‘’You’d better get home, godspeed!’’ – says Nobleman (Choi Woo-shik).
It’s a saying revealing a shocking secret about Ja-Yoon: Far from a mere and decent schoolgirl, she’s ‘’the Witch’’, who conquers all foes by her superpower.
One of the Korean’s box office biggest hits in summer 2018 is ‘’The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion’’. It is a unique, mysterious movie with suspense action scenes. As the curtain closes, it leaves the audience with a brain-damaging ‘’plot twist’’.
This movie was so epic and awe-inspiring at large. What impresses me most while watching this movie is the Train to Busan’s star, Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi, ‘Itaewon Class’ lead actress. Remarkably, how Kim Da-mi transforms from a decent and naive schoolgirl into a potent and violent Witch astounds me.
Yet when will ‘The Witch Part 2 The Subversion’ be on aired?
Scroll down to catch up with some breaking news about its sequel on Jobandedu!
Table of Contents
‘The Witch’ – The Box Office Hit
While Western movies like Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones, How I met your mother, and Twilight are well-received worldwide, tons of Korean sci-fi action ones keep secured new records regarding the top influences; a case in point: “The Witch”.
A young girl, Ja-yoon lives with her adoptive parents after they found her alone in the woods and near death. When strange people start appearing in her life, she falls into turmoil as her seemingly ordinary life turns upside down in a blink of an eye. The film features an award-winning performance by Da-mi Kim and co-starring Woo-shik Choi from Parasite.
“Very charming movie, the first thirty minutes are a set up…. You appreciate it more during the last parts… The two young actresses are great and the mysterious young man is an interesting element. It doesn’t lack any action in the later part and the story is a good twist. It makes some Sci-Fi American movies sit up and applaud the approach… Not for everyone but if you like an interesting story, check it out… I was a little confused with the action reviews after the start but made perfect sense… The start isn’t bad just doesn’t move like the rest of the movie.. the Central character’s friend is very funny and the parents are charming, Jonathan and Martha Kent by way of Korea 🙂 I really liked it a lot!”
Mark L. Mckenzie – an Amazon Prime user.
- Revised romanization: Manyeo
- Genre: Action / Mystery / Fantasy /Science Fiction
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
- Distributor: Warner Bros. Korea
- Director/Writer: Park Hoon-Jung
- Producer: Yeon Young-Sik, Park Hoon-Jung
Part 1. The Subversion sold more than 735,000 tickets with a US$6 million gross revenue in the first week of release. In the second week, the film grossed US$3.5 million from 451,113 tickets sold and US$3.1 million on its third week (Wikipedia).
As of August 23, 2018, it attracted 3,189,092 audiences, and earned US$24,377,666.
With these admirable achievements, we have reasons to expect the soon-to-go sequel of ‘The Witch’ to be highly successful.
Besides ‘’The Witch’’, enjoy the me-time with other top-notch movies like The Office Christmas and Godzilla vs. Kong. They can eclipse the dull moments on rainy days!
The Witch Part 1 The Subversion
Summary
The Witch story unfolds on a dark and creepy night when a group of adults is hunting on children, including an eight-year-old girl. Fortunately, she has fled into the deep forest and escaped from the clutches of death. Afterward, an older couple finds her and adopts her as their daughter. She is then named Ja-yoon (played by Kim Da Mi).
The girl lives a peaceful life for ten years until her family starts to have financial difficulty. Ja-yoon has severe migraines while her adoptive mother gets Alzheimer’s disease. This leads Ja-yoon to join a singing competition to earn money. Her impressive talent wows the judges and helps her win the prize: Floating the mic with her telekinetic ability.
The Witch Part 1. Subversion (2020) Official US Trailer | Korean Action Horror Movie
Ja-yoon’s performance earns notice from Dr. Baek – the leader of an inhuman organization. In the past, Dr.Baek had experimented on Ja-yoon to turn her into a lethal weapon. After knowing Ja-yoon is still alive, Dr. Baek attempts to capture Ja-yoon for her inhuman purposes, sounding like a death knell to Ja-yoon.
The film starts at a relatively slow pace with tedious details surrounding Ja Yoon’s daily life. Sometimes, it is dotted with a few shady characters, making the story seem confusing. At a certain point, I figured out that ‘the Witch’ is Ja-yoon. That’s when the director begins to bring light on the storyline, and the drama becomes haunting little by little.
All that happened, from Ja-yoon’s TV appearance, migraines to the meeting with the awkward guys and the black hunters, is just a plan of ‘the Witch’. I am startled to know that I had fallen into her perfect trap; how she turns from a decent young girl into ‘the Witch’ astounds me.
Ja-yoon aims to attract Dr.Baek’s attention to take revenge and treat her migraines. Back to the lab of Dr.Baek’s organization, she kills all opponents in a blink of an eye, from strangers in black to the Nobleman (played by Choi Woo-shik). Leaving Ja-yoon and the other kids such loss and pain, cruel people must pay in one way only – blood.
