Directed by: Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans
Written by: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
Starring: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim
Rating: [4/5]
Finding what will catch fire and galvanize fan support funds the very existence of marketing arms of film studios as they try to find ways to get eyeballs on the art made. For all the knowledge and market research within these departments, it surprises me it took this long to craft such a slam dunk with what we receive with KPop Demon Hunters where it has all the right ingredients to capture the current zeitgeist and when given the opportunity it displays what makes it so special.
The incredibly popular K-pop girl group, Huntrix, comprised of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), are flying high in their reach and performances. They also protect the world from demons whenever they are not performing or creating new songs as part of an ancient order. To combat them, a group of these demons from the underworld decide to create a rival K-pop group called the Saja Boys, who threaten to lure audiences with their music for evil purposes.
No one could possibly ignore the supernova-like rise in popularity of KPop Demon Hunters in the way it tells a story of three young women who are like sisters, the incredible music they create, and their battle to fend off all the demons who come up to the surface looking to wreak some havoc. They must continue to capture the attention of their fans while also trying to ensure they all remain safe from nefarious forces trying to harm the humans they seek to protect. In addition to their overall quest in protecting the human race, we have Rumi needing to reckon with something she has continually hid from her friends and the identity issues that come with it. This all combines into a narrative that while predictable works very well.
Based on the animation studio that produced this film, it’s no surprise to see the stylish way in which this all gets presented. Sony Pictures Animation has knocked it out of the park in recent years not only in franchise fare like the Spider-verse films but also with something like The Mitchells vs. the Machines where their hyper-stylized animation brings such a vibrancy to their stories. This style marries perfectly with Rumi, Mira, and Zoey as they display their emotions right on their sleeves and we see the literal manifestations of them. This studio has continually found ways to innovatively animate films to make them standout where others refuse to move away from what has worked in the past.
The timing of this film comes at a great time as the love of K-Pop music not just in the United States, but also the world remains very popular. Maybe not at its peak, but certainly something where a film like this one could latch onto it and capture the attention of an excitable audience. We get just that with this feature, with the combination of catchy music and choreography that has assisted in having this style of music become such a worldwide sensation.
One cannot talk about this film without acknowledging the success of the music, with “Golden” completely stealing the show as far as the one song everyone comes away with loving after watching the film. Not only does it stand out amongst all the others, it also has the most thematic connection to the story in the way it speaks on the unity of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. Its introduction of it in the narrative comes at a point of celebration for them and it shows off the vocals of these three further displaying what makes them so popular. This means no disrespect to other songs in the film, which are also catchy in their own way such as “Soda Pop,” which has its own fun and redeeming qualities.
In further displaying its massive success, KPop Demon Hunters deserves credit for quickly becoming the most watched film in Netflix’s history by a significant margin even with the acknowledgement of the lack of clarity in how the streamer calculates these figures. Considering this feature is also the only animated film amongst the top 10 also speaks to how much this film through its story, characters, and music continues to resonate with audiences across various quadrants.
Employing a strong story centering sisterhood, identity, and purpose, this feature serves as one of the biggest and best surprises of the year. It demonstrates that Sony Pictures Animation continues to create the very best in animation since 2018 and refuses to let go of the belt. KPop Demon Hunters serves as yet another example as Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans do a splendid job in the direction and the trio of Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo help bring these lovely characters to life. All of this culminates not only in a film that entertains but also songs that will remain in your head for many days to come.
Films with Josh 
