Netflix’s ‘K-Pops!’ Movie Has A Big Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic Gap

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentNetflix’s ‘K-Pops!’ Movie Has A Big Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic GapByJeff Benjamin,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jeff Benjamin is a New York-based writer covering global pop music.Follow AuthorMay 29, 2026, 11:15pm EDTAnderson .Paak at Los Angeles Premiere of Anderson .Paak's "K-POPS!" held at AMC The Grove on February 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty ImagesAnderson .Paak’s directorial debut K-POPS! lands on Netflix on May 30, but if you head to the two biggest review aggregators to decide whether it’s worth your Saturday night, you may leave torn. On one site, it’s a certified crowd-pleaser. On the other, it’s a shrug. Same movie, same critics, but wildly different verdicts? Here’s what’s actually going on with the numbers and what’s causing the large gap.Forbes5 Upcoming K-Pop Films That Can Follow In ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ SuccessBy Jeff BenjaminAfter KPop Demon Hunters not only won over audiences but also critics across Hollywood, let’s look at how Netflix’s latest K-pop feature is shaping up.What Netflix’s 'K-POPS!’ Movie Is AboutK-POPS! is the full-length feature directing and writing debut of nine-time Grammy winner and Silk Sonic member Anderson .Paak, who also stars in the film. He plays BJ, a jaded-but-genuine Los Angeles musician trying to revive his stalled career and nursing the wounds of a complicated past relationship. BJ takes a gig with a house band on a K-pop competition show in Seoul, and while he’s there, he discovers that his long-lost son, Tae Young, is also chasing stardom in the same industry. Tae Young is played by .Paak’s real-life son, Soul Rasheed.The supporting cast includes Perry Mason actress Jee Young Han, actor-rapper Jonnie “Dumbfoundead” Park, and Yvette Nicole Brown of Community fame. The flick also includes a slew of superstar musician cameos from...