It’s been a few years since Park Hoon-jung unleashed the bloody, telekinetic mayhem of the first film, and honestly, the wait for The Witch: Part 2. The Other One felt like an eternity for fans of K-movie ultra-violence. You remember Kim Da-mi’s Ja-yoon, right? That chillingly calm high schooler who turned out to be a genetically engineered killing machine? Well, the sequel takes that foundation and basically kicks the door off its hinges, even if it leaves some people scratching their heads about where the story is actually going.
The movie isn't a direct continuation in the way most people expected. Instead of following Ja-yoon's immediate next steps, we get a new "Girl." She’s played by Shin Si-ah, a newcomer who beat out nearly 1,400 other hopefuls for the role. It’s a bold move. Switching protagonists mid-franchise is usually a recipe for a fan meltdown, but Park Hoon-jung has a specific vision for this "Witchverse" that's much bigger than just one character.
What's actually happening in The Witch: Part 2. The Other One?
Basically, the story kicks off with a bloody escape from a top-secret laboratory called the Ark. This new girl is the only survivor of a brutal massacre, and she wanders out into the snowy Jeju Island wilderness. She’s completely "green"—socially stunted, barely speaks, and has the appetite of a competitive eater. She gets picked up by Kyung-hee (played by Park Eun-bin) and her brother, who are dealing with their own drama involving a local gang leader trying to steal their land.
But the domestic stuff is just a backdrop.
The real meat of the story is the absolute chaos descending on this farm. You've got different factions hunting the girl: a group of superhuman "union" soldiers led by Jo Hyun, a team of lethal assassins from Shanghai called the "Four," and the mysterious Jang (Lee Jong-suk), who seems to be playing his own game. It's a collision course. A very loud, very messy collision course.
The power scaling is getting ridiculous (in a good way)
If you thought Ja-yoon was powerful, this new girl is on an entirely different level. The Witch: Part 2. The Other One leans heavily into the idea that the experiments didn't stop with the first generation. The action sequences in the final third of the movie are less like a gritty thriller and more like a high-budget anime brought to life. We’re talking about people moving so fast they’re invisible, crushing skulls with a thought, and regenerating from wounds that would kill a normal human ten times over.
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It's spectacular.
However, some critics—and honestly, some fans on Reddit and Letterboxd—felt the CGI was a bit much. The first film felt more grounded in its brutality. This one feels more like a superhero movie where the "heroes" have zero moral compass. It's a stylistic choice that works if you’re looking for spectacle, but it might feel a bit detached if you loved the psychological tension of the original.
Breaking down those confusing faction wars
The lore in this movie is dense. Seriously, if you blink, you’ll miss a line of dialogue explaining who works for whom. There are two main branches of the "Witch" project. One side is represented by Dr. Baek (the sister of the villain from the first movie, both played by Jo Min-su). The other is the "Union," which seems to be the official corporate or governmental arm trying to keep these experiments under control.
Then you have the "Seven Dwarfs" or the "Shanghai" lab. These kids are terrifying. They speak a mix of Korean and Chinese, and they act like bored teenagers while they’re literally dismembering people. Their involvement suggests that this isn't just a Korean problem; it’s a global arms race where the weapons are children.
Why the change in lead actress mattered
Shin Si-ah had massive shoes to fill. Kim Da-mi's performance in the first film was career-defining because of that "switch" she flipped halfway through. Shin Si-ah plays a different kind of character. She’s more like an alien trying to understand humanity. She's quiet, wide-eyed, and strangely innocent until the moment she starts ripping people apart. It creates a different vibe—more "E.T. with a high kill count" than "master manipulator."
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Let’s talk about that Lee Jong-suk cameo
People were hyped for Lee Jong-suk. He plays Jang, a director at the Ark who is clearly incredibly powerful but barely lifts a finger. He’s the personification of "sequel bait." He spends most of the movie looking cool in suits and talking in riddles. While his screen time is limited, his presence is meant to signal that the world-building is expanding toward a massive third act. He represents the internal politics of the creators—the people who actually hold the leash on these witches.
The Jeju Island setting is a character itself
Most of the movie takes place on a sprawling farm in Jeju. The contrast is sharp. You have this beautiful, serene landscape, and then you have these hyper-violent entities turning it into a graveyard. The cinematography by Kim Young-ho captures this perfectly. The wide shots of the forest and the snow make the girl look small and vulnerable, which makes the eventual reveal of her power that much more jarring. It’s a classic trope, but it’s executed with a lot of style here.
Addressing the "Middle Movie" syndrome
There's no way around it: The Witch: Part 2. The Other One suffers slightly from being the middle child of a trilogy. It spends a lot of time setting up pieces for a finale that hasn't happened yet. Some viewers found the pacing a bit slow in the middle section, specifically the scenes involving the local gangsters. I get it. When you have telekinetic gods running around, watching a guy get bullied over land rights feels like a distraction.
But the film is clearly trying to ground the "Girl" in some kind of human emotion before the bloodbath starts. It makes her eventual choice—who she protects and who she destroys—mean a little more. Without that relationship with Kyung-hee, she’s just a mindless monster.
What about Kim Da-mi? (Spoilers ahead)
If you’re watching this just to see Ja-yoon again, you’re going to have to be patient. She does appear, and her entrance is one of the highlights of the film. It confirms what many suspected: the "Witchverse" is heading toward a sister vs. sister (or sister with sister) showdown. The chemistry between the two leads in their brief moment together is electric. It recontextualizes the entire movie. Suddenly, it’s not just a random sequel; it’s a family reunion from hell.
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Understanding the Ending and What's Next
To truly get the most out of this film, you have to look at it as an expansion of the lore rather than a standalone story. The ending leaves several threads dangling:
- The Mother: We finally get a glimpse of the "original" witch, the mother of both Ja-yoon and the new girl. She’s the key to everything, and finding her seems to be the main goal for Part 3.
- The Survival of Jo Hyun: The leader of the Union soldiers is tough as nails. Despite her injuries, she's still in the game, likely acting as a third party between the girls and the corporations.
- The Shanghai Lab's Revenge: You can bet that the powers that be won't take the loss of their elite squad lightly.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you’ve finished the movie and feel a bit lost, the best thing to do is re-watch the final 20 minutes of the first film and then the final 20 minutes of the second. The parallels in how they use their powers are very intentional. Also, keep an eye on official production news for The Witch: Part 3. The director has hinted that the scale will be even larger, potentially moving the action outside of Korea as the search for "Mother" goes global. Pay close attention to the dialogue regarding "prototypes"—it suggests that neither Ja-yoon nor the new girl is actually the most dangerous thing the Ark has created.
If you haven't watched the post-credits scene, go back and do it now. It’s short, but it changes your perspective on Jang’s motivations and the actual hierarchy of power among the survivors. The wait for the final chapter is going to be a long one, but given the trajectory of the first two, it’s likely to be a blood-soaked masterpiece.