K-Pop Demon Hunters ~ Review

By: [email protected] on
Now that summer has come to a close, just what exactly was the film of the summer? Jurassic Park? No. Mission: Impossible? Not here. Superman? Throw him up, up, and away! Fantastic Four? More like unremarkable four! No, by far the movie of the summer is Netflix and Sony’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, which I hadn’t gotten around to until this week, when my five-year-old son said we should watch it. So, stick this review in the “better late than never” pile, as the film is Netflix’s most-watched project in the company’s history. It has become so culturally ubiquitous that tennis star Novak Djokovic performed a dance from the movie at the U.S. Open. Additionally, four songs from the soundtrack have made the Billboard Hot 100 list.
 
You know how Sinners combined the energy and emotionality of the Delta blues with Vampire mythology? K-Pop Demon Hunters similarly mixes up a musical genre with the supernatural. However, in this case, it’s the effervescence and energy of K-Pop crossed with Korean mythology. The result is a wild action musical comedy that, like the best pop songs, has a strong emotional core.
 
K-pop girl group Huntr/x is one of the biggest bands in the world. The trio is comprised of the lead singer Rumi (Arden Cho, singing voice EJAE), the rebellious main dancer Mira (May Hong, singing voice Audrey Nuna), and the gentle lyricist/rapper Zoey (Ji-young Yoo, singing voice Rei Ami). However, there’s more to Huntr/x than meets the eye. You see, the trio is more than just a band…they are the sworn protectors of the Earth. Using their voices to create a magical barrier called the Honmoon, a shield that protects the world from a demon invasion.
 
The film opens with Huntr/x finishing up their world tour and on the verge of creating the Golden Honmoon, a permanent shield keeping demons out of the Earth forever. The demon ruler Gwi-Ma (Lee Byung-hun) has created the Saja Boys — a demon boy band led by Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop, singing voice Andrew Choi) who will bring down Huntr/x and the Honmoon. Meanwhile, Rumi is hiding a secret that has the potential to destroy Huntr/x from within.
 
Now, from the plot summary above, you might think that K-Pop Demon Hunters is pretty complicated, with dense lore from Korean mythology. However, the script by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, and Chris Appelhans keeps everything very simple. Exposition is kept to a bare minimum, leaving room for characterization, humor and action. The directors Appelhans and Kang have a strong visual storytelling sense, so the audience is never lost, even if you get caught up in the rules of this world. On top of this, there are tiny details that make the world of K-Pop Demon Hunters feel alive. There’s a moment where a demon tiger knocks over a flower pot, and then tries to set it upright, but can’t. It’s something that many films (animated or otherwise) would gloss over, but here it instantly humanizes a creature and endears us to it.
 
The animation takes its cues from the Spiderverse films, but feels distinct from those films, and takes many of its visual cues from Manhwa (Korean comics). With such massive success, a sequel is almost guaranteed, and I, for one, can’t wait to revisit these characters and this world. It really is that much fun.
 
K-Pop Demon Hunters is a blast from start to finish. Extremely catchy songs, fun characters, and awesome action scenes combine to create a zippy film. While the movie is light on its feet, it has a surprising emotional core, all about embracing differences and coming together through music. Really, you couldn’t ask for a better summer movie.
 
Three and a half out of Four Stars