The “KPop Demon Hunters” Deception

KPop Demon Hunters began streaming on Netflix on June 20, and fans have since become obsessed.

At 236 million views, the animated musical is the streaming platform’s most-viewed film to date. Furthermore, a sing-along version of KPop Demon Hunters was the top-grossing movie in U.S. theaters over the August 23 weekend.

One can hardly find criticism of the musical online. Critics and fans have flooded the internet, praising its relatable story, catchy tunes, and colorful art style. Rotten Tomatoes’ critics consensus reads: “Animated with infectious energy and vibrant colors, KPop Demon Hunters is jaunty family entertainment with a terrific soundtrack to boot.”

Should Christians also consider KPop Demon Hunters “family entertainment”?

The title alone should give us pause. Additionally, the movie trailer reveals the presence of immodesty, blurring of gender lines, sorcery, violence, and sexual immorality—all things that Scripture condemns (1 Peter 3:3, 4; Deuteronomy 22:5; 18:10–12; Colossians 3:5).

However, we will focus on what might be the deadliest deception of all—the film’s be-true-to-yourself theme.

The Story

Female pop trio Huntr/x maintains the Honmoon, a barrier separating humans from the demon realm. Their performances are essentially spell-casting sessions that please fans and strengthen the barrier. Rival group, Saja Boys, who are actually demons in disguise, intend to steal Huntr/x’s fans and weaken the Honmoon, allowing demon king Gwi-Ma to enter the world.

Rumi, Huntr/x’s lead singer, is hiding the fact that she is half-demon. Jinu, Saja Boys’ lead singer, discovers her secret and admits to her that he was once human, yet sold his soul to Gwi-Ma for success and riches. He says that all demons do is “feel our shame, our misery. It’s how Gwi-Ma controls us.” Rumi tells him to listen to the voices of the fans, and not that of Gwi-Ma.

Jinu ends up betraying Rumi’s secret to her bandmates, which causes a rift among them, thus weakening the Honmoon and allowing Gwi-Ma to enter the world. Ultimately, Rumi embraces her demon side, and her bandmates accept her. Through a new song, they begin sealing off the demon realm, which leads Gwi-Ma to attack Rumi. Jinu has a change of heart and stands between Gwi-Ma’s powerful blast and her. Before he dies, he tells Rumi, “You gave me my soul back. And now, I give it to you.”

Jinu’s soul, in a blue ethereal stream, appears to pass to Rumi. Then, as Huntr/x sings, their fans shake off the trance caused by the Saja Boys’ music. Streams of energy pass from the fans to Huntr/x, empowering them to banish Gwi-Ma back to the demon realm. Rumi is happy, no longer hiding her demon heritage, and the world is at peace.

Do you see the focus on humans embracing their flaws and putting aside their differences to banish the power-hungry demon lord and make the world a better place?

It almost sounds like a good thing, but let’s dig deeper.

The Embedded Message

In KPop Demon Hunters, there is no mention of any benevolent deity, only a powerful demon king who controls his subjects through voices in their heads and seeks to dominate the entire world. This is nothing but a distorted view of the God of the Bible. It’s what the serpent taught in Eden—that God cannot be trusted and we must free ourselves from His controlling lies (Genesis 3:1–6).

In the film, humans and even demons can free themselves by ignoring the voices in their heads and following their “true self.” It teaches that happiness comes from hushing our consciences and openly embracing both the good and bad aspects of ourselves. This makes us our own gods and saviors, thereby eliminating the need for our Creator.

The biblical truth is that humans do not have any innate redeeming qualities apart from God. We cannot reject God, band together, and save this world. We are conceived in iniquity and born in sin (Psalm 51:8). Our only hope of salvation is to experience a spiritual new birth by the grace of God (John 3:3).

The Scriptures teach that the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). It’s deadly to follow our sinful hearts. That’s why Jesus offers us new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26). To receive them, we must answer Jesus’ call to self-denial: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23, 24).

Seeing Through the Lies

Some will argue that the assessment in this article oversimplifies KPop Demon Hunters. That’s understandable, considering the film also explores hopeful themes of friendship, redemption, and striving to bring out the best in others. The problem is that these things only serve as a framework in which to present the film’s deceptive philosophies.

We are warned that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV). It’s his tried-and-true tactic to confuse our minds with a muddled presentation of truth and error. However, we have a safeguard—the Bible, which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

God’s Word reveals that our true identity is not found by looking inward—but, rather, looking to Jesus. Only He can transform our lives and change us into children of God (John 1:12, 13). We cannot save ourselves or this world, but we can prepare for the world to come by giving our hearts to Jesus today.

He is coming soon. Are you prepared to meet Him?

In his upcoming series, Prophecy Countdown: What’s Next?, Pastor Doug will demonstrate how the Bible reveals our current position in the flow of prophetic events and offer insight into just how near Jesus’ return is.

You don’t want to miss this eye-opening event!