CCP163: On "KPop Demon Hunters"

Aug 29, 2025

A new animated film, "KPop Demon Hunters," is taking the world by storm, becoming Netflix's first number one box office hit. The hosts dive into its unique blend of music, dance, and empowering characters that appeal across cultures. They tackle the film's portrayal of demons, comparing it to popular series like Harry Potter and Narnia. The discussion emphasizes the importance of parental engagement with media, encouraging families to use films as a platform for spiritual talks. It's a fascinating look at pop culture's intersection with faith and family.

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INSIGHT

Music And Characters Fuel A Global Hit

K-pop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most-watched film and won the box office after a two-day limited theatrical sing-along.
Music, dance, and strong female characters drove its crossover cultural success.

INSIGHT

Plot: Pop Stars Who Save The World

The film centers on Huntrix, an all-girl K-pop trio who double as demon hunters and maintain a protective musical barrier.
Their music powers a magical Han Moon that keeps evil creatures out of the human world.

INSIGHT

Soundtrack Broke Billboard Records

The soundtrack achieved a historic Billboard feat with four simultaneous Hot 100 top tens.
Music streaming and Spotify plays amplified the film's cultural reach beyond the movie itself.

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In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the new animated film on Netflix that has everyone talking. It's called “KPop Demon Hunters,” and was an instant success when it was released back in June. It's gained so much momentum that it was shown in a limited release on the big screen - just for two days and in only 1,700 theaters - in a sing-along format. Despite that limited release, it still won the entire box office for the weekend, giving Netflix its first number one box office title in its 18-year history. Several songs from its soundtrack are simultaneously in the Billboard Top 10. So… what in the world is “KPop Demon Hunters” about, and is this something our kids should be watching? The answers might surprise you.

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Given that the movie has the word “demon” in the title, it's not surprising that today's conversation raised issues regarding the paranormal world. Dr. White gave a series at Mecklenburg Community Church (Meck) called “Paranormal” that you may be interested in checking out - particularly the installment that maps out the spiritual world. You can find that series on Church & Culture HERE.

Dr. White mentioned that when it comes to what you allow your kids to watch, including this movie, what's most important is to seize the opportunity to have really good spiritual conversations with your kids. He referenced a recent blog written by our MecKidz team - the children's program at Meck. The blog is titled “‘KPop Demon Hunters': How to Engage Movies and TV with your Kids,” and can be found HERE.

Finally, there are a number of articles that were used as source material for today's conversation. If you're interested in going down the “KPop Demon Hunters” rabbit hole, you can check these out:

Itzel Luna and Jake Coyle, “‘KPop Demon Hunters' gives Netflix its first box-office win,” AP News.

Chloe Veltman, “Fans across the country raise their voices at 'KPop Demon Hunters' singalongs,” NPR.

Stephen Thompson, “'KPop Demon Hunters' and the band Babymetal hit fresh milestones on the pop charts,” NPR.

Isabel Ong, “We're Not Afraid of Monsters and Demons Anymore,” Christianity Today.

Sopan Deb, “‘KPop Demon Hunters' Has Everyone Bobbing Their Heads. Especially Parents,” The New York Times.

Stephen Armstrong, “Kpop Demon Hunters: the Netflix film giving Disney nightmares,” The Telegraph.

Scott Greenstone, “It started with friends at home. Now Dungeons & Dragons is in its stadium era,” NPR.

Samantha Masunaga, “‘KPop Demon Hunters' might win the box office. Why Netflix won't say,” Los Angeles Times.

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