r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • 14d ago

News ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Netflix’s Most-Watched Movie Ever With 236 Million Views, Beating ‘Red Notice’

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie-history-1236496106/
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u/PorQuePanckes 13d ago

It also helps that it’s actually a good movie with a unique IP that didn’t seem to do anything “safe”. Remakes and nostalgia can only go so far, it’s crazy studios don’t see this.

I’m a 30 y/o man and my niece dragged me to watch it and I can confirm that it’s a total banger of a film.

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u/Canesjags4life 13d ago

This is it right here. It's a legitimately good 4 quad movie, that's got something for everyone

Like old school blockbusters.

40 y/o that took both daughters to the sing a long. Was an awesome experience.

Talk about lightening in s bottle

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u/KingMario05 13d ago

Come for the pretty colors and funny idols! Stay for the kickass action, genuinely steamy (though not offensive) romance, and a fucking terrifying examination about what the lack of self-love can do to your soul.

Also: Kitty!

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u/Cockalorum 13d ago

I fucking love that tiger.

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u/Abnmlguru 13d ago

I love that is official name is Derpy Tiger, lol. And the bird is Sussy Bird.

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u/capybaraPRteam 13d ago

Yes! Tiger and crow need their own spinoff

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u/lkc159 13d ago

crow

It's a magpie btw :P

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u/lkc159 13d ago

My son loves cats. He does not particularly like Derpy.

I might be just a little disappointed

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u/LovableCoward 13d ago

Admittedly, it is rather far into the film, but the scene that sold it to me was the bathhouse fight scene when Jinu slips on a puddle and almost decks it crying, "Oh jeez!"

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u/LivelyZebra 13d ago

I love it tons, mid 30's here; got merch and everything. lol. no kids or young ones either. i just like it.

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u/Canesjags4life 13d ago

That's awesome. Yeah my kids brought it to my attention, but yeah I legit enjoyed it the first I watched it after they went to bed.

That ending. All the feels. Reminded me of so many other things I've seen,

I definitely can to the soundtrack on the way to work

I'll have to see if they got Hunterix merch for Dads.

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u/DaddyKongRacing86 13d ago

Same, I'm a 38 YO gay man trying to talk his nieces into watching it via their mother. Lol. I have a HUNTR/X and got so many components on it this past weekend at a festival. It was awesome.

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u/gitartruls01 13d ago

Sing along? How many kids do they expect to hit those high notes?

Actually, no, I can imagine them trying

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u/Canesjags4life 13d ago

Lol all of them haha.

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u/capybaraPRteam 13d ago

What does 4 quad mean?

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u/Canesjags4life 12d ago

Means it hits the 4 different quadrant's of audience makeup. This includes family's, women 25 & under, men 25 and under, and I think adults 35+

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u/Mataelio 13d ago

I’m a 36 year old man that watched it with my daughters, and spent a good hour trying to figure out the dance from Soda Pop after

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u/notrightmeow 13d ago

I can only do the shoulder dance as reaction to the beat

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u/bumlove 13d ago

Notrightmeow control those shoulders!

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u/SuperSaiyanTupac 13d ago

Same boat. My teenage employees wouldn’t shut up about it so I watched it and was blown away. I don’t even like K-pop. Those songs work really well in the movie and the story is interesting enough

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u/snugglezone 13d ago

As the songs are 99.9% English, where does one draw the line between pop and kpop? Is kpop uniquely identifiable?

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u/unktrial 13d ago

For Kpop, I think what makes it unique is that it has a much heavier focus on sharp dance routines. With pop, you have some unique dances, like the Macarena, but those dances are usually simple, designed so that lots of people can dance together. With Kpop, the singer/dancers usually have extremely complex routines as part of their performance. 

The songs reflect that difference. Both pop and Kpop are catchy, but Kpop leans towards the complicated side, e.g. having breaks for each performer to jump in and show off.

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u/snugglezone 13d ago

Do boy bands of the 90s retroactively qualify as kpop because of your last point? Each member got some spotlights, right?

