KPop Demon Huntersis one of the funniest new movies to hit Netflix this year, as can be seen in these iconic scenes. Filled withcharacters inspired by Korean pop stars and actors, the supernatural thrills in the film are balanced with authenticity, heart, and excellent charm.
KPop Demon Huntershas held the Netflix chartssince its release, and with good reason. Positioning a spiritual war against demons in an accessible family movie is a tough ask, butKPop Demon Hunterssuccessfully uses stunning animation to tell this contemporary story in an accessible way, drawing comparisons to bothBig Hero 6andBuffy the Vampire Slayer.
Fortunately,KPop Demon Hunterssets up a sequelin several ways. As audiences await confirmation and details from the studio on a proper follow-up, the movie remains worth visiting and revisiting over and over. There are so many funny moments between the excellent action, which include the following:
10The Boys Appear, Turning Eyes To Popcorn
The New Twist On Heart Eyes Is A Hilarious Visual
One of the best early gags inKPop Demon Hunterssees the Saja Boysappear in front of the protagonists. While there is tension between the two K-pop groups, it is undeniable that these boys look good. The members of Huntr/x have their eyes turn to hearts, but when Abby shows off his abs, things get weird.
The band’s name, while pronounced Huntrix, is generally stylized in the film as HUNTR/X.
At first, Zoey’s (Ji-young Yoo) eyes turn to corn,which looks ribbed, like the pop star’s muscular torso. Butter pats land on the corn, which sizzle and melt with the heat. That heat quickly becomes insurmountable, and moments later, the corn begins to explode in a passionate eruption of popcorn.
9This Song Sucks!
Writing A Diss Track Is Not As Easy As It Seems
In a great scene, theKPop Demon Hunterssoundtrack grows whenHuntr/x attempts to write a diss song. These characters are very honest and kind, and the scene at first feels strange, as they quickly begin pumping out words. It feels like the track will come together quickly and naturally with the most crushing insults.
This immediately changes whenZoey defuses tensions, announcing that"This song sucks!“This reflects the characters accurately, who are actually quite wholesome. They must write a diss song to save the world from a demon boy band, but it is very against type and does not come easily.
This is especially reflected by Zoey, who tries hard to force herself to hate the Saja Boys, but finds herself enamored by their beauty. She represses this in amusing dialogue, referring to their faces as"nasty, disgusting, not beautiful, perfectly dewy, symmetrical, shimmering…”
8"The Leather Has Betrayed Us!"
Huntr/x Fails To Make A Grand Entrance
Huntr/x sneaks around backstage in impractical leather outfits while the Saja Boys drink hot sauce, and this winds up being to their detriment. The Saja Boys spot them and highlight them to the crowd, followed by a colorful slide being set up for the members to go down into a ball pit. Then their leather outfits get stuck on the slide.
In a long and uncomfortable moment, the audience watches, put off by the sounds the leather makes against the slide.The members of Huntr/x are presented publicly without preparation, and the back and forth of humility between them and the Saja Boys that follows is incredible.
7"Why Do They Always Interrupt Our Snacking?"
The Opening Sets Up The World Perfectly
The beginning of the film establishes the characters and the world perfectly. As Bobby (Ken Jeong) sets up for their concert, the main trio is introduced on a plane, getting ready to eat their pre-show snacks. This tic is charming and cute, and helps to humanize the pop stars, but what follows helps to expose the larger world.
The staff on the plane are seen acting in strange ways. A woman pours coffee into the plants, and the band is not given the hot water they need to heat up their ramen.It soon becomes clear to Huntr/x that their staff has been replaced by demons, and this turns into the first fight of the film.
The understated nature of their response is funny and segues into the main movie.
The understated nature of their response is funny and segues into the main movie.Demon hunting is a casual thing for these characters, and this event is more of an annoyance than a genuine threat. The trio beat down their assailants and leap to the ground to play an enormous concert in front of tons of adoring fans.
6"Don’t Let This Turn You Off The Bathhouse, Rumi!"
“It’s Usually Really Fun And Relaxing!”
