The Pagan New Year, also known as Samhain, is celebrated on October 31st. It is believed to be the time when the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world is the thinnest. This ancient Celtic festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is a time to honor and remember the ancestors, as well as to connect with the spiritual realm. During Samhain, people gather to celebrate with various customs and traditions. One common practice is to carve pumpkins into Jack-o'-lanterns, which are said to ward off evil spirits.
Seo Eun-soo and Justin John Harvey as a pair of assassins who manage to remain likable even as they attempt to kill our protagonist.
It is especially amusing to see the Girl defend her new friends by sending their previously dangerous Uncle Yong-doo scurrying away like a kicked dog. Beyond the visceral satisfaction of winning a fight, the scene also makes a story point, underlining the growing connection between the Girl and the siblings who have taken her in, suggesting the perhaps overly optimistic possibility that her role as protector could lead to a more substantial, permanent relationship and even a normal life.
One common practice is to carve pumpkins into Jack-o'-lanterns, which are said to ward off evil spirits. Another tradition is to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating, which originated from the belief that disguising oneself would protect from wandering spirits. In addition to these modern traditions, many Pagans perform rituals and ceremonies to honor their ancestors.
The Witch 2: The Other One (review)
There are movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that become blockbusters, and there are movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once that become art house favorites, and then there are movies like The Witch 2: The Other One that fly in under the radar, generating little buzz even though they are at least as entertaining as the high-profile hits.
Audiences fortunate enough to reside near a theatre screening the Korean science fiction thriller should should race to enjoy it on the big screen before it makes a quick transition to home video. It is slickly made, outrageously violent, hugely entertaining, and even – at times – surprisingly heartfelt. Even viewers with no predilection for foreign-language cinema or ultra-violence should thoroughly enjoy themselves.
The Witch Part 2 Review: Who is the Other One?
As you might have guessed from the title, The Witch Part 2: The Other One is a sequel but not to the overrated 2015 art house horror film The Witch. The predecessor is actually The Witch Part 1: Subversion (2018), also written and directed by Park Hoon-jung, which wedded John Wick-style stunts and action with well-executed CGI to explore the premise of scientifically enhanced test subjects with superhuman abilities.
If you have not seen the first film, the sequel might be a little confusing (hell, if might be confusing even if you have seen the original); fortunately, The Witch Part 1: Subversion is currently available on Vudu. What you need to know, in a nutshell, is that Part 1 was the story of Koo Ja Yoon (Kim Da-Mi), a teenager who has been living a comfortable life on a farm since escaping from the secret facility responsible for the experiments. Eager to help her cash-strapped adoptive parents, she enters a television talent contest where she shows off her telekinetic ability, which immediately captures the attention of the people still looking for her. After a prodigious body count, Koo Ja Yoon confronts Dr. Baek (Min-soo Jo), a wheelchair-bound scientist whose twin sister was involved with the experiments, only to find herself face-to-face with another young girl, presumably also with enhanced abilities and maybe her sister of even her twin, though the film ends without clarifying the point, leaving the door wide open for a sequel to fill in the blanks.
Shin Sia see as “The Other One,” a scientifically enhanced killer known in the film only as The Girl.
Picking up from this cliffhanger, though not directly, The Witch Part 2: The Other One takes a roundabout path to answering the lingering questions. Writer-director Park Hoon-jung’s ambitious narrative approach is to introduce characters and plot threads without providing much exposition, forcing viewers to put things together from contextual clues: body language and demeanor indicate who has past history, who is in charge, and who is threatening whom in any situation. This is further complicated by Park Hoon-jung’s penchant (seen in the previous film) of having multiple teams hunting his protagonist, each with its own conflicting agenda. Part of the fun is that the characters are sometimes as confused as we are by the appearance of these rival teams, the film’s joke being that it is not depicting some intricate conspiracy with neatly interlocking pieces but rather a sort of chaotic regime in which the stakes are so high that no faction is willing to sit back and let someone else to complete the mission.
What are the stakes, and what is the mission? To assassinate the “other one” of the title (Shin Sia), an unnamed Girl known officially only as “Ark 1 Datum point,” who has escaped from another experimental facility after it was raided by a black ops unit trying to kill her. As in the previous film, those in the know fear that this test subject, engineered and trained to kill, is too dangerous to live, and they will employ some ruthless measure to get the job done.