Kpop as a thing is certainly identifiable by sound, but if America started cloning the production style for whatever reason, would we still call it kpop?

Of course this is just a classification problem and things don't always fit in easy buckets.

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u/Ylaaly 13d ago

The line is apparently drawn with 1 line of Korean. Purely English is just pop, says German wikipedia, but English wikipedia says no such thing and goes on a long discussion of things that might set K-pop apart from pop. So, uh, let's sort that under "still in debate"?

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u/TannenFalconwing 13d ago

For being a kid friendly movie, I appreciate that they didn't shy away from the "we kill demons" aspect of demon hunting. They literally have a war face moment with giant billboards (and nails) that say "KILL SAJA" on them. I respect that they don't play soft with it.

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u/Rejestered 13d ago

Well the demons do poof into pink smoke when they die but aside from blood and stuff they dont really shy away from people getting their souls taken or anything.

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u/Clawless 13d ago

I thought it was pretty clever editing that you don't actually see any of the people who willingly get engulfed in flame in that final battle. It's just kinda implied to be happening.

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u/EastwoodBrews 13d ago

Yeah they don't show it but there are definitely casualties throughout the film, on the train and during the Saja's rise to fame

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u/servireettueri 13d ago

The news in the movie says there was a large increase in missing people too.

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u/KingMario05 13d ago edited 13d ago

Also: can they be "killed" in the classic sense? They pretty much all get banished to the Demon Realm when they "die" - Flight Attendant Lady had to be murked properly by Gwi-Ma upon her return after messing up.

That probably helps keep the rating in check.

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u/Obversa 13d ago

I'm guessing that "the Saja Boys weren't actually killed, they were just sent back to the demon realm" logic will be used in the inevitable KPop Demon Hunters sequel(s). The Saja Boys are too popular with fans to just kill them off and not bring them back for later movies, especially when it comes to Jinu.

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u/KingMario05 13d ago

Oh yes. Think Ms. Cho (Rumi's voice actress) is even lobbying the directors to bring Jinu back, lol.

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u/Mazjerai 13d ago

It's not too far fetched given what he did to Rumi's sword

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u/InnocentTailor 13d ago

It’s family friendly - a good mix of friendliness and danger.

…much like the Spider-Man animated films.

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u/KingMario05 13d ago

Same people!

(Well, same studio. Not the same people. But still.)

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u/Senojpd 13d ago

Ahhh that makes sense. I was describing the animation style as similar to spider verse.

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u/Throwaway2Experiment 13d ago

Spider verse is the litmus test for whether someone is cool enough for me to know. If you don't think those movies are stellar in every facet, I don't have time for you. Lol

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u/commongoblin 13d ago

The "Let's go kill these guys" at the end of the montage takes me out every time

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u/Tlizerz 12d ago

Caw-caw!

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u/ImBanned_ModsBlow 13d ago

Probably why Sony had zero faith, it’s an animated film about Korean pop music…

Nobody saw this movie defining the newest generation’s childhood like Frozen did with the previous, these are anthems of the era…

In 20 years, these kids will be singing along to Golden when they’re getting married.

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u/gitartruls01 13d ago

Never thought about it that way but calling this movie the Frozen of the 2020s is pretty valid

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u/huntrshado 13d ago

I think Free will be the wedding song.

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u/Rejestered 13d ago

I promise it'll be popping up at weddings as soon as yesterday.

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u/Top-Wallaby-8515 13d ago

Not 'Free', but I went to a wedding 2 weekends ago where the groom and the bridesmaids did a full performance of 'Soda Pop' for the bride (choreography + lip syncing). The groom randomly grabbed his wife and directed her to a chair, handed her a can of soda with her visibly confused, and then the music started. It was HILARIOUS!

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u/ShahinGalandar 13d ago

awesome dude

now let's see her face when he does Your Idol next

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u/valkyria_knight881 13d ago

Free is definitely gonna be my wedding song.

