Netflix has a bonkers new anime movie that has proven to be a smash hit, as critics and audiences across the globe race to stream the viral animation.
Since dropping on June 20, KPop Demon Hunters has shot to the top of the streamer’s charts, becoming the number one most-watched movie worldwide. The new Netflix movie has also topped the charts in a variety of countries and is sitting comfortably in the top 10 everywhere that one of the best streaming services is available.
It’s hardly surprising considering critics are rating it among the best Netflix movies currently streaming, with the film earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics.
From directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced by Spider-Verse stable Sony Pictures Animation, the film tells the story of fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x and their battle with rival boy band the Saja Boys, who are secretly demons, naturally.
The band, consisting of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) may spend much of their time selling out stadiums, but unbeknownst to their legions of fans, the trio are also part of an ancient order of badass demon hunters who use their singing voices – and great big swords – to maintain a barrier between our world and that of the demons known as the Honmoon. However, when one band member begins to lose their voice as a result of a dark secret, the Honmoon begins to weaken as an ancient evil plots to conquer our world.
Since its release, the film has become a viral sensation, not only due to the eye-popping animation and bonkers demon slaying action, but also the music, which as you can imagine, consists of K-pop banger after K-pop banger.
“I’ve always thought of K-pop as the most theatrical genre of pop” says the film’s executive music producer Ian Eisendrath, “and so I was just instantly excited by the possibilities of what could happen in a narrative context with the K-pop songs [and] incorporating actual, hit-making K-pop artists. I just felt like everything was really set up to be a special musical and narrative experience.”
To ensure the film felt authentic to its K-pop world, Kang and Appelhans enlisted the services of some of the genres biggest producers including Teddy Park, Lindgren, Stephen Kirk and Jenna Andrews, who between them have produced tracks for the likes of Blackpink, BTS, TWICE and Together X Tomorrow.
The film boasts a whole heap of original K-pop style songs that both perfectly fit the action on screen and will get stuck in your head for days afterwards, with at least a couple likely to feature on your Spotify Wrapped come December.
What are the critics saying about KPop Demon Hunters?
As you’d expect from such a high Rotten Tomatoes score, critics are loving KPop Demon Hunters, with redditor ‘Common Sense Media’ saying: “What’s not to like about an animated superhero tale set against the world of K-pop music?” while Mashable praised the writing, stating “What makes KPop Demon Hunters so effective isn’t just that it nails the aesthetic; it gets the emotions right.”
‘InSession Film’, meanwhile, warn that the film may just make you a fan of the musical genre: “Kang and Appelhans’ film more than deserves your attention, and could act as a gateway to the incredible, highly imaginative world of KPop. You may never be the same after the credits roll.”
The lively animation has also received plenty of acclaim, with Screen Rant calling the film “stunning” while Decider applauded the “striking visuals”.
What’s the subscriber’s verdict?
Subscribers have been equally vocal in their praise, with the flick boasting a very respectable 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
On Reddit, one user said “I love it so freaking much,” calling it their “all time favourite movie of 2025” while another said “It was amazing. Great animation, I loved most of the songs, and the vibe was off the charts.”
The music, in particular, has been a hit with audiences as Redditors praise the “absolutely phenomenal” songs, calling them “catchy” tracks which “absolutely banged.”
A few detractors have shared their thoughts on plot aspects they wish were further developed, however, with one user saying “I kinda wished the demons had been more complex” while another said “I wish they would have explained Rumi’s parents more.”
By all accounts, it seems Sony Pictures Animation have once again delivered an instant classic, so if you’re in the mood for a bonkers, uplifting movie that will leave you toe tapping for days afterwards, head over to Netflix and stream KPop Demon Hunters right now.
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