Movie Fans Are In A Heated Debate After 'KPop Demon Hunters' Is Added To The Criterion Collection

Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters is looking a little more golden this week after earning a spot in the Criterion Collection. As Variety reported, the hit animated film will join the home-video label alongside another major Netflix release, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection has licensed, restored, and distributed what it calls “important classic and contemporary films.” Known for high-quality transfers and special features, Criterion releases are widely seen as a mark of prestige.

Both Frankenstein and KPop Demon Hunters fall into the contemporary category. The two Netflix titles are among the most talked-about films of 2025, and both are in the Oscar race.

For those living under a rock: KPop Demon Hunters was the viral hit of the summer, eventually becoming Netflix’s most-streamed film ever. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the movie quickly became more than a streaming success.

Its breakout song, “Golden,” became the first K-pop track to win a Grammy, and the film is nominated for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

According to Luminate, the soundtrack was “single-handedly responsible for around 43 percent of U.S. K-pop streaming volume” by early August—an eye-catching number for a film that didn’t exist in the public conversation at the start of the year.

A high-ranking K-pop executive told Rolling Stone:

“Nothing’s ever gone this big off of a Netflix property. It’s pure K-pop. There are no fan wars. There are no label wars. There’s no artist drama. There’s none of the issues that groups face amongst each other.”

Beyond the prestige factor, Criterion inclusion also guarantees a physical release, something Netflix rarely does on its own. For collectors, that alone is reason to celebrate.

Meanwhile, del Toro’s Frankenstein, inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel, stars Jacob Elordi alongside Oscar Isaac, Christoph Waltz, and Mia Goth. The director spent decades developing the project, which has earned nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture.

Still, not everyone is thrilled about KPop Demon Hunters joining the Criterion ranks.

X user @KaiserBeamz reacted to the announcement:

“KPop Demon Hunters getting into the Criterion Collection before any film from Satoshi Kon, Ralph Bakshi, Mamoru Oshii, Don Bluth or Sylvain Chomet might actually kill me.”

That reaction wasn’t unique. Some self-described film purists questioned whether the pop-forward Netflix hit belongs next to titles like The Seven Samurai and Wild Strawberries. Others pushed back, arguing that Criterion has always embraced a wide range of films—including genre entries like The Blob (spine #91) and Michael Bay’s Armageddon (spine #40).

The debate quickly spread across social media, with timelines split between outrage and celebration.

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The film’s impact, however, is hard to ignore. The soundtrack helped propel fictional group Huntr/x to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time an all-women group topped the chart since Destiny’s Child did it with “Bootylicious” in August 2001.

The cast has performed “Golden” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, further bringing the track into the mainstream.

Worldwide, fans from New York to Singapore to Buenos Aires have posted videos singing along. The song topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200 and has remained on the charts for 35 weeks and counting.

Next up is the Academy Awards on March 15, where “Golden” is nominated for Best Original Song and the film is up for Best Animated Feature.

EJAE reflected on why the song connected globally:

“Yes, there aren’t as many Korean lyrics. The songs are part of the storyline, so the lyrics have to be understandable. It was all very strategic with where to put Korean so that [it] doesn’t interfere with the storyline, and that’s why there was more English. So it is a K-pop song, and it’s also a pop song.”

The approach has paid off. Along with its Grammy win, the song has earned major awards recognition and is one of only two Original Song nominees set to be performed live at this year’s ceremony.

EJAE shared the mindset behind the success:

“This is my motto with anything: Do your frickin’ best. Give it your 110%. Never half-ass anything.”

With record streaming numbers, chart success, awards attention, and now a place in the Criterion Collection, KPop Demon Hunters has crossed from streaming hit to cultural moment. Whether every film traditionalist agrees is a debate that doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.