ReviewBusan 2023: Believer 2 movie review – new Netflix sequel to the 2018 Korean remake of Johnnie To’s Drug War is a bloodthirsty, nonsensical mess

Title: 'Believer 2' Review - A Netflix Sequel That Misses the MarknnContent: 'Believer 2' is a sequel to a 2018 Korean action film, now available on Netflix. Korean action films are often characterized by their intense violence, but 'Believer 2' takes this to an extreme. The movie is filled with gratuitous violence that often lacks coherence. nnDirected by Baek Jong-yeol, this sequel follows Lee Hae-young’s 2018 remake of 'Drug War', a film by Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To Kei-fung. However, even those who closely followed the original franchise may struggle to make sense of this convoluted sequel. nnThe movie begins with a rapid recap of the first film's key events, aiming to fill in the gaps of what transpired in the week between the first film’s violent climax and its mysterious Norway-set ending. The protagonist, police Captain Jo Won-ho, continues his pursuit of the elusive crime boss Mr. Lee, despite numerous characters claiming the title. nnAmong these claimants is Brian, a character who was left for dead in the first film, and Seo Young-rak, a gangster who reluctantly partnered with Won-ho in the first film. By the end of the first film, Won-ho was convinced that Rak was Mr. Lee, but in this sequel, Rak is merely one of many potential culprits. nnNew characters are introduced in 'Believer 2', including a villain named Seob So-chen, or Big Knife. She is a ruthless character with a penchant for decapitations. She also appears to be answering to a Mandarin-speaking boss, whom she refers to as 'Mr. Lee'. nnIt's puzzling that Netflix funded a sequel to a film they do not own, especially one that relies so heavily on its predecessor. Viewers coming to 'Believer 2' on Netflix may find the film’s opening sequence too chaotic to follow. Even those who persevere through the film are in for two hours of relentless chaos and misdirection that ultimately adds nothing to its superior predecessor. nn'Believer 2' will begin streaming on Netflix on November 17.