an event rather than just a different place to see the movie.
K-Pop Demon Hunters is a wonderfully done movie and it has deserved all the fame and success it’s gotten. I’m really hoping for a sequel, so I can see more from the Huntr/x girls! Now excuse me while I go scream along to the soundtrack.
