Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Catchy as Hell and Quickly Becoming a Global Sensation

The number one movie streaming on Netflix in the US currently isn’t new release The Old Guard 2, but a high-concept animated feature that’s been steadily climbing the rankings since its June 20 debut. If that’s not indicator enough that the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters is quickly becoming a global smash hit, the movie’s soundtrack is steadily surging on the Billboard Global 200. The film is also in high demand from game developers eager for a collab. Merch? You bet.

And it’s easy to see why KPop Demon Hunters is fast becoming a global sensation; it’s catchy as hell.

The latest team-up between Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation (Academy Award-nominated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) introduces Huntrix, a mega-popular K-pop trio eager for global domination to achieve one central goal: ridding the world of demons. Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho, singing voice: EJAE), Mira (voiced by May Hong, singing voice: Audrey Nuna), and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo, singing voice: Rei Ami) are the latest generation of demon hunters tasked with slaying demons and creating the magic barrier, Honmoon, that will seal them off from the world permanently through their music.

Just when their end goal is in sight, demon king Gwi-Ma (Squid Game‘s Lee Byung-hun) unleashes a plan to destroy the barrier: introducing a demonic boy band led by Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) that will steal away Huntrix’s fans…and their souls.

The animated feature from co-writers/co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans seamlessly blends genres and tones, toggling between slick action, dazzling music numbers, and vibrant slapstick humor with ease. It’s an action comedy with genuinely affecting pathos. The high concept is deceptively simple; the core theme of identity and repressing your own to fit serves as the foundation to explore shame, burnout, and a sincere but amusing sendup to the K-pop machine.

It’s that nuance that makes KPop Demon Hunters a rare all-ages type of movie. Younger audiences will be instantly won over by the central trio’s sisterly bond and their infectiously expressive personalities while easily following along Rumi’s heroic arc and predictable romance plot thread. Older audiences will find plenty of amusement at the musical rivalry and the work/life balance Huntrix struggles to find. All will fall head over heels for the earworm soundtrack that’ll leave you bopping along with the artists’ fans.

Like Spider-Verse and its ability to blend cultures and styles through animation techniques, KPop Demon Hunters also mixes 3D animation with 2D anime-inspired expressions and visual gags that infuse style and personality in equal measure. Its animation, combined with a hyper-saturated color palette, ensures every set piece pops. The character designs are as engaging and expressive as the voice cast, complete with requisite animal sidekicks from hell, along with knockout choreography and visualizations. 

It all makes for an immersive audio-visual delight, even when at its most predictable. KPop Demon Hunters is cinematic in a way that stands apart, finding lighthearted and kinetic ways of exploring shame and self-doubt through a culturally specific lens. It makes for an animated, family-friendly feature with a lot more on its mind than its title suggests, without ever sacrificing the sense of wonder and fun that the action-heavy demon fighting or boy band swooning imparts. Sly commentary on the insane pressures of K-pop stardom is as compelling as the banging tunes that highlight why KPop Demon Hunters‘ success is deserved. It’s so vibrant and full of life that it’s nearly impossible not to get swept up in its infectious rhythm.

KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.

The post Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Catchy as Hell and Quickly Becoming a Global Sensation appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.