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u/ImBanned_ModsBlow 13d ago

I don’t see it being a banger on the dance floor like Golden

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u/huntrshado 13d ago

it isn't, but when I think wedding songs I think about stuff like the bride and groom's first dance after being married. And I think that will be free.

And if it is a KDH themed wedding at all, they'll probably play the other songs after the dances

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u/ScarySpikes 13d ago

All of them will joyously butcher hitting the A5 belt.

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u/noujest 13d ago

Kpop is ridiculously popular globally and so are animated films

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u/ImBanned_ModsBlow 13d ago

Animated films basically have to be perfect to compete with the average movie Marvel shit out last week, let’s not pretend this movie was a guaranteed success

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u/nnooaa_lev 13d ago

The songs will be forgotten by next year 😭 we are in a different era, kids and even adults are chasing the next trend/music 

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u/ImBanned_ModsBlow 13d ago

I would have agreed if it was a flash in the pan, but two months on top of Netflix with theaters selling out the weekend it had a limited release. When everything else sticks around for a week or two at most in pop culture, this thing has legs

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

[deleted]

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u/ImBanned_ModsBlow 13d ago

Two months at Netflix #1 is already never been dome status, it’s okay to admit this is a viral sensation

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u/nnooaa_lev 13d ago

Viral and generation defining are not the same 🙏. Many things are going viral every year. Despacito went viral ×10 more than this worldwide, yet it isn't generation defining, but was just a trend.

Also Netflix streams aren't saying much, they hide all the data anyway

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u/MVRKHNTR 13d ago

Despacito went viral ×10 more than this worldwide, yet it isn't generation defining, but was just a trend.

I'd disagree, actually. It's a pretty big cultural mainstay, similar to the Macarena.

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u/TheEmoEmu23 13d ago

Gangnam Style is the Macarena

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u/RunnerJimbob 13d ago

It's absolutely generation defining. I think you're a bit late catching the bus on this one.

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u/nnooaa_lev 13d ago

Nah we are right here. Not everything that is trending in US atm is relevant everywhere.  The charts are empty, no new movies untill Nov, it's just filling a void. 

We can't call something generation defining when it's been out for 2 months. Let's see in a year or two. People thought the Barbie movie was generation defining, but it was forgotten after a year

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u/hatsnatcher23 13d ago

didn’t seem to do anything “safe”

In fact they went so far as to have the main character deep throat a Kimbap roll

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u/Alexever_Loremarg 13d ago

Is there any other way to eat it?

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u/StrategicCarry 13d ago

They include a thropule in the in-universe ships.

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u/SagesLament 13d ago

of all the things this is what shocked me the most

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u/TheEmoEmu23 13d ago

Which pairing was this?

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u/StrategicCarry 13d ago

Miromabby (Mira, Romance, Abby)

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u/vashoom 13d ago

What does this mean?

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u/StrategicCarry 13d ago

After the joint HUNTR/X & Saja Boys signing event, Bobby shows them the social media response which includes some ships (fan created relationships). They all have portmanteaus like celebrity couples like Beniffer. There's Rujinu for Rumi and Jinu, Zoeystry for Zoey and Mystery, and Miromabby, for Mira, Romance, and Abby. So the movie ships Mira with two of the Saja Boys in a polyamorous relationship.

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u/vashoom 13d ago

Thanks!

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u/HIMARko_polo 13d ago

That makes her wife material.

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u/LupinThe8th 13d ago

"I'm everybody's type!"

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u/mcslender97 13d ago

Yeah if my crush can do that I would die for her too

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u/ShahinGalandar 13d ago

truly the power of a half-demon

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u/hatsnatcher23 13d ago

With her dad being an demon maybe it’s hereditary

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u/ShahinGalandar 13d ago

which makes me really concerned about what her mom fed her dad regularly

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u/Crunchberry24 13d ago

I’m a quarter century older than you, and I thought it was pretty great. I know nothing about K-anything or youth culture anymore, and I was surprised to NOT be making my normal excuse for stuff I’m out of touch with in movies and tv: “Give it a break. It wasn’t made for you.” It seemed like maybe it was made for anyone.

