KPOP Demon Hunters is perhaps the biggest and fastest growing cultural phenomenon geared towards kids since Frozen. It is the biggest movie that Netflix has ever created and has become the most watched film ever on Netflix, passing “Red Notice” starring Dwanye Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot! And for the first time ever, Netflix had a theatrical run of one of their in-house-produced movies. More than that, the soundtrack has continued to drive its popularity and success. The album debuted at No. 8 in the Billboard 200 and was the most successful film soundtrack of 2025. 

I have two goals for this article. First, I want to equip parents to make a decision for their family about whether or not they will let their kids watch or continue to watch this movie. Secondly, for those who have already watched it, I want to give parents some points of conversation they should have with their kids about this movie and demons. 

For those who haven't seen it, below is a concise but helpful summary of the movie from a blog site called “Mama Bear Apologetics.”

It’s about K-Pop (Korean-Pop) demon hunters – literally! A fictional girl K-Pop band, called Huntrix, is the most recent in a long line of musicians secretly tasked with hunting and killing demons. Their ultimate goal, though, is to strengthen the Honmoon (the barrier that protects the world from the demon realm) through their K-Pop music. Rumi, lead Huntrix singer, is hiding a dark secret. Rumi has the tell-tale demon markings (called “patterns”) and they are spreading across her body. The patterns are like a rash that spreads over time. The more the patterns spread, the more she has to hide them. But they are now starting to affect her voice – the very thing she needs to protect the world. Meanwhile, a demon boy band called The Saja Boys works to steal Huntrix’s fans (and eventually their souls). Rumi falls in love with The Saja Boys lead singer, Jinu. (Yeah, you read that right.) We discover that Jinu used to be human, but was so tormented by his guilt for betraying his family that Gwi-ma (the Satan figure) took control of his soul. In the end, both Rumi and Jinu have to accept themselves, including their shame, to gain freedom from Gwi-ma. 

I want to note that before reading or hearing too much about this movie from other writers or parents, I watched it for myself. Yes, I spent 90 minutes of working time sitting at home and watching an animated movie targeted for little girls. I say this because I want you to know that this is not secondhand thoughts or information, but from the heart of a family pastor who cares for the heart of the kids of our church and our community. Let me also say, it is absolutely a catchy movie. The music is entertaining. The plot is exciting and action-packed. I can understand why this movie is as successful as it has been. 

Here is my big takeaway from the movie, and then we will break down the good, bad, and conversations that need to follow this movie: If every use of the word “demon” was replaced with the word “monster” (with nothing else changed), this movie would be a fun kids movie and even be a great allegory for many things we believe as Christians. However, the fact that these are “demons” may confuse children on the biblical teaching of demons and confuse their understanding of spiritual realities.

THE GOOD: If not for the confusing title of “demon”, these would be valuable messages. 

  1. The Bondage of Guilt and Shame - Gwima (Satan) controls people with their guilt and shame. When people fail, Gwima whispers to them and draws them to himself. He holds them captive by reminding them of their faults, of their shame, and of their brokenness. We know from Scripture that the real Satan is an accuser. He wants to make our shame and guilt so big that we don’t trust Jesus’s ability to rescue us or heal us from it. And if we have trusted in Jesus, he wants to use shame and guilt to make us ineffective for the Kingdom of God. 
  2. Allegory for Faith and Spiritual Warfare - If this were about “monsters” and not “demons” we could point to these monsters and say, these are not real, but there is a reality of evil in this world, led by Satan that seeks to lead you away from God and into sin and shame and is ultimately after your soul. We could say, these fights between Huntrix and the monsters aren’t real, but there really are angels who God uses to fight for us on a daily basis to keep the powers of Satan and demons at bay. 
  3. Encouragement to Confess Sin Instead of Hiding it - Rumi (lead singer), tries to hide her patterns (the marks that point to her being a demon) instead of trusting her friends to help her with it. The more she hides it, the more it grows and hurts her. Towards the end, the band sings a line that says this, “Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head? I should've let the jagged edges meet the light instead.” Believers can point to that and remind kids of 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We can say with the movie, the way that we fight our darkness is by bringing it to the light, not hiding it. However, the caveat to this, is that the movie’s messaging is likely intended to mean, “Be who you are, don't hide it.” Whereas the Christian message is, don’t hide your sin, let Jesus take it and let Him change you. 

THE BAD: There are many confusing elements of demons that contradict what we know of demons scripturally. 

