K-Pop Demon Hunters Review

This feels less like a review and more a call. A call to action.

Just give the film a go. Even if you come away not amazed by the film, there’s a high chance you’ll come away with the songs in your head. And if I’m honest, it’s nice to be engaged with and enjoying something in the zeitgeist. Netflix’s biggest film ever don’t you know. And much more deserving of that title than Red Notice.

I was bopping along within a couple of minutes of the film starting. I looked along the sofa to find my wife and daughter doing the same. It’s just great pop music guys! Especially important when a major part of the story is about the power of music. In this case, K-Pop, which is something I’ve not listened to before.

There’s a feeling that Pixar has lot their sheen, and having seen Elio (which I haven’t bothered to review) I have to agree. They don’t feel special and they don’t feel unique. In their place, Sony and DreamWorks have stepped up. From Spider-Man to Puss in Boots and now this, there’s still great animation if you want it.

It would be easy to overlook the amount of care that’s been put into K-Pop Demon Hunters. Yes the songs are extremely catchy. But the animation is excellent and detailed in its movement and choices. When Demon Hunter Rumi and Demon Jinu sing together, they’re animations sync as the song progresses. Rumi moves on every odd frame, with Jinu on every even, showcasing their different backgrounds in a subtle way that then shifts as they converse. If you care to look there’s a lot here.

Sure it’s a bit obvious on the story front, and light on places when it could have dove deeper. But that’s OK! Because K-Pop Demon Hunters is lot of things. It’s a bop, with great female examples and a great mix of cultures. And it’s thoroughly entertaining.