You couldn’t escape it the last 10 years or so. The KPop explosion has been a supernova across the world on dance floors everywhere. No other dynamite Gangnam style can step that fantastic, baby…ddu du ddu du. Enter KPop Demon Hunters, a perfect bridge for KPop lovers and their confused parents to find a bridge on family movie night. This will help explain the sudden hair color changes you’re paying for mom and dad.
For generations, demon hunters have used martial arts and music to keep evil at bay. The latest iteration is KPop trio sensation Huntrix, featuring Burbank CA rapper Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), brooding baddie Mira (May Hong), and leader/head vocalist/descendant of a demon hunter Rumi (Arden Cho). Down but not out, demon king Gwi-Ma (Byung-hun Lee) enlists demon lost soul Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) to fight fire with fire. Meaning Huntrix now has a rival: the romantic, mysterious, ab-filled Saja Boys, stealing hearts…and possibly souls…of Huntrix’s fanbase.
KPop Demon Hunters success is owed to Maggie Kang, the director. Kang pulls it off using a magical mix of the old and the new. KPop is obviously the new, here. She does the smart thing with her story of having actors do the dialogue for characters, but actual musicians doing the singing. Kang collaborated with the group Twice mostly, plus an intimidating supporting cast of singers to help come up with the bangers on this soundtrack. Like great musicals, the songs are integral to the story, carrying plot and emotion at the same time. We get to see all the parts why KPop movement has captured so many people in its web: the inherent catchiness of a song like Soda Pop, the hip hop angry badass elements of Takedown, and the emotionally bare soaring vocals of Golden. The movie encapsulates all that KPop has to offer, and Demon Hunters can help a newcomer find their own path into the plethora of groups and sounds now at their fingertips.
While slaying some demons. Kang pairs her incredible KPop musical potency with an equally Korean folk tale. As silly as premise of pop stars that are also incredible martial artists combating demonic spirits is, the animators render the CGI action sequences and characters beautifully. It felt at its best like I was watching an extended album music video, connecting songs through a visual motif of demon battles. As you might expect, the biggest demons the hunters have to slay are their own. Kang’s story uses the metaphorical demon slaying as the driver of the tale, with Rumi, Jinu, and most of the other main characters caught in a turmoil that prevents them from actually fulfilling their goals until they are true to themselves. So while the songs are hooking you into the story, it’s the emotional ubiquity that’s keeping you there, reminding everyone that we all have faults, and there are loved ones out there that love you despite them, making you strong enough to overcome them.
I was mostly pro KPop before Demon Hunters, but the movie solidified my fandom. There’s lots to love there when its right. And, more importantly, to completely confuse adults with the bold hair/outfit choices that result. Parents, before you judge, I only ask that you try to slay your demons, and just participate in your kids’ TikTok dance movements…I promise KPop will help bring you closer together for it.