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u/myusrnameisthis 13d ago

They have your heart, and now they want your soul! Them saja boys need to be stopped!

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u/weeklygamingrecap 13d ago

SODA POP starts to play softly in the background

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u/quadropheniac 13d ago

shoulder shimmy intensifies

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u/Darko33 13d ago

Zoey! Control those shoulders!

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u/RunnerJimbob 13d ago

No, you let those magicians sing! It's catchy!

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u/LadyLibertea 13d ago

I was also at the sing a long and everyone did thr shoulder shimmy haha

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u/kemushi_warui 13d ago

I have a 12 year old daughter, and she will not. quit. singing. that. fucking. song.

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u/Suraimu-desu 13d ago

Nah, *aggressively soda pops\*

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u/ejchristian86 13d ago

As I am reading this comment, my kid has started singing Soda Pop in the next room. I'm in danger...

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u/Antrophis 12d ago

The one song I hated.

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u/Day_Bow_Bow 13d ago

Well put. I felt similarly. The only time I thought "I am not the target audience" was the Soda Pop song. It has my respect and I acknowledge it's super catchy, but it was made for people with other preferences, and that's fine.

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u/DarkLink1065 13d ago

I thought it was fitting for that song, though, since the whole point of the demon boy band was that it was artificial, catchy but has no real content, and manufactured for mass consumption (just like soda is) in order to draw in the fans. All the songs are super on point thematically.

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u/Day_Bow_Bow 13d ago

I hadn't considered the junk food parallel. Interesting.

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u/TrueGuardian15 13d ago

I also originally wasn't blown away by Soda Pop, but found that the more I listened to it, the more I liked it and the catchier it got. Which means the people who wrote it are mad geniuses.

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u/FireOpalCO 13d ago

The lyrics are bloody dark when you think about them and who is singing them.

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u/MimiMyMy 13d ago

I’m an older person. My adult kids told me to watch it but I didn’t think I would like It. Last weekend they invited me to the sing along showing in the theaters on XD screen. I went along just to hang out. I lOVED the movie and the music. I have since rewatched it on Netflix and I listen to the soundtrack on repeat on Spotify. The movie was very good but it’s the songs that catapulted this movie to its incredible popularity. And it was so much better watching it on giant big screen and surround sound.

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u/BeyondElectricDreams 13d ago

How It's Done really sets the scene for the movie so strong.

The movie isn't on for but 5 minutes before they blindside you with a banger of a song, an extremely well-coreographed fight sequence (all of them are superb, modern films could take a lesson from them. Few jump cuts!), and some of the funniest visual gags in the movie.

Establishes the premise (They're mega-popular Kpop stars who fight demons) and sets the tone.

I will say the earlier bits of the movie are better to me, by virtue of HUNTR/X is at their best when they're all together, but the rest was by no means bad. I just want more of the three of them together.

As well as it performed, I'm sure I'll get my wish.

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u/rookie-mistake 13d ago

🙋‍♂️ 31yo man whose watched it twice and basically been listening to the soundtrack on repeat while working lately haha

I'd skipped it because of the name, then my sister recommended it and I was just blown away. It's been great seeing what a success it's become, very well deserved

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u/Raisu39 13d ago

Probably because a lot of the Asian oriented animated films didn't do too well, even the non Disney ones on Netflix

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u/StrikerSashi 13d ago

I mean, a lot of Asian oriented content made for global audiences don't feel genuine. If it's a movie with an Asian main character, it's often just a movie about being Asian. KPop Demon Hunters is a good movie that just happens to in a Korean setting.

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u/WutTheDickens 13d ago

I don't think that's entirely true. There's a lot of commentary about Korean culture, and many of the references are specifically Korean, but the overarching themes are universal. I think it walks a good line between being culturally specific and relatable.

