THE
WITCH: SUBVERSION (2018)
Starring
Kim Da-mi, Jo Min-su, Choi Woo-shik, Park Hee-soon, Go Min-si, Choi
Jung-woo, Oh Mi-hee. Directed by Park Hoon-jung. (125 min)
ON
BLU-RAY FROM WELL GO USA
Review
by Tiger the Terribleđ¸
Have
you ever known somebody who seems to be good at everything...and
knows it? They can casually pick up a ball and nail a three-pointer,
ace a test without bothering to study and beat you at Mario Kart
their first time playing. They’re comfortable & confident in any social
situation, effortlessly striking up engaging conversations with
strangers and whose jokes are always funny.
Doesn’t just a small part of you secretly hate that guy?
19-year-old
Ja-yoon (Kim Da-mi) is awesome at everything, too. She’s number-one in her
class, extraordinarily knowledgeable and becomes a finalist in a
nationally televised singing competition despite never having previously sung in
her life. As we later learn, she can also levitate objects, is a
skilled killer and damn-near indestructible.
But
unlike that supercool douche canoe you’ve grown to resent, we
genuinely like Ja-yoon. She’s empathetic, caring and cute as a
button. Not only that, she loves and is loved by her elderly adoptive
parents. Besides, none of her more lethal talents are her own doing.
 |
| She only came in for a cleaning. |
Despite
the title, The Witch: Subversion is not a horror film. Though
the narrative tries to keep Ja-yoon’s true nature close-to-the-vest
longer than it needs to, savvy viewers will have it figured out in
the prologue, when an eight-year-old girl escapes from a monolithic
facility, to the chagrin of maniacal geneticist Dr. Baek (Jo Min-su)
and her #1 thug, Mr. Choi (Park Hee-soon). That girl, of course, is
young Ja-yoon and she’s the enhanced product of genetic
engineering, as are a small batch of other kids who grow up to be
Baek’s cronies (including a pre-Parasite Choi
Woo-shik). As a young adult, Ja-yoon's deadly skills come in handy as
Baek tries to rein her in.
A
bonkers cross between Village of the Damned and Lucy,
the film throws way too much plot into a relatively simple story (and
still doesn’t make-clear why these kids are being bred as killers).
However, there are a few nifty twists and its gonzo approach to the action – particularly during the
second half – is wildly entertaining. Hyperkinetic without ever
becoming disorienting, The Witch is chock-full of bloodsoaked
brawls, snapped limbs and explosive gunplay. At its center is Kim Da-Mi in a
remarkable performance. As Ja-yoon, she evolves from “helpless” &
meek to vengeful & menacing without ever losing the audience’s
sympathy.
If
the subtitle – Subversion – wasn’t already an obvious
clue, the denouement leaves the door left wide-open for a sequel
or two (which are apparently forthcoming). Still, The Witch
tells a decent self-contained story in its own right. It’s a bit
too plot heavy for its own good, but fans of crazy, violent action
should be amused.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
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