Parents' Guide to Believer 2

Amidst all the brutal and bloody violence, there is a morality tale buried deep down here somewhere. While the core ideas in Believer 2 are nothing new (a powerful new profitable drug, organized crime syndicate politics and power plays, a brave detective trying to get to the bottom of everything, a few wildcard characters) and only serve a somewhat traditional plot, the dedication to these tried-and-true elements just about get this movie over the line.

Some of the characters are chillingly and refreshingly menacing ("Big Knife"), Tzi Ma (Professor Lee), and Seung-Won Cha (Brian). Certainly, the over-the-top violence will be too much for many viewers, but most of it is nothing too shocking given the genre, especially for Korean thrillers, a field that has become increasingly gory over the years, pushing violence and gore in creative, if stomach-churning, ways. While the ending might disappoint some, the journey getting there is a fun time (again, if the violence is bearable) and the reveals are satisfying enough, even if the ending to the original may be preferable in comparison.