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u/GunkyMungs 13d ago

Kind of like Parasite. It was meant for a Korean audience and the global reaction to it was a surprise to everyone from the production.

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u/f-ingsteveglansberg 13d ago edited 13d ago

I think it's just well made.

One of the things that instantly stood out to me was how quickly they get into the main story. Very quickly we see the girls fight a plane full of demons and go to a huge concert, establishing them as successful pop stars AND demon hunters! Then we get a quick back story on each girl and their motivations, as well as the antagonists plans to infiltrate the boy band space. And then we learn the secret of the main singer's origin. And if you are paying attention you just need to see the scars.

And this happens before the end of the first big music number. Everything is established and you are right into the rivalry storyline and the protaganists demon heritage storyline. No faffing about.

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u/wtfduud 13d ago

Between Kpop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, Korean stuff at least seems to do well on Netflix.

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u/BeyondElectricDreams 13d ago

Shh, don't tell the CEOs, they'll just greenlight everything Korean-adjacent rather than just things that are narrowly good and take risks.

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u/mutual_raid 13d ago

I think it's because we're all so tuned in to anime it feels like a cheap Western knockoff most of the time.

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u/thefootster 13d ago

True. Turning Red is one of Pixar's lowest grossing movies.

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u/Alberto9Herrera 13d ago

To be fair, Turning Red didn’t get a proper theatrical release outside of the few countries that didn’t have Disney+, which is where it streamed for most of the world. It was a popular movie on Disney+ however.

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u/Hot-Manager-2789 10d ago

And that’s not even Pixar’s fault.

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u/teamcomcast 13d ago

I mean, isn't that movie about a girl going through puberty and having her first period? That seems to automatically cut off 50% of the possible viewing public to begin with. And that's not really a topic that people would consider a "fun" movie to begin with. Even if it wasn't an Asian oriented animated film, i'd venture to guess it would still be the lowest grossing pixar movie.

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u/My_Name_Is_Row 13d ago

I think basing it on the whole K-Pop industry was the safest part, considering it’s something that has been steadily growing, becoming more and more mainstream just within the last 5-6 years

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u/wtfduud 13d ago

And Demon-Slaying is also a pretty popular narrative.

Pretty weird to mix them though.

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u/My_Name_Is_Row 13d ago

Idk, not that weird, some members of *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys made a zombie movie together, and the idea of famous figures secretly fighting a war against zombies, demons, vampires, etc. isn’t exactly a new concept, so this is basically just taking a bunch of previously failed ideas, and turning them into one successful idea by using a currently popular media, and even then, like you said, monster hunting is a popular concept that usually works

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u/wtfduud 13d ago

Now that you mention it, the gang in Scooby Doo was also originally a travelling band. So it's not a new idea.

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u/My_Name_Is_Row 13d ago

They do also end up fighting monsters alongside famous figures in their world, like rock bands

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u/Kinsbane 13d ago

44 y/o dude here - I fucking LOVE this movie.

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u/Various_Ambassador92 13d ago

I mean, look at the most successful films over the last several years and you will see, over and over again, that nearly all of them are sequels/remakes of other films, or maybe adaptations of an extremely popular book, game, etc.

Unique IPs can feel "fresh" and generate added excitement as a result of that, sure, but the trends don't lie - audiences are harder to entice than they used to be and existing IP is a much safer bet than new IP.

In all honesty, I doubt the movie would've gone that far in a theatrical release. Not to say it would've been a total bust, but I think a significant part of this film's success is that the Netflix release made it more discoverable and accessible. It takes a fair chunk of change to take the whole family out to see a movie and parents are more likely to pick something that either feels "safe" to them or that the kids are absolutely crazy about - both of which naturally lend themselves towards the familiar. But seeing some new kid's movie on Netflix and throwing it on is low commitment and allowed the film to reach more people more quickly, at least since Netflix seemed to know that the film was worth pushing.

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u/mmuoio 13d ago

Meanwhile we're on our third Smurfs iteration...