One of the minor conflicts throughout the movie is thatRumi (Arden Cho) is not comfortable going to the bathhouse with her bandmates.This is revealed as being because of her own demon heritage, and she feels the need to hide her markings. However, this tension is used for a few very funny moments along the way.
Zoey does not know why Rumi will not bathe with them, but she really wants her to.In this scene, a fight against the demons breaks out inside the bathhouse.During this escalating situation, Zoey wants to be sure that her friend knows that this is not what a bathhouse is usually like.
This dialogue is funny and sweet, further informing Zoey’s character. She is kind, cares for her friend, and wants to make her feel safe. Even as they fight demons, she is still trying to find ways to be closer in her friendship with Rumi.
5"Who Else Could Wear A Sleeping Bag To The Met Gala?"
Mira Is Cool, Tough, & Rebellious
When Mira (May Hong) is first introduced, her iconoclastic nature is revealed in a number of funny ways. She is seen in pictures with her family, standing out uniquely, and the movie pokes fun at some of the weirdest inspirations forMET Gala outfitsby dressing her up in a sleeping bag.
This informs her cool character and her fashion-forward style. Later in the film,fans are seen dressing up in sleeping bags to replicate Mira’s look.This is one of the funniest character moments that ribs at one of the more absurd fashion events in the real world.
4The Tiger’s Introduction
A Terrifying Scene Quickly Turns Goofy
In a movie that is filled with charming characters, the magpie and tiger shine the brightest whenever they appear on-screen. This begins with an introduction that sees the two showing up on Rumi’s balcony. The bird looks terrifying, with three eyes on each side of its head, and the tension grows when the giant blue tiger emerges.
This terrifying tiger is simply a giant, dumb kitty.
Butthat tension quickly dissipates when the tiger knocks over a planter.He paws it back up, but it falls over again and again in a hilarious sequence. It quickly becomes apparent that this terrifying tiger is simply a giant, dumb kitty. His clumsy walk and cuddly design stand out as some of the best images in the movie.
3Abby Saja Autographs With Rubbings Of His Abs
Abby Is The Muscular Member Of The Group
Another goofy moment in the film sees the Saja Boys signing autographs. Rather than writing his name,Abby, the most muscular member of the boy band, holds a piece of paper up to his torso and traces it in gray lines.These pencil etchings are a laugh-out-loud visual and contribute to satirizing the commodification of boy band members and their bodies.
KPop Demon Huntersmakes some excellent choices concerning K-pop artists and their treatment in the media. While this usually results in funny moments, like this one, it also captures some uncomfortable truths about how celebrities are treated, viewed, and worshiped in settings like these.
2"Let’s Kill These Guys!"
The Saja Boys Are Not Doing Typically Demonic Things
Undercutting tension is one of the best ways that thecast ofKPop Demon Hunterskeeps its dark story from feeling too heavy. In this moment, the members of Huntr/x are preparing to go into battle against these terrifying forces. Knowing that the Saja Boys are demons, they are equipped to take them on with terrific violence.
This cuts to the Saja Boys on a talk show,where they compete to see who can drink the most hot sauce. This goofy clip feels inspired bySean Evans andHot Ones, and sees a very contemporary take on commercial promotion.
The scene is one of the most memorable in the film and contains several hilarious images, like seeing Baby Saja drinking hot sauce from a baby bottle.
1"Why Is The Bird Wearing A Tiny Hat?"
The Magpie & Tiger Light Up The Whole Film
When Rumi first meets the magpie and tiger, she is confused. Their folklore design is creepy, but one piece of the bird’s unusual costuming adds to the eeriness. This leads to one of the best moments in the movie, when her question,“Why is the bird wearing a tiny hat?“finally receives an answer.
Jinu’s (Ahn Hyo-seop) explanation is just as nonsensical: “I made it for the tiger, but the bird keeps stealing it.” This is a hilarious and wholesome thought, but it’s also so silly because of how poorly the hat would fit on the charming, enormous tiger. Among a series of greatKPop Demon Huntersscenes, this might be the best of the lot.
