After a brutal massacre at a top-secret testing facility, a young girl named Ja-Yoon (Kim Da-Mi) escapes in the nearby woods. She finally reaches a farmhouse with a friendly older couple. Life seems peaceful for ten years. But Ja-Yoon’s adopted parents are facing hard times. She decides to try to raise money for the family by starring at a Korean talent TV show where she can showcase her “unique” abilities. During her train ride to Seoul, she meets a mysterious man (Choi Woo-Shik) and slowly realizes that her past is coming to find her.
The Witch: Subversion (2018, aka The Witch Part 1 Subversion) is a fun action thriller from director Park Hoon-Jung (2011’s The Showdown). While known as a screenwriter thanks to his work on Kim Jee-Woon’s I Saw The Devil (2010), Hoon-Jung showcases a nice visual eye with a heavy focus on action and scene detail. But the story and pacing are a bit of mess which leads to a rushed ending.
At the time of this review, it’s rumored this movie is the first in a new trilogy, with the second film coming out sometime in 2021. This idea for a serial story is most likely why the story seems to race to a cliffhanger. This is sadly something that many newer films try to do to keep the gravy train coming. By the time we get to the final scene, it feels like a big cheat to keep us around for the next chapter in the story.
Up until the third act, The Witch Subversion is a gorgeous looking and well-told story. The slices of Ja-Yoon’s homelife are sweet and the interplay between her and her loud mouth friend feels real. Kim Da-Mi makes for a likable lead. She is softspoken and to herself. She also handles her action set pieces well with a burning intensity. Some of her best scenes are when she finally uses her gleeful smile during the gory ending with some nice echoes of Firestarter.
Choi Woo-Shik (Bong Jong-Ho’s Parasite) completely steals the movie as the charming lead of the supercharged assassins. The camera loves him and it’s a shame there aren’t more scenes with him. He milks every second of screentime with a boylike glee. It’s a fun contrast next to some of the film’s bleak tone.
Despite the rushed climax, The Witch Subversion is full of over the top action. We get a few John Woo stylized slow-mo gunfights, a superhero punch fest, and some wire assisted stunt work. It’s a nice shot in the arm that helps distract from the lackluster final plot twist. The final fight between Woo-Shik and Kim Da-Mi is wacky as hell as the two of them bounce from room to room all the while dodging bullets and pipes. Even with all, it’s pacing issues its a fun action trip from Korea.
Well Go USA’s Blu-ray disc is a beauty in terms of transfer. The 1080p HD picture is spotless with some great blacks and sharp focus. The colors are vivid in the fight scenes and grey during the heavy rainstorms. The 5.1 DTS-HDMA Korean audio is also clean with no hiss or pops. English subtitles are included. The only extras are a trailer gallery with three trailers for The Witch Subversion, as well as The Divine Fury, IP Man 4, and Takashi Miike’s First Love.
Fans of Korean action will want to add The Witch Subversion to their collections. Recommended.
Director- Park Hoon-Jung
Cast- Kim Da-Mi, Choi Woo-Shik
Country of Origin- South Korea
Discs- 1
Distributor- Well Go USA
Reviewer- Tyler Miller