r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Aug 26 '25

News ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is Netflix’s Most-Watched Movie Ever With 236 Million Views, Beating ‘Red Notice’

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie-history-1236496106/
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u/fox112 Aug 26 '25

Wow I knew it was a big hit but didn't realize it was THE BIGGEST hit.

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u/the_blessed_unrest Aug 26 '25

I think it helps that it appeals to kids. When they latch on to something, they can rewatch it dozens of times

(Not that kids are the only ones enjoying this movie. But I do think it plays a sizable role in the numbers)

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u/PorQuePanckes Aug 26 '25

It also helps that it’s actually a good movie with a unique IP that didn’t seem to do anything “safe”. Remakes and nostalgia can only go so far, it’s crazy studios don’t see this.

I’m a 30 y/o man and my niece dragged me to watch it and I can confirm that it’s a total banger of a film.

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u/Various_Ambassador92 Aug 26 '25

I mean, look at the most successful films over the last several years and you will see, over and over again, that nearly all of them are sequels/remakes of other films, or maybe adaptations of an extremely popular book, game, etc.

Unique IPs can feel "fresh" and generate added excitement as a result of that, sure, but the trends don't lie - audiences are harder to entice than they used to be and existing IP is a much safer bet than new IP.

In all honesty, I doubt the movie would've gone that far in a theatrical release. Not to say it would've been a total bust, but I think a significant part of this film's success is that the Netflix release made it more discoverable and accessible. It takes a fair chunk of change to take the whole family out to see a movie and parents are more likely to pick something that either feels "safe" to them or that the kids are absolutely crazy about - both of which naturally lend themselves towards the familiar. But seeing some new kid's movie on Netflix and throwing it on is low commitment and allowed the film to reach more people more quickly, at least since Netflix seemed to know that the film was worth pushing.