Holy Night: Demon Hunters
| Holy Night: Demon Hunters | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스 |
| RR | Georukhan bam: demon heonteoseu |
| MR | Kŏrukhan pam: temon hŏnt'ŏsŭ |
| Directed by | Lim Dae-hee |
| Written by | Lim Dae-hee |
| Produced by | Ma Dong-seok |
| Starring |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Lotte Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$6.5 million[1][2] |
Holy Night: Demon Hunters (Korean: 거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스) is a 2025 South Korean action horror film directed by Lim Dae-hee and stars Ma Dong-seok, Seohyun, Lee David, Kyung Soo-jin and Jung Ji-so. The film revolves around 'Holy Night', a trio of demon hunters armed with supernatural powers, who are called to save Seoul when it descends into chaos as a devil-worshipping criminal network emerges.[3][4]
It was released in South Korea on April 30, 2025.[5]
Plot
[edit]In modern-day Seoul, an ominous wave of unexplained phenomena, ritualistic murders, possessions, and mass hysteria grips the city. The source of the chaos is a shadowy cult known as the Black Mass, a secretive organization devoted to summoning an ancient demon named Asmodeus. As their dark rituals gain momentum, the city's regular law enforcement finds itself helpless in the face of such supernatural terror. Desperate for a solution, they turn to a mysterious trio known only as the "Holy Night."
The Holy Night is a demon-hunting unit made up of three unique individuals. Ba Woo, a gruff and powerful fighter with superhuman strength, leads the group. Haunted by a tragic mission in his past, he is driven by an unrelenting sense of justice. Sharon, a serene yet fierce exorcist, is the spiritual core of the team. Gifted with the ability to sense and expel evil spirits, she draws her power from ancient rites and deep personal faith. The third member, Kim Gun, is a young tech genius and documentarian who brings knowledge, research, and strategy to the table. Though he lacks supernatural powers, his quick thinking and resourcefulness make him indispensable.
When the young girl Eun-seo begins exhibiting terrifying signs of possession, her older sister Jung-won, a rational and skeptical neuropsychiatrist, seeks out the Holy Night team. Traditional medicine has failed, and Jung-won, desperate to save her sister, is forced to confront her disbelief in the paranormal. The team discovers that Eun-seo is being groomed by the Black Mass cult to serve as the vessel for Asmodeus during a catastrophic summoning ritual.
As the Holy Night investigates, they uncover a disturbing pattern of disappearances, desecrated churches, and hidden ritual sites scattered throughout Seoul. They face violent confrontations with possessed cult followers, survive visions meant to shatter their sanity, and endure attacks designed to tear them apart emotionally and physically. Ba Woo struggles with nightmares of the past, Sharon faces moments of wavering faith, and Kim Gun uncovers that his own estranged father was once involved with the cult's earlier incarnation.
Time runs out as the cult prepares for the final ritual in a decaying cathedral hidden beneath the city. The Holy Night storms the site in a desperate bid to stop the summoning. A violent and emotional battle breaks out. Ba Woo takes on the cult's possessed enforcers, Sharon engages the high priest in a spiritual battle of incantations and willpower, and Kim Gun disables the protective spells that shield the ritual. Eun-seo, fully possessed by Asmodeus, threatens to unleash unimaginable destruction.
In a bold act of self-sacrifice, Ba Woo allows the demon's essence to partially possess him, using his body as a temporary vessel. With Sharon guiding him through a final exorcism rite, Ba Woo uses the demon's own power to destroy the summoning circle. The backlash of energy nearly kills them all, but it successfully banishes Asmodeus back to the underworld and frees Eun-seo.
After the battle, the cult is broken, but scars remain. Eun-seo begins a slow recovery, her memories fragmented. Jung-won, now a believer, chooses to assist the Holy Night in future missions using her medical expertise. The trio, though battered, survives aware that evil never fully dies. In the final scene, the Holy Night receives another mysterious file proof that new darkness is already brewing elsewhere.
Cast
[edit]- Ma Dong-seok as Ba Woo
- Seohyun as Sharon
- Lee David as Kim Gun
- Kyung Soo-jin as Jung-won, a neuropsychiatrist
- Jung Ji-so as Eun-seo
Production
[edit]Seohyun was offered the lead role in the film in May 2021.[6]
Principal photography began on June 28, 2021 and filming ended on September 12, 2021.[7]
Release
[edit]Holy Night: Demon Hunters was released in South Korean theaters on April 30, 2025 by Lotte Entertainment.[8][9]
A prequel webtoon titled as Holy Night: The Zero to the film, illustrated by Jeong Han-gil, was serialised on Naver Webtoon in October 2024.[10]
Holy Night: Demon Hunters also screened in the "Midnight Fantasy" section of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 13, 2025.[11]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]The film was released on April 30, 2025 on 933 screens.[12][13] It opened at first place on Korean box office with 121,321 admissions and a gross of US$680,433 surprising the opening of Hitman 2.[14]
As of June 16, 2025[update], the film has grossed US$5,298,244 from 777,603 admissions.[12][2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2025". KOFIC. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Patrick Frater (January 26, 2024). "Korean Superstar Don Lee's 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' to Launch in Berlin Through Lotte Cultureworks (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ Kim Ji-eun (June 29, 2021). 마동석 주연·제작 '거룩한 밤:데몬 헌터스' 크랭크인 [Starring and producing Ma Dong-seok, 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' Crank-in] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved February 3, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ Bae Hyo-joo (January 6, 2025). 마동석 주먹으로 물리 구마 '거룩한 밤:데몬 헌터스' 4월30일 개봉 [Ma Dong-seok's exorcism with a fist 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' to be released on April 30th]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ Lee Hae-jung (May 25, 2021). 서현 측 "'거룩한 밤' 제안받고 출연 논의 중"(공식) [Seohyun's side: "'Holy Night' offered and currently discussing appearance" (Official)]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ "[Photos] Wrap-up Images Added for the Upcoming Korean Movie "Holy Night: Demon Hunters"". HanCinema. September 14, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ Lee Yuchae (January 23, 2025). [인터뷰] 맨주먹 오컬트 액션, <거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스> 임대희 감독 [Bare-knuckle Occult Action, <Holy Night: Demon Hunters> Directed by Lee Lee-hee]. Cine21 (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Holy Night: Demon Hunters (2025)". KOFIC. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ Yoo so-yeon (October 21, 2024). 마동석x서현 '거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스', 웹툰으로 먼저 본다 [Bare-knuckle Occult Action, <Holy Night: Demon Hunters> Directed by Lee Lee-hee]. OSEN (in Korean). Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ "MIDNIGHT FANTASY". SIFF. June 3, 2025. Archived from the original on June 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "Daily Box Office". KOBIS (in Korean). Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "Holy Night: Demon Hunters, 2025 at KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: Korean films". KOFIC. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Lee Min-ji (May 1, 2025). 마동석 주먹, 또 통했다 '거룩한 밤: 데몬 헌터스' 박스오피스 1위 [Ma Dong-seok's fist works again 'Holy Night: Demon Hunters' tops the box office]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 1, 2025.