The Witch Part 2 Review: Treading New Ground
Though working from a similar premise, The Witch Part 2: The Other One does more than reprise its predecessor. The first film was largely a mystery that built up to explanations and carnage, which arrived mostly in the last act. The sequel, with the ground laid, goes high-octane from frame one, spacing several energetic action scenes throughout the running time.
Even more distinct is the lead character. Although also an enhanced human like Koo Ja Yoon, the Girl is very much an unformed innocent, seeing the outside world for the first time, having apparently spent her entire life inside the confines of the laboratory. Newcomer Shin Sia deftly plays the wide-eyed wonder that makes her character feel human and sympathetic even though she transforms into a remorseless potential killing machine whenever danger strikes. Along the way she is endearing and even funny, particularly when, having recently learned the joys of food and eager to sample an abundance of new flavors, she goes on a wild shopping spree at the grocery store.
The story has her hook up with another family of farmers, in this case Kyung-hee (Park Eun-bin) and Dae-gil (Sung Yoo-bin), a sister and her brother whose uncle, Yong-doo (Jin Goo) is a mob boss trying to force them to sell so that he can develop the land into commercial property. It feels as if the film is turning into a sci-fi version of Shane, but things take a turn for the worse when the uncle joins forces with one of the teams tracking the Girl, leading to some unexpected developments at the conclusion, which finally gets around to clarifying the relationship between the Girl and Koo Ja Yoon. (Not getting into spoilers, but the timeline of events makes it clear that the Girl in this film cannot be the mysterious girl who appeared at the end of the first film, so even if you are paying attention, you may find yourself a bit lost trying to make sense of how the sequel ties in to its predecessor.
The Witch Part 2 Review: Fantastic Action
More than its predecessor, The Witch Part 2: The Other One seems designed to showcase as many action set pieces as possible, which easily surpass recent efforts like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and even Everything Everywhere All At Once, not only in terms of sheer carnage but also of artistry.
The film hits the sweet spot with its violence. The over-the-top stylization mutes the sting, and most of the victims deserve what they get. Also, Park Hoon-jung does more than simply make the violence fun to watch; occasionally he shifts tone to lend dramatic impact to the casualties – even, in one or two cases, when they are among the antagonists.
On a technical level, the key to the film’s visual success is that the action sequences feel organic. Though shot and edited within an inch of their life, they are never confusing; you always know what is happening to whom, who is getting the upper hand, and who is outmatched in spite of their best efforts.
Equally important, there is an emphasis on live-action stunts and performances that lends an aura of credibility to the incredible agilities of the characters. Of course, CGI is involved, but it is used to punctuate the action, like an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. The result is fight scenes that mostly look as if they were filmed live – until a punch sends someone flying through a wall.
There is also a decent variety to how the fights play out – some one-side, some more evenly matched, with just enough visual information for viewers to understand why things happen the way they do. One fun aspect of the film is that all the assassins on the Girl’s trail are, in some sense, super soldiers – capable of leaping over trees and wrenching doors off of cars – and yet even these bad-asses are intimidated by the Girl. Although the characters’ different capabilities are never explained verbally, what we see them do is explanation enough. To cite one particular: in The Witch Part 1, a headshot was the only sure way to kill one of the enhanced humans; in the sequel, however, the Girl survives a bullet in the skull in the opening scene, which lets us know she represents (as one character puts it) “some next level shit!”
As always, seeing the tables turned on some previously unstoppable villains is always a joyful hoot, and Park Hoon-jung plays it for all its worth. It is especially amusing to see the Girl defend her new friends by sending their previously dangerous Uncle Yong-doo scurrying away like a kicked dog. Beyond the visceral satisfaction of winning a fight, the scene also makes a story point, underlining the growing connection between the Girl and the siblings who have taken her in, suggesting the (perhaps overly optimistic) possibility that her role as protector could lead to a more substantial, permanent relationship and even a normal life.
Seo Eun-soo and Justin John Harvey as a pair of assassins who manage to remain likable even as they attempt to kill our protagonist.