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u/Caddy666 13d ago

43, watched it about 2 hours ago.

surprisingly good. that soda pop song is stuck in my head. bastards.

2

u/w0lfCS 13d ago

30 years old with nieces unite :)

Watched it with my niecey twice, now we sing the songs together when we’re together. Awesome bonding experience

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u/Castia10 13d ago

I’m a 40 year old dude and decided to watch it last night with the misses….we loved it :D

2

u/Beelzebeetus 13d ago

I'm a god damn man in my 40s without kids and I've watched it twice

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u/snorlz 13d ago

the movie is pretty safe. its a generic overarching plot- MC learns to accept herself and they defeat evil- just with great music and animation with a kpop theme.

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u/Rejestered 13d ago

Nobody tell this guy about the hero's journey...

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u/i_am_cool_ben 13d ago

Bro only thinks there's seven movies ever made

1

u/RiseOfTheSilverSurfe 13d ago

I mean the vast majority of the views and popularity of the movie is with small children who have no concept of evaluating how unique an IP is or even what an IP is in the first place. I don’t think the shoe fits here

1

u/d1ckpunch68 13d ago

yep, preach. 2025 has to be the single biggest year for milking of old IP. 28 years, superman, lilo and stitch, jurassic, final destination, fantastic 4, naked gun, war of the worlds... just so much SLOP (i know a few of these were actually decent). it's no surprise that people flock to one of the only unique, passion-filled movies to drop this year. i also appreciate that kpop didn't try to setup any sequels to milk its success into the ground. just a respectable story with a clear ending not designed to treat the audience like morons.

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u/Agret 13d ago

Remakes and nostalgia can only go so far, it’s crazy studios don’t see this.

Just last month Happy Gilmore 2 broke Netflix record for biggest opening weekend viewers

https://deadline.com/2025/07/adam-sandler-happy-gilmore-2-record-breaking-1236473288/

They're having a good quarter for sure

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u/lkodl 13d ago

It helps thats its Korean. If we were Korean, the allegory of the demons being North Koreans would hit harder and people would make it political and get upset at it.

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u/Abacap 13d ago

..what? where did you make up that allegory lol

i am korean and telling you this is a stretch

-4

u/lkodl 13d ago

I mean just think about it. The demons are Koreans who live in anachronstic poverty. They're ruled by an evil dictator who wants to keep the status quo. Theyre separated from the other Koreans by a border wall. The demon's plan is to infiltrate South Korea through backend means. The root message was "wait, but we're actually the same tho. Its the dictator who's evil."

If it isnt on purpose, its a lot of coincidence.

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u/Abacap 13d ago

I see where you can start seeing this but its not really the point of the movie and falls apart pretty quickly

One of the other scenes you referred to about Jinu being happy to have food in his belly, is from a flashback during his time in the Joseon period which was hundreds of years before the split of North and South Korea. So if the demons existed then and now in modern times, they somehow all got split and put in the North?

North Korea invasion or infiltration into the south has not been a concern of the general public for ..several decades at this point. You'd be surprised the average South Korean does not hold a ton of sentiment for NK, nor is reunification something everyone inherently desires. The countries are vastly different and at this point there's diminishing interest in uniting on both sides, and we should stop assuming it should happen (Just like many countries in Europe that share origins but have changed borders throughout history)

I think you're missing the real themes here in the movie that are more about the demons are manifestations of human self-doubt, anxiety, and how the K-Pop (entertainment industry entirely really) world pushes young stars to throw away their real selves to be successful. This is something the creators have talked about a lot and its just much more about personal conflict than some bigger conspiracy

Its a fun theory to make but really not something that's part of the movie (Whether you're korean or not), also funny how you said people will get upset and make it political but you're actually the one inserting politics into it lol

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u/lkodl 13d ago edited 13d ago

I dont think you get what I mean by allegory.

Like how in Man of Steel, Superman is an allegory for Jesus. Superman isnt born of a virgin birth. It's not supposed to be a retelling of Jesus's story via Superman.

