‘Forever We Are Young’ review: Illuminating portrait of the superfans behind K-Pop phenomenon BTS

Dirs: Grace Lee, Patty Ahn. USA/South Korea. 2025. 90mins.

The seven-member Korean boy band BTS (or Bangtan Sonyeondan which literally translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts) is a phenomenon. They are the best-selling musical artists in South Korean history; their approach from the outset (they incorporate rap and political commentary) set them apart from other K-Pop groups. But this buoyant documentary is not so much about the history of the band as it is about their fans, known as ARMY (an acronym for the somewhat unwieldy ‘Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth’).

Provides a fascinating wider insight into fandom in general 

The film, by filmmaker Grace Lee and academic and documentarian Patty Ahn (both ARMY), studies the group through the eyes of the diverse, global, connected fanbase. The most interesting and distinctive aspect of the film is the exploration of the highly organised ARMY mobilisation on behalf of their ‘boys’, and, subsequently, ARMY’s political and social engagement.

Like so many other BTS fans around the globe, Lee and Ahn were brought together by their mutual love of the band. Lee’s previous work includes the Peabody-winning documentary series, And She Could Be Next and the LA Film Festival audience prize-winning feature documentary American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs. Ahn is an authority on K-Pop, and teaches a course on the subject at the University of California. Their decision to focus on ARMY is an astute one: there are already numerous concert documentaries about BTS, including 2020’s Break The Silence: The Movie, but the band’s diligent and active fandom is an integral component of their success. That same dedication should ensure that this film, which premiered at SXSW and now plays in CPH:DOX, will find a receptive audience when it is released, whether theatrically or through a streaming platform.

It’s hard to believe it now, given the global pop powerhouse that BTS has become, but the band were initially considered to be the outlying underdogs of the K-Pop scene. And it’s partly this, plus a prettily packaged message of self-acceptance, that hooked in the first wave of supporters. The band’s global reach has been evident almost from the outset – we meet diehard ARMY from Mexico and all over America – but their success in their native South Korea was relatively slow to build. The carefully managed accessibility of the band members – goofy Vlogs and YouTube content are almost as important to the ARMY as the music – is crucial.

What is particularly striking is the extent to which ARMY members project their own needs and identities onto the band. For one man, a Mexican Mariachi musician, they represent a gender-fluid, unashamedly vulnerable alternative to the Macho tradition of the Mexican man; for a newly arrived immigrant to the US, they provided the positivity and optimism that she needed to weather the tough times. For all the interviewees, the band represents a model of supportive friendship which is echoed in the relationships that have been forged within the ARMY community. What is hinted at, but not explored in any real depth, is the potential burden of fan adoration on the band, whose members do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time crying on camera.

While the film is specifically about BTS fans, it provides a fascinating wider insight into fandom in general in the digital age; be it BTS’s dedicated ARMY or Taylor Swift’s Swifties. While a fervent following for a musical artist or band is nothing new, the ease of communication brings a sense of global community – and with it a new degree of power. The ARMY support for the BLM movement was a watershed moment which culminated in an official statement from the band and a $1million donation to the cause. And ARMY targeting of a Trump rally resulted in swathes of empty seats which had been block-booked by the highly organised BTS fans.

Forever We Are Young will inevitably appeal most to existing fans of the band. For newcomers to the cult of BTS, it’s an illuminating and at times moving journey which, while it might not leave us as newly paid up ARMY, at least gives an insight into the their considerable appeal.