The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion (2018)

7.7 /10

Director/Writer:  Park Hoon-Jung

Star Cast: Kim Da-mi, Jo Min-su, Choi Woo-Shik, Park Hee-soon

Running Time: 125 minutes

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Synopsis: Ja-yoon (Kim Da-mi) escapes from a human experimentation facility at a very small age. Years after, when she shows her unique skills live on national television, her life turns upside down and she comes face to face with her horrific past.

The Subversion is the first part of The Witch Trilogy. The beginning of the film is slow and takes some time for character build-up. Ja-yoon is established as an innocent high school girl, who lives with her parents in a small countryside village. She has a talkative friend Do Myung-hee (Go Min-si). But as the name suggests and from the escape scene at the beginning of the film, we know that she's not an ordinary girl. Unlike most of the film, the last half an hour presents a totally different Ja-yoon, with a lot of violence and action.

Kim Da-mi as Ja-yoon

The story isn't very unique but is well directed and presented. Its premise reminded me of films like The Girl with All the Gifts (2018) and Morgan (2016), where the female protagonists are the result of some science experiments. But yet The Subversion has more differences than similarities compared to those films.  The film succeeds in making the audience believe that Ja-yoon is really a simple innocent girl. The incredible and bone-breaking action sequences overcome the pacing issues and are the selling point of the film, which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Park Hee-soon as Mr. Choi

Kim Da-mi and Choi Woo-shik (known for Parasite and Train to Busan) give top-notch performances. I'm still surprised by how quickly Kim Da-mi shifts her expressions. She's an incredible actor. Go Min-si doesn't impress, maybe because of her irritating character. Jo Min-su and Park Hee-soon are genuine in their roles.

Da-Eun, Jo Min-su and Choi Woo-Shik (left to right)

Writer-Director Park Hoon-jung achieves the goal of establishing the lead character in her origin story without revealing too much. The camera work is fascinating. English dialogues (dubbed) are just ordinary. Park Hoon-jung gives you, what you expected, in a very unexpected manner. The Witch has a huge potential to become one of the most successful horror-thriller franchises. Part 2 will play a crucial role in its success.

Overall, The Subversion is not just a run-of-the-mill film. It's a well-balanced entertainer. Its spooky and explosive ending with a bag full of surprises makes it worth spending time with. It would be interesting to see what else is there for us in the next two instalments.