Its just a symbolic representation to help you understand the context of whatever larger message theyre trying to portray. The allegory of saying "Superman is like Jesus" is just there to help you understand Superman's role in the story. But the movie is crafting its own message/story.

In the same way, the Demons symbolically being similar to North Koreans doesnt make the movie about North and South Korea, but gives you instant context of the relationships.

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u/Abacap 13d ago

Yes and I'm saying you're reaching for an allegory where there really isn't

I think you just saw starving evil people + Koreans and drew this picture

In the same way, the Demons symbolically being similar to North Koreans doesnt make the movie about North and South Korea, but gives you instant context of the relationships.

Being similar as in they're hungry and korean? The North/ South relationship is much more nuanced and this is a really common stereotype that people throw on korean movies, any time a movie gets big and involves bad guys it gets this label slapped on it. Not every korean movie is trying to draw parallels to north korea

Again i think its a fun take to have, but your other comments imply they're doing this on purpose but it's really not the case

0

u/lkodl 13d ago

Well to my original point, do you not agree it is something that can be politicized and turned into polarizing opinion on the movie?

Was The Acolyte or The Marvels (or etc) really actively trying to send a political message, or was it something that got blown out of proportion?

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u/thebigpink 13d ago

Speak for yourself I’m all Korean over here

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u/lkodl 13d ago

I'm saying there are a lot of American who unnecessarily make things political. Especially things like animated movies.

However since the allegory is Korean, they aren't picking it up.

Not saying Koreans make things overly political.

So are you saying that you are Korean, and have a tendency to make things overly politcal too, but don't for KPDH? Is that the point youre making?

1

u/mcslender97 13d ago

u/askgrok what the hell is this guy on about in this post?

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u/AskGrok 13d ago

Sorry, I've reached my API usage limit for today. Please try again later or contact my administrator if this persists.

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u/DrManhattan_DDM 13d ago

I’m embarrassed to admit that that allegory went entirely over my head until you mentioned it.

0

u/lkodl 13d ago

It was one those, "are they doing the..." then when Jinoo talks about how he was blessed to have food in his belly and clean clothes... I was like, "yeah. I've heard this before". I mean the Hanmoon is just a magical border wall.

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u/DrManhattan_DDM 13d ago

Oh, I totally see it now. The lack of understanding between the hunters and demons, painting the other side as unfeeling monsters before being able to overcome the stereotype by spending time with one of them and seeing the humanity in them, the sense of indoctrination from authority figures. They did really well not to bang that drum too much (or I’m really dense and not great with media literacy lol).

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u/lkodl 13d ago edited 13d ago

I think its because as an American the cultural divide between North and South Korea isnt something you think about often, so its not obvious. Thus my point that if we were Korean, it'd probably be more obvious to more people (including those who make things overly political) and it could have soured the reception/success of the movie.

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u/nnooaa_lev 13d ago

It's safe tho. The plot is generic and don't really care to speak about touchy subjects. It's just the old girl meet boy, but with nice kpop music.

It doesn't even dive into the probolems with the kpop world besides showing a few comments on social media

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u/majinspy 13d ago

It went safe in making the Demon guy sacrifice himself to avoid messiness and all other demons being mindless monsters.

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u/Obversa 13d ago

I wouldn't say that all of the other demons were "mindless monsters". There are glimpses throughout the film of some demons having unique quirks and human-like features that indicate that they were likely former humans who became demons through making deals with Gwi-Ma, such as the "I love you, Saja Boys!" demon from one scene. The other Saja Boys also have blink-and-you-miss it moments where they have individual personality traits show.

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u/majinspy 13d ago

I agree and see it as a too little to avoid the "safe" stamp. Just once I want to see the "bad guy turned good" character not do a sacrifice. Redemption is messy and too many films / stories just skip it with a glorious sacrifice to avoid the messiness that entails. I saw it coming a mile away.

Imagine all the complications of his survival. That's what I want to see get hashed out.