KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix’s Biggest Suprise Hit of 2025

The Netflix original film by Sony Animation, Kpop Demon Hunters, is the biggest surprise hit of the summer, staying number one since its release.

Its soundtrack with a girl group called Huntr/x (Huntrix) and the Saja Boys (a rival boy band) has competed and been in the top three despite being fictional, along with notable real-life K-Pop groups like Twice and BlackPink currently (both dropped music this weekend).

The plot is basic enough, and they explain what you need to know very well and fast enough, so it doesn’t bog the movie down with details. KPop Demon Hunters utilizes “show but don’t tell” to its best ability in its runtime (1 hour 35 minutes).

This movie has its story done by Maggie Kang, produced by Michelle Wong, and directed by Kang and Chris Appelhans. With it taking about 7-9 years (give or take) for this film to get made, you can really tell it’s done by someone who knows the K-pop industry as a fan, enough to praise but also give open criticism about it. It is a self-introspective but also semi-meta film that uses old KDrama tropes to its advantage, making it a hilarious watch, even as a non-K Pop fan.

As someone who wasn’t into K-pop before, this movie sold me. The music, animation, dialogue, just all of it. Almost everything was seamlessly done and not forced, while being natural and making it one of the most rewatchable movies I have ever seen.

KPop Demon Hunters Has Something For Everyone

KPop Demon Hunters has been at the top of the charts globally for Netflix movies since its release on June 20, commanding a nearly three-week stretch of dominating the charts. It has gotten viral and trending on social media ever since, but it is cause of the fans, as it has gone mainstream, but the hype hasn’t slowed down one bit. It is funny how the movie plays out a bit like real life.

Safe to say it likely will, as there are already many with their own brainstormed ideas on how it could be done, either a series or another movie. While streaming on Netflix helped gain instant success with how accessible it is, you can argue it would’ve raked in potentially better numbers if it were in theatres, compared to other Disney or Pixar movies struggling besides live-action remakes like Lilo and Stitch. It has already come out, it is getting a sequel, but originals like Elio bombed compared to KPDH, but came out around the same time.

While I see that argument, the fact that you could watch it at home made it easy to digest, as the film was supposed to be longer, but due to Netflix, it was cut down. But the downside of it being on a streaming platform is the supposed “28-day rule,” as they have to track its popularity for about a month to see whether or not they would be a sequel.

While the rule might’ve been changed to two or even three months, the fact remains that the reception for this original animated film was important if they wanted this universe to get extended. There was speculation they weren’t sure how fans would’ve been receptive to this brand-new original idea.

While its target demographic is “kids and teens,” it’s really not. There are darker themes and tones that are mature later in the movie, which would suggest that adults can also relate. Its animation has roots tied to “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” but with anime influence to really nail the comedic moments. The choreography is also superb, highlighting the craziness that is K-pop.

Sony and Netflix nailed the voice and singer casting for basically every single character and song they chose for the movies. Almost every character had a singing counterpart, making one character two different people, but without it being jarring. It really is the best of both worlds, as they debut music videos in the movie while introducing songs naturally within the story and fight scenes, making every song memorable than ever.

This is basically a must-watch, as KPDH might be the viral sensation of the summer and for 2025.