The Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, has banned students from singing songs from the popular Netflix animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” due to concerns that the music conflicts with the school’s Christian values.
The decision was communicated to parents in a letter last week, asking them to discourage their children from performing the songs on school premises.
Lloyd Allington, interim principal of the school, explained the reasoning behind the prohibition in his correspondence to the families. According to Allington, some members of the community feel that references to demons in the film’s soundtrack create discomfort among those who follow Christian teachings. For Christians who interpret demons as spiritual forces opposed to God, even the fictional or playful use of such language may contradict their faith’s emphasis on rejecting evil rather than engaging with it, he said.
The school underlined its commitment to maintaining a Christian ethos and recognized that many parents chose the school for this reason. Allington added that the decision reflects the school’s effort to be aware of the diversity of beliefs within its community, while also supporting those whose faith makes them uncomfortable with the film’s thematic content.
The announcement is made mixed reactions from parents. One father, who identifies as an atheist, expressed strong disagreement with the measure, calling it ridiculous. She noticed that her daughter and her friends found K-pop songs to be a harmless activity that helped build their confidence through performance. Other parents highlighted the positive messages contained in songs like “Golden”, emphasizing the themes of teamwork, courage and kindness that they felt would benefit their children’s development.
Following the feedback, Allington released an updated statement acknowledging the positive values embedded in the film’s music. The revised statement clarified that the school does not condemn the film or declare the songs inherently problematic. Instead, Allington explained that the school’s role is to help students understand that their peers may have different religious perspectives and to promote mutual respect among those who have different beliefs.
Netflix announced in August that “K-Pop Demon Hunters” had become its own most watched film ever, generating 236 million streams since its release in June. The film centers on Huntr/x, a fictional K-pop girl group whose members combine musical performances with fighting skills to protect humanity from demonic forces. The film achieved notable chart success, with the track “Golden” becoming the first K-pop song by a female artist to reach the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
