TV & Film Picks: KPop Demon Hunters, Squid Game 3, Cha Eun-Woo VR Concert: Memories
KPop Demon Hunters
99 minutes, Netflix
★★★★☆
Lee Byung-hun has the honour of dominating Netflix's global charts. Not only is his Squid Game: Season 3 No. 1 on the streamer's Global Top 10 non-English shows list, animation KPop Demon Hunters – in which Lee is the antagonist as well – also holds on to its pole position on the Global Top 10 English movies chart.
Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Yoo Ji-young) are members of K-pop girl group Huntrix, whose concerts double as supernatural missions where they use their music to protect the human world from demonic forces.
Their biggest threat Gwi-ma (Lee), a spirit king who preys on human souls, sends his demons to defeat the hunters in the form of a boy band, the Saja Boys, fronted by Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop from K-drama Business Proposal (2022).
The beautifully animated film packs in a lot of drama, action and characterisation. Huntrix are said to be inspired by K-pop girl groups Blackpink, Twice and Itzy, while boy bands BTS, Stray Kids and BigBang serve as inspiration for the Saja Boys.
Its groovy soundtrack – featuring catchy tunes like Golden, Takedown and Soda Pop – has gone viral, scoring the No. 8 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the highest debuting soundtrack of 2025. It also entered at No. 1 on the Billboard Soundtracks chart.
Squid Game: Season 3 (M18)
Netflix
★★★☆☆
(From left) Jo Yu-ri as Player 222, Lee Jung-jae as Player 456 and Park Sung-hoon as Player 120 in Squid Game 3.
PHOTO: NETFLIX
Those who have followed Squid Game since its premiere in 2021 will have burning questions, such as how the games were created and how In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) became the Frontman, the host of the vicious games.
The hyperviolent thriller follows 456 contestants in a deadly underground contest where they play macabre versions of children's games until one player remains standing. The sole survivor wins a massive jackpot .
Season 3 follows the aftermath of Player 456 Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae) failed revolt, where he is forced to continue playing the games while bearing the guilt of causing the death of his best friend.
The shock factor – what the show is known for – is evident, especially in Episode 2, which involves a cruel hide-and-seek game. All hell breaks loose when the Frontman introduces a new player to the competition.
The production value is top-notch and actors Lee Byung-hun, Park Sung-hoon (Player 120), Kang Ae-shim (Player 149), Jo Yu-ri (Player 222) and Im Si-wan (Player 333) are excellent.
However, with only six episodes to conclude the saga, the pacing is uneven. While some key moments feel rushed, there is too much screen time devoted to the useless Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). The subplot involving Pink Guard 011 (Park Gyu-young) was also overly long.
While there is some form of closure, do not expect the third season to tie up all the loose ends. The closing scene is an eye-opener and perhaps a hint to where Squid Game is heading.
Cha Eun-Woo VR Concert: Memories
Cha Eun-Woo VR Concert: Memories will be showing at GV Bugis+ from July 31 to Aug 16.
PHOTO: GOLDEN VILLAGE PICTURES
Fancy having 'face genius' Cha Eun-woo just 10cm from you? The South Korean actor-singer, who will enlist in the military on July 28, invites his fans to go on an immersive and intimate virtual-reality (VR) journey with him.
Set against a romantic fantasy backdrop, viewers are issued individual VR headsets, which they can use to personalise their concert experience, from the locations and backgrounds to images and choreography. As lead characters in the concert, they also determine the ending they desire.
Produced and powered by VR concert platform company Amaze, the visuals are rendered with near-photorealistic detail, so it is like seeing Cha in person.
The special VR concert will run from July 31 to Aug 16 at GV Bugis+. Tickets are priced at $38 for Golden Village Movie Club members and $40 for non-members. Each ticket comes with a photo card and the first 300 viewers will also receive a limited-edition poster of Cha.
Tickets go on sale on July 4 at 3pm via Golden Village's website and app.
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