“Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience” was released on Feb. 6, grossing $19.1 million over its first weekend and hitting No. 1 at the global box office. The film offers high-quality footage of the band’s SoFi Stadium performance last summer in Los Angeles during their 2024-2025 world tour, as well as exclusive interviews. For K-pop fans—and especially for superfans, known as Stays—this is a must-watch movie.
With concert tickets ranging anywhere from around $100 (where you can barely see or hear anything in your seat) to $5,000 (where you could high-five the members), a movie ticket at roughly $20 is a sigh of relief for your wallet.
The film opens with Stray Kids’ hit song “Mountains.” Director Paul Dugdale nails the camera angles, lighting and overall cinematography, making the performance feel huge and immersive.
During hype moments like the chorus of “JJAM,” the intense editing makes every moment pulse with magical energy. In softer songs like “Cinema,” the camera zooms in on the members’ faces, vividly capturing their expressions.
The sound quality enhances this intimacy, highlighting their vocals with a sound more raw and powerful than the polished footage and layered audio recordings associated with the band’s music videos.
After every few performances, the movie cuts to one-on-one interviews with each member. One of the funniest moments was when Seungmin called their performance a “one-man show” because fellow member Lee Know was chilling on his phone. On a more serious note, several members opened up about their insecurities and the pressures they faced in the industry. These heartfelt clips allow the audience to connect to the boy band on a more personal level.
As for the music itself, if you like Stray Kids, you’re getting 29 performances that’ll leave you in awe. The setlist covers a wide mix of styles, with hype songs dominating the beginning and surprisingly emotional songs concluding the movie. “Blind Spot” was especially touching when the band continued repeating this lyric: “Shining, we are the champions; Dying to live for greatness.” It felt like it was for them, but also for all the Stays.
In the theater, the viewer experience feels almost like a real concert, with many fans bringing light sticks or skzoos (animals representing each member). While movie theater etiquette usually involves a quiet audience, everyone watching with me was singing (usually screaming) like they would at an actual concert, causing many of us to leave the theater with a happy heart and a hoarse voice. If watching in 4DX, the rocking seats and occasional water spray or steam make the experience all the more memorable.
That said, one major criticism is the movie’s limited scope compared to the full DominATE tour. Since the world tour spanned 34 cities across five continents, the movie’s sole focus on the LA leg was disappointing for many international fans who were hoping for more variety in the performances, especially those that occurred in their home country
Still, the movie is worth watching before it leaves theaters on Feb. 19. It’s the closest thing to the real experience without paying concert-level prices.