  1. In this movie, demons are not fallen angels, they are people - Demons are people who Gwima has taken control of. This implies that people can become demons and perhaps can once again break from the control of Gwima and return to humanity. This is, of course, not true of real demons. Real demons are spiritual beings created by God who rebelled against Him. In the case of Rumi, and the reason she has patterns, is because she is half-demon. Her father was a demon and her mother was a normal human.
  2. In this movie, demons can be or turn good - In the end of the movie, Jinu, the leader of the demon boy band, gives himself up for Rumi and in doing so gives her the power to defeat Gwima and save the souls of many who were about to be devoured. This has the potential to lead kids into the belief that not all demons are really that bad. Rumi even develops empathy for demons throughout the course of the movie because she learns that they are just people who are oppressed by Gwima because of their shame and guilt.  This, along with Rumi’s half-demon identity is perhaps the most confusing and potentially dangerous element of the movie for young kids. Though this may seem like an innocent misunderstanding, I believe that Satan would love nothing more than for children to believe that demons are not inherently evil. As we consider the reality that believers often either think too much or too little about spiritual warfare, it’s important to think about how this movie will influence kids' understanding of the spiritual world. Through this movie, they could develop a very casual view of demons, and at worst a view of empathy towards them. 
  3. Lust is a repeated theme - While off the topic of the demons, there is an element of lust in this movie that I found unsettling for a movie geared toward young girls. When the demon band first arrives, they run into Huntrix (the demon-hunter band), and all three girls immediately become fixated on the looks and bodies of the demon band members. This happens a few times throughout the movie. Specifically, one character is obsessed with the shirtless abs of one of the boy band members as popcorn pours out of her eyes (to illustrate her obsession). This is not a major theme of the movie, but I believe it is still worth mentioning and thinking through as we consider how much young girls are admiring the characters of this movie. 

MY RECOMMENDATION:

After considering all these elements, good and bad, my overall recommendation is that parents should not let their children watch or continue to watch KPOP Demon Hunters. While there are some good themes and messages, and likely some areas for possible gospel conversation, I think the confusion around the topic of demons is not worth it - especially for the age girls that this movie is targeting. I find this movie different from other movies that I have previously questioned. Moana, for example, celebrates the comeback story of a “demi-god”, and our family loves this movie; however, we can point to that and clearly and definitively say, “That is not real.” We can easily separate reality from movie. With KPOP Demon Hunters, that line is not so clear. We cannot say, “Demons are not real.” That is the heart of why I think this movie is difficult and why I don’t recommend it. To be clear, as stated at the beginning, the goal for this article is to equip you, the parent, to make this decision for your family. I do not want to make it for you. There are many nuances like age and spiritual maturity that may lead your family to make a different decision. My statement is a humble recommendation. 

At the same time, I know this movie has been out for quite some time now, and I know from talking to kids and parents that many, if not most, young girls have already watched this movie several times. It has quickly become ingrained in pop culture. For those families, and for those who decide to continue watching this movie, I recommend having serious conversations about the themes of this movie. Use the good themes mentioned above to have good gospel conversations, and use the bad themes mentioned above to correct and point to the difference between the demons in this movie and real demons that the Bible teaches us about. Children need to know that there is a real adversary, Satan, who, like Gwima, wants their soul, but that the demons that he sends to fight for their souls, minds, and hearts are not trapped humans held in this position against their will; they are evil, they seek their destruction, and they are incapable of doing or turning good.

I want to conclude with an encouragement and message of hope. I believe, as stated above, that Satan would love for this movie to wrongly influence our children's view of demons and evil. However, we know from Joseph’s story after being sold into slavery by his brothers, that what man or Satan intends for evil, God can use for good (Gen. 50:20). I trust that wherever you, as parents, land on this movie, that God can use it for good if we are intentional with our decisions and conversations around it. With that being said, if you are a parent who decides to no longer let their children watch it, please avoid the feelings of guilt that may come after making a decision like this. Satan, as we are reminded in this movie, would love nothing more than for guilt to paralyze us. Trust that if we put this into God’s hand through prayer and careful consideration, that He will use it for good for our children. 

The good news is that when it comes to spiritual warfare, Jesus has already won the fight. Hebrews 2:14–15 tells us:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

 We don’t need a demon hunter band to protect us from evil, Jesus has already defeated the one who has the power of death and the one who held us in slavery. Let this reality encourage you as parents as you disciple your children toward Christ.