KPop Demon Hunters review (2025)

November 29, 2025 Jeffrey Lyles Ahn Hyo-seop, Arden Cho, Audrey Nuna, Daniel Dae Kim, EJAE, Ji-young Yoo, Ken Jeong, KPop Demon Hunters, Lee Byung Hun, May Hong, Rei Ami, Yunjin Kim

On the surface, KPop Demon Hunters might seem like a movie focused on a very specific audience.

While its “target audience” will thrill to every moment, KPop Demon Hunters legitimately has something for fans of any genre.

Superhero fans yearning for a fresh story that doesn’t feel like it was churned out in a lab will find plenty to enjoy here. Action aficionados can enjoy some of the best fight choreography of any 2025 film. Prefer musicals? Best of luck trying to get any of the songs from KPop Demon Hunters performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami out of your head for the next month? Prefer some star-crossed love drama or a hanging with the girls comedy? Check and check?

Of all the genres and themes touched upon in KPop Demon Hunters, the best is its overall positive message of acceptance of oneself. That feels like the kind of message audiences need a bit more of these days.

Rumi (Arden Cho, Teen Wolf), Mira (May Hong) and Zoe (Ji-young Yoo, Until Dawn) are Huntrix, the most popular act in KPop. What their beloved fans don’t know is that Huntrix are the latest iteration of protectors who use their three-part harmonies and magical weapons to defend the world against the hidden threat of demons.

They’ve been trained in the art of combating demons through their mentor, Celine (Yunjin Kim), while their manager, Bobby (Ken Jeong), keeps their concerts and social media promotion rolling.

The demons and ghouls plot to steal souls for their master, Gwi-ma (Lee Byung-hun, Squid Game).

Credit screenwriters Danya Jimenez & Hannah McMechan and directors/screenwriters Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans for keeping the origin story brief. This allows for an early twist that dramatically alters the seemingly straightforward plot.

Huntrix has been diligent in taking demons down to the point where they’re close to shutting down the portal that allows the demons to enter into the real world. Worried that his minions would lose their ability to feed him souls, Gwi-ma is desperate for a plan to turn the tide.

Enter his lieutenant Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) with a truly insidious plan — creating a rival boy band, Saja Boys, to steal Huntrix’s fans and then their souls. KPop Demon Hunters might resonate with older fans who remember the ahead of its time 2001 Josie & The Pussycats with its girl group dealing with an insurgent boy band. The script is smart with clever humor on pop culture and its fickle fanbase.

While Rumi is the main character, Zoe and Mira have plenty of fun scenes. Their comedic scenes allow Appelhans and Kang to work in some anime elements with exaggerated facial expressions like the duo having corn cobs replacing their eyes before they start crying popcorn. It’s silly but easily works in the context of the moment. Wisely, Kang and Appelhans don’t overdo those aspects in the film.

Things go sideways for Huntrix when Rumi starts realizing she might have more in common with Jinu than she realized making her question her desire to kill all demons. Likewise, his interaction with Rumi makes Ji-noo reconsider if there’s a better path for his future.

KPop Demon Hunters boasts amazing visuals with a stellar level of details revealing hair strands and ornate jewelry. The animation is crisp making for dazzling concerts and action sequences with bombastic burst effects as the demons get slayer. Few films this year have been so complete in telling its story with fully developed characters, fresh action sequences, a positive uplifting message and ridiculously catchy songs making for easily one of the best films of 2025.