REVIEW: ‘The Witch: Part 2. The Other One’

The Witch Part 1: Subversion was one of my favorite films of 2018. It was packed with science fiction and action all while questing biomedical ethics and using extreme violence to not only shock, but tell its story. Now, from writer-director Park Hoon-jung, the sequel is here. The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (The Witch 2) builds out the world that director Park created by increasing the number of superhumans and turning their powers up to 11.

In this sequel to the popular Korean sci-fi action thriller The Witch, the story moves away from a confined secret lab and out into the real world. After a mysterious girl emerges as the sole survivor of a bloody raid on the research facility called the Ark behind the top-secret Witch Program, she is rescued by a pair of civilians, Siblings Kyung-hee (Park Eun-bin) and Dae-gi (Sung Yoo-bin), who soon realize the girl is both very powerful and in very grave danger. However, as the assassins tasked with locating and silencing the girl move ever closer, the lives of everyone balance on a razor’s edge.

While this sequel doesn’t reach the level of its predecessor it is still a thrilling watch. With over two hours of story, uses every minute to build up atmosphere and characters that pays off in stellar displays of violence. Sure there are elements of ethics that were involved in the first film, but the bulk of The Witch 2 is centered on ramping up the spectacle and pushing the gas pedal on making action set pieces grander than they were in the first season.

The first act of the film ramps up slowly. It sets the stage by bringing the story of the Witch Program back “many years” and introducing a new girl with a past that is shrouded in secrecy by deeply connected to Ja-Yoon (Kim Da-Mi). Cloning, assassination, lots of blood, The Witch 2 is centered around the girl that brings multiple agencies with different motives together in a final act. In a lot of ways, the film is best explained as a violent superpowered fight fest with some story thrown in. In fact, unlike the first film, much of the violence in the film doesn’t always push the narrative forward. Instead, they pop up like gems of brutality.

From pulling doors off cars to knife fights that don’t miss and giant storms of rocks that rip bodies apart, there is nothing small about the action-packed into The Witch 2.  There is no subtlety or nuance, just larger and larger sequences that don’t stop building on each other. The center of the bulk of these fights is Jo-hyeon (Seo Eun-soo) the head officer of the agency tasked by the leaders of the Witch Program to capture the girl. She’s unyielding, angry, and capable of singlehandedly decimating an entire facility on her own. With heightened strength and speed, Jo-hyeon is a force on screen and manages to carry herself with an authority that matches the share physical space her well-over 6’3″ English-speaking partner.

That said though, The Witch 2 is a sequel that never feels superfluous. With so much action shoved into the film, not a single moment feels repeated and each fight sequence feels more innovative than the last. But that also means that the lore of the world pales in comparison to such an expansive action-focused cast. This ends up being both a good thing and a bad thing.

For existing fans of the first film, there is a hollowness to how the story, meaning, and science fiction elements develop. That said, there is enough exposition and new elements added that coming into The Witch 2 without seeing the first film isn’t a bad idea. That said, the film’s last act carries more weight when you have seen the first film.

Overall, The Witch: Part 2. The Other One is a film that is extremely exciting for the action alone. While it’s a tad too long, especially for a fairly minimal story, the action is unyielding and pays off entirely – even if it’s a little overstuffed.

The Witch: Part 2. The Other One is being released by Well Go USA and screened at Fantasia Fest 2022.