Huntrix making an exaggerated cheer in KPop Demon Hunters
The Criterion Collection has come to mean something to those who love movies. The home entertainment distributor has a reputation for making a quality product, but aside from the actual experience of watching their releases, their catalog has been embraced as a kind of cinematic canon.
Whether an acclaimed new release, a restored classic, or a rediscovered piece of film history, the mere fact of being issued a Criterion disc is akin to receiving the cinephile stamp of approval. Which is why Variety's report that KPop Demon Hunters will join the Criterion Collection, along with Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, was met with some strong reactions. For some, the company distributing a movie as successful and mainstream as KPop is unthinkable. How could Criterion chase such a commercial product, when there are so many"worthier" films out there – examples of which you'll find in many of the posts about this news on social media. These responses get this whole situation totally wrong. KPop Demon Hunters getting the Criterion treatment is, for one reason especially, a great thing. KPop Demon Hunters Is Getting The Physical Media Release It Deserves KPop Demon Hunters isn't popular because it was built to be popular, the way some of today's blockbusters are. It didn't get a massive marketing push to create demand in advance; in fact, little was expected of it from the powers that be. It's popular because the filmmakers and Sony Pictures Animation made a great movie, Netflix made it widely available, and the people who saw it loved it enough to spread the word. Any objection to this move on supposedly artistic grounds is misguided at best, snobbish at worst. Commercially, there's a lot of cynicism regarding how obviously well this will sell. Some feel a film this widely seen isn't where Criterion's resources are best spent; others have countered that KPop Demon Hunters sales could fund less commercial releases down the line. In either case, there's an underlying belief that, by releasing this title, the brand is selling out – lending its prestige to a company like Netflix purely for the financial windfall. But whatever the corporate politics that facilitated this movie, this, again, dismisses the movie itself. The most basic element of this worth celebrating is that KPop Demon Hunters will be on physical media at all. Netflix is often reluctant to release its projects anywhere outside its platform, something many have noted puts their preservation at risk. Anytime one of their projects makes it on disc should be considered a win, especially the most culturally impactful film they've ever released. Then, of course, there's the thing that Criterion is most famous for: its canonicity breeds discovery. Whether out of a desire to collect or just trusting their taste, people have a tendency to watch movies they might never have seen otherwise simply because it's released by this company. KPop Demon Hunters is already popular with a young audience, and if they buy this one, the odds go up that they're someday encouraged to seek out another title in the collection. Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper takes on Criterion's KPop pick Get the newsletter for thoughtful coverage of Criterion’s KPop Demon Hunters release and other physical editions — context on preservation, canonicity, and curated recommendations of related titles to explore. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Any way you look at it, this news is worth celebrating. 267 8.8/10 9/10 KPop Demon Hunters 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG Animation Fantasy Action Comedy Music Family Release Date June 20, 2025 Runtime 96 minutes Director Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang Writers Hannah McMechan, Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang, Danya Jimenez Producers Michelle Wong 8 Images Close Cast See All
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