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What do you get when you take pieces from Superman, Stranger Things, and Hanna? You get The Witch: Subversion, coming March 10th from WellGo USA. The film was written and directed by Park Hoon-jung, probably best known for scripting the brutal thriller I Saw the Devil. Things don’t quite go to that level here, but the movie we do get is highly engrossing, even if it does take a bit to get to where it’s going.
An elderly couple finds a child severely injured out in the woods. They take her in and nurse her back to health. Ten years later, the girl, Ja-yoon (Kim Da-mi), has been adopted by the couple and she lives a very quiet life. She suffers from amnesia and remembers nothing of who she was before she was found. Her father is struggling with his business and her mother is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She wants nothing more than to do something to help, and sees an opportunity when her friend Myung-hee (Ko Min-shi) coaxes her into trying out for a reality television talent contest. Ja-yoon wows the judges with her singing and ‘magic’ abilities. While it looks like she is the contest front runner and could win the money to help her family, it also draws the attention of Gong Ja (Choi Woo-sik), who seems to know the young girl. Soon her life is turned upside down when the truth of who she might really be becomes evident. She will have to fight in order to hold on to what she has now.
The Witch: Subversion may not venture into any new territory, but it delivers in unexpected ways. Where I Saw the Devil was an insanely violent film, The Witch takes the time to deliver some superb character work. The film builds characters you can care about and identify with. Newcomer Kim Da-mi gives a brilliant performance for someone just starting out. This was her first starring role, and she’s captivating. Her character goes through the ringer and switches personalities at a moment’s notice from this sweet, innocent girl into a monster the next, and back again.
The film moves rather slow, but it never feels boring. Once we get to the final act, it takes a major shift and offers some intense and bloody action scenes. My only issue was that it’s intended to be the first part of a trilogy of films, and it definitely feels like it. Loads of questions, loose ends, etc., and we will have to wait and see if we get another one. Judging by its success, a sequel will be inevitable at some point. It’s just going to be a waiting game.
The Witch: Subversion does just about everything right. It delivers strong performances, interesting story, and insane action that you won’t want to miss.
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