Mira, Rumi and Zoey in KPop Demon Hunters. (Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection)For years, there's been an unspoken truce in many households: parents quietly endure endless loops of animated movies in exchange for a few minutes of peace, their only solace the hope that their child's next obsession won't be too brutal. But every so often, a new title comes along and flips the script. Suddenly, it's not just the kids begging for "one more time" - it's the parents humming the theme song in the kitchen, quoting their favorite lines and maybe even admitting they don't actually mind watching it again. Enter: KPop Demon Hunters, the rare family film that has everyone in the house asking for an encore.
When my 6-year-old daughter asked me about KPop Demon Hunters, I braced for impact. I completely judged it by the title, saying no for about a week because 'demon' was in the name. Then word of mouth through my group of mom friends reached me."It's not inappropriate. Just tell her she can't say 'sucks' or 'stupid.' And honestly... I kind of liked it," one of them said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs a veteran of the Frozen years and more Tangled than I care to admit, I expected another harmless, if slightly maddening movie due to the volume of replays, in addition to the background noise of parenting. What I didn't expect was to find myself fully invested - tapping my feet to the soundtrack, looking up TikTok's about how to re-create Rumi's hairstyle and, yes, suggesting we watch "just one more" time on a Sunday. And I'm not alone.
Talk to parents right now, and you'll hear a familiar refrain: this one's different.
So what is it about KPop Demon Hunters that makes it a repeat watch parents aren't mad about? Here's why families everywhere are hitting play, again and again.
It's fun for all agesLet's be honest: a lot of so-called "family" movies are really just kids' movies that parents tolerate. They're either so juvenile that grown-ups check out, or they're hiding in another room entirely. So far, KPop Demon Hunters feels universal, blending fast-paced action, clever humor and a surprising amount of heart. There's a reason it just became Netflix's most-watched film ever.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe setup is bonkers on paper: A beloved K-pop trio called Huntr/x secretly moonlights as demon hunters, using their musical talents (and some serious martial arts skills) to battle supernatural forces threatening the world. But it's entertaining enough to bring entire families together on movie night.
Zoey, Rumi and Mira perform onstage as Huntr/x in KPop Demon Hunters. (Netflix)"This is the movie of the summer in our house and one of the few that both us parents and kids love equally," Natalie, 41, from New Albany, Indiana, tells Yahoo. She and her husband share a 6-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. "No one is arguing because we all want to watch it again. Half the fun is singing and dancing along in front of the basement TV."Even the action sequences, so often an afterthought in animated films, are fun. The battles are choreographed with a flair that nods to both classic kung fu flicks and K-pop dance routines, making for a visual spectacle that keeps even the most screen-weary parents engaged.
Then there's the music.
Soundtrack of the summerFace it, the only track in contention for song of the summer is "Golden." There's catchy, and then there's KPop Demon Hunters catchy. Unlike the tune that haunts most parents' nightmares of my era (looking at you, "Baby Shark"), the songs in this movie are actually good. Really good."This movie somehow cracked the code: my kids are glued to the screen, I'm actually entertained and our car rides have turned into full-on K-pop karaoke sessions," Megan from Seattle, Wash., tells Yahoo. She's usually driving around with her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. "I didn't see that one coming, but it has become the music we needed on our summer repeat playlist. My daughter asks to 'Turn it up full blast!'"AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven when I talked to Vanilla Ice this week, who was promoting the new AppleTV+ reality competition series Kpopped, he said this movie, and especially the soundtrack, is inescapable in his house with his 7-year-old daughter."The soundtrack is what I have to play in the car everywhere. All of it," he says. "From start to finish."Written and performed by real K-pop idols, the songs are a genre-hopping blend of infectious pop, hip-hop and soaring ballads that are just as likely to end up on a parent's Spotify playlist as their kid's. Aside from Huntr/x, the film also features the competing male boy band the Saja Boys.
The Saja Boys in KPop Demon Hunters. (Netflix)"The soundtrack is on repeat in the car... even when the kids aren't around!" Natalie admits.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt's not just the tunes, it's the way the movie leans into the global phenomenon of K-pop