Here’s yet another movie I would not have run across if I wasn’t going through Bloody Disgusting’s top 15 list of 2020. I wasn’t as excited about The Witch: The Subversion as I have been on a couple others, but I will say it has some high-quality factors to it!
The Witch: The Subversion, made in South Korea, is visually stunning from the start to finish. The characters in the story are all colorful, superbly directed, and well-played out by the actors/actresses. This is Part 1 of a series, but it is unknown when Part 2 will be made and released. Might be waiting a while for it, unfortunately.
Aside from the opening scene, which really sets the stage for the storyline and introduces a lot of the main players in the film, The Witch starts out really slow. As this is Part 1 of a supposed trilogy, they do a really drawn-out build-up, with deep character development for the long game, specifically for the main character, Koo Ja Yoon, played by Kim Da-Mi.
Koo Ja Yoon is a teenager, living on a rural farm with her “parents”. Parents in quotations because the opening scene reveals that Koo Ja Yoon has a violent and dark beginning. We see her escaping, what seems to be, a testing facility in which many children are being held against their wills, and gruesomely being slaughtered by hitman-type men. We learn that the children, Koo included, are “different” and somehow dangerous to mankind.
Koo Ja Yoon escapes the slaughter and travels far, bloodied and exhausted, and reaches the farm of a grieving elderly couple. The couple finds her passed out in their field and they take her in to care for her. Turns out, they have lost loved ones, and decide to keep the runaway child, unaware of her past and the dangers she possesses. So, not really her parents.
Fast forward to Koo Ja Yoon as a teenager. The image and feeling is peaceful and laid back for the family as they raised her as their own grandchild/daughter. No violence or secrets revealed of where she came from. Apparent amnesia has also kept Koo’s past at bay.
That is until Koo Ja Yoon, and her best friend, slip off after school to perform for a talent singing show, something like American Idol. She ends up on the TV show as one of highlights and favorites in the competition.
This sets The Witch: The Subversion off in a different direction, as those she escaped from years prior see her on the show and discover that she is still alive. And, of course, they want to get her back within their grasp. Shady men in expensive cars and suits begin to show up everywhere in the small community Koo's lived in, as well as a neatly groomed affable teenager telling her she should remember him. He is only known as the "Male English-speaking Witch", played by Choi Woo-sik. Some of them call her ‘the little witch’ trying to remind her of who she is, or was. Koo Ja Yoon strongly denies remembering anything.
After an altercation with these men in her house, a group of teenagers, equally shady in appearance, and led by the mysterious well-groomed teen, show up and escort her to a distant hidden facility.
There we discover the truth behind Koo Ja Yoon’s past, as well as who (or what) the group of teenagers are. The ‘witches’ in this movie seem more like superheroes, so it’s a different take on that supernatural creature we know so well.
From here the final act in The Witch: The Subversion takes place. And it provides us with an action-packed, wild, fun, bloody ride. Best part of the movie, hands down. Twists occur along the way, revealing secrets yet untold. And even though they may be a little predictable, the twists are still precisely played out and well-directed. The climax for The Witch: The Subversion absolutely makes up for the slower beginning. The story is paved with deep plot lines and great characters, creating one hell of a movie!
The unfortunate thing is, it is only Part 1 of a larger story. So, we have to wait to see how the full narrative wraps up. You may want to wait until Part 2 is released before watching this one, OR just dive in and enjoy the visuals, the rampant blood at the end, and you may still walk away with a smile on your face!
I do suggest that you watch The Witch: The Subversion for the fun factor at the end of the movie. However, it may not end up in my top 15 of 2020…don’t know yet. We’ll have to see!
Although The Witch The Subversion came out in 2018, I believe the release in America, on Netflix, occurred in 2020. So, I suppose that’s why this movie shows up in the Top 15 list for 2020.
Enjoy!
The Witch Part 1: The Subversion
Released: 6/27/2018
Rating: NR
Genre: Action, Mystery
Director: Hoon-jung Park (I Saw the Devil, The Tiger)
Writer: Hoon-jung Park (I Saw the Devil, The Tiger)
Stars:
Kim Da-Mi (Itaewon Class)
Min-soo Jo (Jazzy Misfits)
Choi Woo-sik (Parasite)
IMDB Rating: 7.1 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%!!
Metascore: N/A
Streamable on these Apps with subscription at time of Blog Post: Netflix, Hoopla
Rentable on these Apps as of this Blog posting: Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube TV, and more
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