“The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion,” the 2018 South Korean action-thriller directed by Park Hoon-jung, holds an IMDb rating of 7.2 out of 10.
This score is based on thousands of user votes from IMDb’s global audience and reflects a solid reception from viewers who appreciated the film’s blend of mystery, sci-fi elements, and intense action sequences.
- Imdb Rating Witch: Table of Contents
- How Does The Witch: Part 1's 7.2 Rating Compare to Other Korean Action Films?
- Understanding IMDb's Rating System and What a 7.2 Actually Means
- What Drove the 7.2 Rating? Audience Reception Factors
- Why Should You Trust This Rating When Choosing Whether to Watch?
- Rating Volatility and Potential Shifts Over Time
- The Sequel Effect and "The Witch: Part 2"
- The IMDb Rating in the Context of Korean Cinema's Global Rise
- Conclusion
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The 7.2 rating places the film in the upper-middle range of IMDb scores, indicating that while it doesn’t reach the rarefied territory of 8.0-plus classics, it clearly resonated with a significant portion of viewers who found it engaging and well-executed.
The rating carries particular weight because it emerged from a relatively large sample size across an international audience, including viewers from countries where Korean cinema has gained mainstream recognition.
This score suggests the film successfully navigated the challenge of balancing complex narrative elements—government conspiracies, superhuman abilities, character development, and action set pieces—in a way that satisfied most viewers, even if it didn’t achieve universal critical acclaim.
Table of Contents
- How Does The Witch: Part 1’s 7.2 Rating Compare to Other Korean Action Films?
- Understanding IMDb’s Rating System and What a 7.2 Actually Means
- What Drove the 7.2 Rating? Audience Reception Factors
- Why Should You Trust This Rating When Choosing Whether to Watch?
- Rating Volatility and Potential Shifts Over Time
- The Sequel Effect and “The Witch: Part 2”
- The IMDb Rating in the Context of Korean Cinema’s Global Rise
- Conclusion
How Does The Witch: Part 1’s 7.2 Rating Compare to Other Korean Action Films?
The 7.2 IMDb rating for “The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion” places it solidly within the competitive landscape of modern Korean action cinema. For context, films like “Oldboy” (2003) sits at 8.4, while “The Handmaiden” (2016) rates 8.1.
In comparison, the 7.2 score indicates that while Park’s film delivered strong entertainment value, it trails some of the most critically celebrated Korean features.
However, it comfortably outpaces many action-thriller entries that typically fluctuate between 6.0 and 6.9, suggesting the film exceeded standard genre expectations. What makes this comparison valuable is understanding that IMDb ratings for Korean films have become increasingly competitive.
The global streaming expansion of Korean cinema means these films now compete directly with Hollywood productions on the same platform.
“The Witch: Part 1” achieved its 7.2 despite this heightened competition, indicating that international viewers found the film’s particular approach to blending action with supernatural elements sufficiently compelling to rate it favorably compared to mainstream alternatives.
Understanding IMDb’s Rating System and What a 7.2 Actually Means
imdb‘s ten-point rating system distributes most mainstream films between 5.0 and 8.0, with the median sitting around 6.5 across all films on the platform. A 7.2 rating means that the average voter—considering the entire spectrum from 1-10—landed their assessment at that point.
This is significantly higher than “average,” placing “The Witch: Part 1” in the “good” category where most viewers believed the film was worth watching.
However, it’s important to recognize that IMDb voting skews toward people with stronger opinions; casual viewers who thought a film was “fine” but unmemorable are less likely to visit IMDb and register a vote.
One limitation of relying solely on IMDb ratings is that they don’t distinguish between different types of appreciation. A viewer who loved the film’s visual style might vote an 8, while someone who appreciated the plot but felt the pacing dragged in the second act might vote a 6.
The 7.2 represents the mathematical consensus of these varying perspectives. Additionally, rating patterns can shift over time as new audiences discover films through streaming platforms, though “The Witch: Part 1” had already stabilized around the 7.2 mark well into its post-release timeline.
What Drove the 7.2 Rating? Audience Reception Factors
The 7.2 rating reflects positive reception of several specific elements that viewers highlighted. The film’s inventive action choreography—particularly sequences involving the protagonist’s supernatural abilities—clearly impressed audiences accustomed to both Hollywood and Hong Kong action standards.
The narrative twist that “The Witch: Part 1” promised in its title delivered on intrigue, even though some viewers felt the resolution was abrupt.
The direction showed confident control over tone, shifting between intimate character moments and sprawling action sequences without the jarring tonal whiplash that derails many hybrid genre films.
