HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS Delivers Hellfire and Haymakers [Fantasia 2025 Review]

If over-the-top action sequences, religious horror, and genre mash-up movies are your thing, then don’t sleep on HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS from South Korea. The debut film from Lim Dae-hee recently made its Quebec Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival and stands as a shining example of why Fantasia is one of my fave festivals out there. A genuine, if not slightly messy delight, HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS delivers religious horror heat with a gnarly right hook. 

In modern Seoul, a sinister cult called the Black Mass unleashes ritual murders, possessions, and mass hysteria in an attempt to summon ancient demons. Totally out of their element, police and citizens often find themselves turning to a trio of professional demon hunters called Holy Night. Led by a guilt-riddled brick of a man named Bow (Don Lee), Holy Night also includes a powerful exorcist named Sharon (Seohyun), and a tech-savvy assistant named Kim Gun (David Lee). When neuropsychiatrist Jung‑won’s (Gyeong Su-jin) young sister, Eun‑seo (Jung Ji-so), falls prey to the cult’s evil doings, the team takes on hidden rituals, possessed acolytes and their own deepest fears. In a desperate showdown, Holy Night finds themselves fighting their most powerful enemy yet, and their own limits in the process.

Despite treading very familiar territory, HOLY NIGHT still manages to blaze its own trail. Sure, there are many standard beats relating to Catholicism, exorcism tropes, mental illness, and even religious disillusionment. Still, it also plays with the formula and adds in a few original surprises for some extra spice. Similar to the way projects like CONSTANTINE, END OF DAYS, or the TV show EVIL take liberties with these familiar tropes, so does HOLY NIGHT. While these spicy nuances are essentially tied to religious lore and exorcism procedures, the action element feels similarly fresh. 

While all three Holy Night employees have their action moments, the literal big action swings are executed by Bow. As Bow, Don Lee brings a very believable physical presence and dominance to the character, using his finely honed boxing skills to blast his way through dozens of crazed demon worshippers. Very much in Lee’s wheelhouse, Bow fits right in with his previous roles in films like TRAIN TO BUSAN, ETERNALS, and THE ROUNDUP films. But aside from his boxing technique, Lee brings a sensitivity to Bow and his backstory that raises the stakes of the story and makes the rest of the narrative feel warranted.

Even though Lee is great as Bow, it was the performances by Seohyun as Sharon and Jung Ji-so as the possessed Eun-seo that stole the spotlight for me. No matter how many demon worshippers Bow blasts through, the Holy Night mission would be moot if it weren’t for Sharon. She is the one drawing out, trapping, and banishing the actual demons, sending them back to the fiery realms of hell where they belong. 

As Sharon, Seohyun exudes a quiet confidence that will take more than some nasty demon to shake. It’s also one of the more physical exorcist roles I’ve seen, which Seohyun fully commits to. Similarly, Jung Ji-so absolutely rules as the possessed Eun-seo, which is a tough gig. Having to essentially play two very different roles, Jung seamlessly shifts back and forth between the possessed and the posessor. On top of that, Jung sells a pretty hefty amount of demon action and carries some heavy practical and digital effects with ease.  

Tonally, HOLY NIGHT balances its blend of action and horror by consistently keeping a simmering element of fun throughout the entire runtime. Interspersed segments of found-footage style filming add some genuine chills. In contrast, the heavy and stylish use of various effects adds an element of fun, cheese, and supernatural silliness across the board. Even when the story meanders or lingers a bit too long in some areas of the exposition, the fact remains that this is a movie that it’s impossible not to enjoy. Ultimately, HOLY NIGHT: DEMON HUNTERS is devilishly fun and offers genre fans a thrilling rollercoaster ride of hellfire and haymakers.

The 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 16 to August 3 in Montreal, Quebec, primarily at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée. For more information, please visit the Fantasia website here.