In a clever touch, the good guys are not the only ones who engender sympathy. Thanks to some amusing banter, a pair of assassins played by Seo Eun-soo and Justin John Harvey (she usually speaks English for his benefit, but he can tell when she’s cursing him in Korean) remain surprisingly likable despite their mission to kill the Girl, and the story cleverly coaxes us to root for them by contriving a confrontation with a truly vile group of enhanced thrill-killers, whose powers outmatch their own. As in the previous film, half the fun of The Witch Part 2: The Other One is that the film feels like an overcrowded shooting gallery, with so many hired hit men and women that it is almost but not quite impossible to keep track of their overlapping agendas.
The Witch Part 2 Review: Conclusion
There is probably nothing more off-putting than a review that lectures its readers by criticizing a popular film they enjoyed and insisting that some little-seen sleeper is much better. Nevertheless, we cannot resist declaring that The Witch Part 2: The Other One is more enjoyable than the box office behemoth Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and its critically lauded art house counterpoint Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Without any heavy-handed attempt at elevating itself above its genre status, The Witch Part 2: The Other One whole-heartedly embraces its science fiction and action elements, using them to create a rousing entertainment that elicits thrills with its firepower but also generates pathos for its protagonist.
The film hits the sweet spot with its violence. The over-the-top stylization mutes the sting, and most of the victims deserve what they get. Also, Park Hoon-jung avoids descending into empty flash, occasionally shifting tone to lend dramatic impact to the casualties – even, in one or two cases, when they are among the antagonists.
The film is not perfect. The narrative threads tying the sequel to its predecessor are a bit tangled, and some remain dangling at the end. Fortunately, there is some sense of progress; the new cliffhanger shifts attention to another briefly glimpsed character, who will presumably be the subject of a joint quest by the Girl and Koo Ja Yoon. The cliffhanger ending may be frustrating for some viewers, but frankly The Witch Part 2: The Other One feels as if it has reached an ending point. The body count can only go so high before an exhausted audience needs a break.
Even more exhausting than the thrills is the emotional journey of the Girl, whose emergence from the lab into the world at large awakens her to a previously unknown potential happiness, including what looks like a budding romance with Dae-gil (whom she teases with displays of her telekinetic ability). Sadly, this potential is impeded not only by the assassins on her trail but also by her own nature. At the end of The Witch Part 1, one of Koo Ja Yoon’s attackers pointedly raised the question of how she could even imagine returning to her former life after unleashing her lethal powers in a blood-spattered display of retribution.
The same question, still unresolved, hangs over the Girl at the end of Part 2. The film urges the audience to enjoy seeing her destroy defeat enemies with no more effort than swatting a fly, but there is a price to pay. Can a soul soaked so deeply in blood, even a sympathetic one, hope to live a normal, happy life?
This may involve setting up altars with photos and mementos of loved ones who have passed away, lighting candles, and offering food and drink to them. It is believed that during this time, the spirits of the deceased can visit the living, and by honoring them, one can receive their guidance and blessings. Overall, the Pagan New Year is a time of reflection, remembrance, and connection with the spiritual realm. It is a time to let go of the old and embrace the new, as winter approaches and the cycle of life continues. By honoring the ancestors and acknowledging the thinning of the veil, Pagans celebrate the beginning of a new year and the opportunities it brings for growth and transformation..
Reviews for "Pagan New Year Symbols and Meanings"
1. Jane - 2 stars - I didn't enjoy "When is the pagan new year" at all. The writing was disjointed and difficult to follow, and the characters lacked depth. The story seemed to jump around without clear direction, and I found it hard to engage with any of the events or emotions presented. Overall, it was a disappointing read and I would not recommend it.
2. Mark - 1 star - "When is the pagan new year" was a complete waste of time for me. The plot was non-existent, and the characters were uninteresting and poorly developed. The narrative lacked any depth or meaning, and I struggled to find any enjoyment or connection with the story. It felt like a haphazard collection of random scenes with no coherence or purpose. I would strongly advise others to steer clear of this book.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "When is the pagan new year", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The writing style was overly convoluted, making it difficult to understand or follow the storyline. The pacing was too slow, and the lack of clear direction made it hard to stay engaged. The characters were also quite forgettable, and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. Overall, it was a disappointing read that left me feeling unsatisfied.
4. Michael - 1 star - "When is the pagan new year" was a confusing and tedious read. The author seemed more focused on trying to be clever and philosophical than actually telling a coherent story. The constant shifts in perspective and timelines made it hard to keep track of what was happening, and the prose was overly pretentious. I had to force myself to finish it, and ultimately, it was a waste of my time. I would not recommend it to others.