As students walked into the screening room in Miller, a couch in the front of the room set the tone.
“This was the only excuse we would ever have to bring a couch in here,” joked student presenter Aubrey Harris as students settled in for Asbury University’s latest Faith & Film night. The informal setting matched the evening’s goal: not just watching a movie, but sitting together to wrestle honestly with the spiritual themes beneath it.
The featured film, KPop Demon Hunters, an animated fantasy about a girl group protecting the world from literal demons, might seem like an unlikely choice for theological reflection. But for the students gathered, the story opened a conversation about guilt, shame, authenticity and the power of community — themes they argued mirror the Christian life.
Presenters began by highlighting what they described as the film’s central thread: the way shame expands when it is hidden.
In the story, protagonist Rumi conceals a secret about her identity, represented visually by spreading marks across her body. As she hides the truth, the marks grow — a metaphor that resonated with the audience.
“When we feel shame, we feel like we have to hide it,” one presenter said. “But when you pretend it doesn’t exist, it just gets worse.”
Students connected the character’s turning point — when she begins speaking honestly about her struggle — to the Christian idea that confession and vulnerability are the beginning of healing.
Rather than presenting shame as something defeated by perfection, the film suggests that transformation comes through honesty and relationship.
Another major discussion point focused on the “Honmoon,” a protective barrier in the film powered by connection between the performers and their fans.
The metaphor was clear to the presenters: community strengthens spiritual resilience, while secrecy and dishonesty weaken it.
“The best way to defeat community is shame,” one student explained. When Rumi hides her secret, she withdraws from friends, tells lies and isolates herself — fractures that allow evil to break through.
Students compared the idea to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew about building on a solid foundation. A community built on image or performance, they said, cannot withstand pressure. But authentic relationships create strength.
The film’s climax — where characters unite honestly rather than performatively — was framed as a picture of new creation, echoing 2 Corinthians 5:17.
While the movie features supernatural battles, presenters emphasized that its real conflict is internal.
“The entire plot takes the phrase ‘facing your demons’ and makes it literal,” one student said.
Each main character wrestles with a different internal struggle: fear of rejection, feelings of unworthiness, or the belief that they are “too much” or “not enough.” Their external victory only comes after confronting those inner lies.
The discussion also explored unhealthy ways people cope with shame — distraction, busyness, media or substances — compared with the belonging and identity offered in faith.
One of the evening’s most praised moments was a quiet scene in which the characters appear without makeup, performance personas or defenses.
Presenters called it a rare depiction of authentic friendship — and a reminder that the people who can support us are often already present.
“The difference at the end isn’t that her friends changed,” a student noted. “It’s that she finally trusted them.”
The theme drew connections to biblical passages about carrying one another’s burdens and loving deeply.
Students also examined the film’s recurring motif of performance — both on stage and in everyday life.
In the story, even the heroes maintain polished public identities while privately struggling. Presenters argued the message was not that all “masks” are wrong, but that problems arise when image replaces authenticity or becomes an idol.
The conversation briefly expanded to real-world parallels, including the intense appearance and behavior standards within the K-pop industry. Students noted that such pressure reflects a broader cultural tendency to value perfection over honesty.
Faith & Film events at Asbury aim to help students practice cultural engagement rather than avoidance — learning to discern meaning, symbolism and spiritual themes in popular media.
By the end of the night, the couch had become more than a novelty. Students lingered, continuing conversations about vulnerability, friendship and the tension between performance and authenticity.
If the evening had a takeaway, presenters said, it was simple: the battle against darkness rarely begins with defeating external enemies.
It begins with telling the truth — to God, to others and to ourselves.
