These two films might be the only ones that could upset KPop demon hunters at the Oscars

Published Jan 28, 2026, 8:20 PM EST

Brandon Zachary is one of the lead writers on the team for Screen Rant’s new film. He also writes or has written for Comicbook.com, CBR, That Hashtag Show, Just Watch and TVBrittanyF. Brandon is a Emerging Screenwriters Semi-Finalistco-author of a Scenario Quarter finalist, a seasoned on-screen interviewer and a MASSIVE nerd. You can reach him at bs.zachary@gmail.com

Demon Hunters KPop is the favorite to win two Oscars this year Oscars ceremony, but there are two films that could potentially shake up Netflix’s success. Since its debut on the streaming service last year, Demon Hunters KPop became a major success with wider audiences and critics, winning two Oscar nominations.

This success could help attract more attention the Oscarswhere the film is in the running for “Best Song” and “Best Animated Film”. However, even though it’s the clear favorite, big upsets aren’t uncommon at the Oscars. In fact, there are two critical darlings (including one of the biggest films of the year) that could win these awards instead.

Arco could win the Oscar for best animated feature film

In any other year, Bow would probably be a favorite for the Best Animated Film award at the Oscars, but Demon Hunters KPop changed the equation this year. After a long winning streak for Disney and Pixar in the 2010s (interrupted only twice in the entire decade), the category was much more competitive over the last few years.

This jibes with two of this year’s critically acclaimed entries, Bow And Zootopia 2. In this race, BowHollywood backing, Studio Ghibli-influenced visuals and powerful storytelling this would probably have given him an advantage about the mysterious and fun Disney story. However, Demon Hunters KPop was too big a success to ignore.

Especially after it so completely dominated the pop culture conversation, Demon Hunters KPop this seems like a natural winner. It helps that the film is also incredibly well-directed and totally awesome, setting itself up to be a worthy winner. If anything were to upset him (and would undoubtedly be just as deserving of this award), it would be Bow.

It’s a great story that can match Demon Hunters KPop“Musical charm and a stylized approach with emotional depth and visual wonders, but even then it seems like a long shot. Demon Hunters KPop has been a dominant force in pop culture all year, and it will likely take it to the finish line for Best Animated Feature.

Sinners could create a huge upset by winning “Golden”

It was impossible to escape Demon Hunters KPop since the summer, with the film’s Netflix debut turning the soundtrack into a series of radio hits. “Golden” was a bona fide Billboard hit, serving as a good representation of the soundtrack as a whole while also just being a great song on its own.

For much of the lead-up to the nominations, it looked like “Golden” was likely going to enjoy a three-way race with “I Lied To You” from Sinners and one of the original songs from Villain: for good. However, the musical sequel had difficulty with criticism compared to the previous year.

Although the musical sequel was a smash hit for Universal, strong competition eliminated it from nominations. As a result, “I Lied To You” saw an increase in his chances. This is before even addressing the fact that Sinners» The nomination in this category is just one of many that the film has won.

If Sinners continues to gain momentum at other awards shows, it could become a juggernaut on Oscar night. Given that Sinners dominated the awards with a record 16 nominationsit wouldn’t be impossible for “I Lied To You,” a truly transcendent moment in one of the best films of 2025, to take home the win.

It could even come as part of a tidal wave of support for the filmwhich should work fine. However, this momentum was somewhat hampered by One battle after anotherwhich many still expect to be the favorite for many awards. This could harm the dynamic that would spread to all other categories.

“I Lied To You” only suffers from competition. “Golden” has become more than just a great scene from a fantasy film. No matter how good “I Lied to You” is – and it is Really GOOD – It’s hard to compete with the song of the summer. A Sinners win at Oscarswhile possible, would be a shake-up for the ages.