Summer releases ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Superman’ continue Hollywood’s tradition of heroes versus villains.

By Josh Ball and John Hiett

This summer two action packed movies hit screens, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and “Superman.” Although both are full of action, their plots are resoundingly different. 

When Sony Pictures Animation’s “K-Pop Demon Hunters” released on Netflix it became an instant fan-favorite. While the film itself skyrocketed to the top of Netflix’s streaming statistics, the songs themselves shot to chart-topping notoriety.

As the name suggests, the movie centers around Rumi, Zoe and Mira, members of the Korean-pop (K-pop) band Huntr/x, who double as protectors of the mortal world against an army of demons led by Gwi-Ma, who commands them to steal the human souls on which he feeds.

Our protagonists, the Hunters of Huntr/x, fight this evil by singing songs to lift the spirits of the fans at their shows, which power the mystical barrier called the “Honmoon.” From the opening of the film, Huntr/x is close to turning the Honmoon golden, which will trap the demons out of the mortal world forever. To stop the Hunters from succeeding, Gwi-Ma sends a rival band of demons to “steal” Huntr/x’s fans.

The movie deals with themes of shame and secrets, as well as good and evil through music with genuinely catchy songs. The story’s  plot and subplots are well written, which seems to be abnormal in Hollywood today. Tension is expertly built, resolved and rebuilt as more of the characters’ stories are revealed.

Jinu, the leader of the demon band “Saja Boys,” discovers Rumi’s big secret, which causes her shame and steals her voice. Rather than reveal her secret, Jinu chooses to protect Rumi and builds a friendship with her. The pair concoct a plan which they hope will solve both their problems which they express in the song “Free.”

The intimate duet, like the rest of the movie, is beautifully animated. Not only do the character models feel realistic, but the backgrounds are majestic and each frame oozes with a sense of care I have not felt since the original release of “How to Train Your Dragon.” In an age when animation is often viewed as an “inferior” art style for adults, Sony shows why it persists as a medium. Some more mystical elements can be better conveyed through animation, and Sony takes full advantage.

I hope everyone watches “K-Pop Demon Hunters” when they have the chance. The jokes land, the animation is beautiful and the writers cared beyond the hope of money; making a product which is a breath of fresh air from a Hollywood consumed by sequels and remakes.

While Huntr/x fights to keep their fans safe from the dangerous demons, Superman flew into theaters this past summer, fighting to protect the people of Metropolis from Lex Luthor and his barrage of attacks and traps.

Being one of the more popular summer movies of 2025, “Superman” pulls from the legacy of past Superman actors like Christopher Reeves and Brandom Routh, while also forming its own modern-day superhero that is all about optimism, kindness and simply doing the right thing.

The movie focuses on Superman (David Cornsweat) and a week of his life. Much like other Superman movies, this movie also has our protagonist frequently bouncing back and forth between saving civilians from major threats, fighting Lex Luthor or meeting with his love interest, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan).

What I love most about this film is not only how much of a feel-good superhero movie it is, but also how much it drives the point home of how human Superman really is, despite being an alien. David Cornsweat puts everything he has into acting as a Superman straight from the comics. One who is kind and wants to make the best decision above all else, but also a person who makes mistakes and gets scared.

On the other side, Nicholas Holt as Lex Luthor blows any other portrayal of the character out of the water. Holt is superb in that he acts exactly as Lex Luthor would in the comics. You can see him channel such hatred and bitterness towards Superman, which is stemming not only from jealousy but from the need to save humanity from possible threats. Rachel Brosnahan does an excellent job as Lois Lane being very supportive of Superman, but also pushing him to consider the consequences of his actions and how to react. 

In terms of the choreography, the film did an extraordinary job with creating weight in every punch and crash-landing. At the same time the film made it look real, even making sure to give Superman’s whimsical flying the spotlight it deserves.

One major critique is in terms of pacing. While the movie takes place over a week in Superman’s life, it doesn’t necessarily make that super clear. The movie initially was going to have title cards where it would show the day certain events would take place on. Unfortunately, this was taken out due to having mixed reactions with certain test audiences.

I cannot stress enough how good-hearted and authentic  a superhero movie this was. It strikes a perfect balance between the Christopher Reeves era of Superman and a more modern-day equivalent. The director, James Gunn, made sure to pay a lot of homage to various comic books and stayed as faithful as possible to the original Superman character.

To end this review, I think it’s fitting to use a quote from “Superman” that best summarizes the overall film: “Maybe kindness is the new punk rock.”

Josh Ball is a junior history major. He loves “The Lord of the Rings” and reading literature to evaluate the author’s worldview in light of Christianity.

John Hiett is a senior biology major. He is passionate about any and all indie video games and loves getting coffee since starting college.

Images courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation and DC Studios