Of note, Nobleman appears as a cold-blooded killer belonging to Dr. Baek’s nefarious organization. He leaves a hint to Ja-yoon: “You’d better get home, godspeed!’’, which reminds Ja-yoon of her dark past (involved in Dr.Baek’s organization). He emerges as a hyper-violent and aggressive killer but can’t be Ja-yoon’s opponent in the end.
Ultimately, Ja-yoon defeats both Nobleman and Dr.Baek with a smug victory smile on her lip.
Watch Video: ‘’You’d better get home, godspeed!’’ – a Nobleman’s saying somewhat reveals Ja-yoon’s shocking secrets.
After that, Ja-yoon meets Dr. Baek’s twin sister and takes the injections to cure the long-lasting migraines. She is a mysterious young woman whose face is covered in scars. Yet the screen goes black at that time with a confusing ending, leaving me with unanswered questions. Certainly, breathtaking backdrops are not inferior to the Thanos’ legendary!
Perhaps, this curiosity will keep the audience coming to the cinema for the spin-off: The Witch subversion part 2.
The ‘’Women In White’’ In The Ending Scene
From many Redditors, this woman may either be the biological mother of ‘The Witch’ or even of other lab-rat children.
Joining Dr.Baek’s experiment by giving some of her eggs to the lab, she ultimately gets one child for herself. And the most outstanding child, no one else, is Ja-yoon. Notwithstanding, if this hypothesis comes true, I can’t believe how Dr.Baek and her sister treat their children, their nephews and nieces. Too mercilessly!
Another hypothesis is that the face covered in scars of the woman might indicate that she was from grueling tests in the lab. When Ja-yoon has flashbacks, I see so many kids with large scars across their heads. Is the ‘Women in white’ also a fellow test subject as Ja-yoon?
We may know the answers in the next part: The Witch Part 2. The Subversion. Still, no one knows what’s exactly will occur. Let’s wait and see!
Humanistic Message In ‘The Witch’
Behind the film’s cold tones and gloomy atmosphere, The Witch contains profound messages about family and the meaning of life and death. What Ja-yoon did may spring in your mind the image of the women struggling for survival in a same-name book titled: “The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One.”
When science is at the service of violence, the world will become chaotic, scary, and filled with death and mourning. Violence has stolen children’s childhood, faith, and life, turning them into a product of a senseless, inhuman experiment.
Like other children, Ja-yoon longs for a normal life and regains her pure soul, although she is named “a mutant”. The love of Ja-yoon’s foster parents makes her a kind person.
Notwithstanding, her dark past never leaves her peaceful so easily. Ja-yoon can’t live a normal child’s life as she serves as a protectress of her family from Dr.Baek.
‘The Witch’ is just one of the exciting movies in our movie review series in our Entertainment corner!
Watch Video: THE WITCH | CENTURIES
Will There Be The Witch Part 2 The Subversion?
The Witch Subversion Part 2: Plot Outline
In Part 1, Ja-yoon is tired of the effects left by all previous experiments, fostering her desires for a permanent solution. It is not tricky to realize Dr. Baek’s sister is the person who can deal with Ja-yoon’s migraines.
What’s more, I believe that Ja-yoon’s actions somewhat clarify her intention to track down her birth parents. She may then go back to the countryside to take care of her adoptive parents. Still, all are my guesses. No one knows the exact answers until the sequel airs.
The Witch Part 2 The Subversion’s Release Date
Recently, the filmmakers have announced The Witch part 2 Korean release date – 15th June 2022 – with the title: “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One”. The sequel unfolds a new story with endless “plot twits”.
Indeed, new faces Eun Bin, Jin Goo, Shin Si-ah, and Lee Jong Suk, heat up a notch to all well-wishers and big fans. In fact, the spin-off entails many controversies. Every viewer enjoys it in their own way. Jot down some comments right below this post for discussions with Jobandedu.
Watch This Video: Part 2. The Other One – Trailer 2
The Witch Part 2 Cast
According to imdb.com, Kim Da-mi will not continue as a lead actress. Shin Si-ah, a 22-year-old student of the Department of Theater and Cinema of a University in Seoul, will be our new Witch.
Kim Da-mi still appears in The Witch’s sequel, yet as a cameo.
Beyond that, director Park Hoon-Jung also reveals an outstanding cast, including actors in Part 1 such as Park Eun-bi, Jo Min-soo, and new faces like Lee Jong-suk, Jin Goo.
Wrapping Up
Watch Video: Another trailer of The Witch. Subversion 2018
Besides the commercial successes from Part 1, ‘The Witch’ also attained many positive viewers’ feedback. Critics worldwide call it a “subtle turning point” for the Korean movie industry.
Not a blockbuster yet, ‘The Witch’ is still an awesome action and sci-fi movie, from the plotline to the actors’ acting. It is like a unique spiritual food that keeps fans curious about what will be revealed in its spin-off – The Witch Part 2 The Subversion.
Note: The article contains relevant Amazon products that helps you navigate through the subject.