The rating also likely benefited from viewers’ appreciation of the film’s willingness to focus on a female protagonist in an action-thriller context, a choice that distinguished it from countless male-led counterparts.
However, a 7.2 also suggests that not all viewers found the film equally successful; viewers who rated it lower likely cited pacing issues in the middle section, underdeveloped supporting characters, or felt the science-fiction elements were introduced too abruptly. The score effectively represents this split consensus—strong enough to recommend, but not without reservations.
Why Should You Trust This Rating When Choosing Whether to Watch?
The 7.2 rating serves as a practical guide suggesting that “The Witch: Part 1” is worth your time if you typically enjoy action-heavy thrillers with mystery components.
Compared to a 6.0-rated action film that might disappoint viewers expecting solid craftsmanship, the 7.2 indicates you’re more likely to find the film technically proficient, narratively engaging, and entertaining.
The rating provides a reliable baseline: this is not a film that will likely feel like a waste of your evening, though it also won’t necessarily become your favorite movie.
The tradeoff to understand is that a 7.2 on IMDb comes from a viewer base that skews toward cinephiles and genre enthusiasts rather than casual moviegoers. If you enjoy action films, appreciate Korean cinema, and can tolerate some complexity in your storytelling, the 7.2 suggests the film will satisfy you.
However, if you prefer straightforward plotting and are lukewarm on action sequences, the rating might be artificially high for your personal preferences. IMDb ratings work best as a relative measure—a 7.2 for an action film is quite good, whereas a 7.2 for a comedy is more middling.
Rating Volatility and Potential Shifts Over Time
One consideration worth noting is that IMDb ratings for non-English language films can experience gradual shifts as they gain broader international exposure over time. “The Witch: Part 1” initially received votes primarily from Korean audiences and dedicated international cinephiles, which could have affected the early rating.
As years pass and more casual viewers discover the film through Netflix or other streaming platforms, rating fluctuations sometimes occur—though usually these shifts are modest unless a film experiences a major critical reassessment.
A limitation of the current 7.2 rating is that it’s frozen to a specific moment in time, and you should check the IMDb page directly for the most current rating, as it may have shifted slightly.
Additionally, international viewing patterns have changed since 2018; a 2025 rating might look different than the 2018 immediate post-release rating did, depending on whether newer audiences found it held up or felt dated. The 7.2 should be understood as a reliable snapshot of overall reception rather than a definitive judgment.
The Sequel Effect and “The Witch: Part 2”
The existence of “The Witch: Part 2 – The Other One” (2022) provides additional context for evaluating the first film’s 7.2 rating. The sequel’s IMDb score offers an interesting comparison—if the second film rated significantly lower, it might suggest the first film’s appeal was partially novelty-driven.
Conversely, if both films maintain similar ratings, it indicates the franchise succeeded in sustaining viewer appreciation across installments. The 7.2 rating for “Part 1” should be viewed as a baseline for this universe of characters rather than an isolated evaluation.
Understanding that Park Hoon-jung built a two-part series helps explain why certain plot elements felt incomplete to some viewers who gave lower ratings—the first film was intentionally structured as part one of a narrative arc, which some audiences found frustrating while others appreciated the serial storytelling approach.
The IMDb Rating in the Context of Korean Cinema’s Global Rise
The 7.2 rating for “The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion” represents a moment when Korean action cinema was establishing itself as a significant force in global entertainment. This was the era when Korean films were no longer niche offerings but genuine box office and streaming contenders worldwide.
The rating reflects how successfully this particular film participated in that larger cultural moment—it demonstrated that Korean filmmakers could execute high-budget action-thrillers that competed with any national cinema. Looking forward, the 7.2 rating is likely to remain stable because the film has now cycled out of the immediate release window and reached its steady-state audience.
New viewers discovering it through streaming will add votes, but these additions to the total vote count are unlikely to shift the percentage significantly unless there’s a major cultural reassessment of the film.
Conclusion
“The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion” earned its 7.2 IMDb rating through demonstrating competent filmmaking, imaginative action sequences, and a willingness to blend genres in ways that engaged viewers across cultures.
This score accurately reflects the film as a solid, entertaining choice that exceeded the baseline expectations for action-thrillers without achieving the rarefied heights of critically canonical films.
The 7.2 is high enough to recommend without reservation if you enjoy the genre, but honest enough to acknowledge that the film has identifiable limitations. When considering whether to watch based on this rating, focus on whether the film’s particular combination of action, mystery, and sci-fi elements aligns with your viewing preferences.
The 7.2 rating is a reliable signal that the filmmaking is competent and engaging, making it a worthwhile choice for anyone interested in contemporary Korean cinema or action-heavy thrillers.
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