Train to Busan – action & fun zombie movie! (South Korea)

train to busan horror movie

If you do not usually like zombie movies, we encourage you to give ‘Train to Busan’ a chance, and embark on a ride that is full of fierce action, tension, fun… and of course, full of zombies!

‘Train to Busan’ comes from director and screenwriter Sang-ho Yeon. Particularly interesting is the fact that Yeon has so far dealt with mostly animated films, and this is the first film in which he has tried in a completely different environment. “Train to Busan” belongs to the zombie movie genre, and it carries a South Korean stamp. “Train to Busan” at times seems like a naïve and overly playful journey with a melodramatic end, but all these ‘unusual’ moments in one zombie movie make ‘Train to Busan’ an extremely simple, dynamic and very entertaining piece.

Seok Woo is a successful businessman who completely neglects his family. His wife left him, his daughter is being guarded by her grandmother, and he doesn’t even remember what he bought his daughter for last birthday. After his daughter announces that he wants to spend his birthday with his mother in Seoul, they go on a journey by train, not knowing what awaited them all along the way.

“Train to Busan” has a very brief introduction and almost no explanation for the epidemic that resulted in the hordes of zombies, but the absence of a better overture is almost no shortcoming for the movie. I believe that most of you want to watch what and how zombies do, not how and why they were created. Most of the action takes place on the train, so “Train to Busan” certainly reminiscent of “Snowpiercer”, but when viewed from a broader perspective, the two films have very little in common. “Train to Busan” is, like “Snowpiercer,” a very dynamic and action packed movie, but the atmosphere is completely different. Although it is a suspenseful thriller / horror, the scenes are not so dark and the atmosphere is not so exciting. Zombies act very deadly and are bloodthirsty at all times, but the movie tends to be a more to good fun than as true horror film.

It’s hard to expect a screenplay of this type of movie that will delight viewers. The story is as good as it needs to be in order to be functional, nothing more and nothing less. One reason for this is probably the fact that most of this has already been seen in the sub genre and that there is not much room for a bigger surprise. For one thing, the script is really well written, and it’s a variety of characters. Train passengers actually represent the intersection of every society. There is a rogue, a coward, a brave man, a rich man who will do anything to save his own ass, a baby, a pregnant woman, a young couple in love, an old woman, a high school sports team, etc. Each of them wants to survive and fight for their lives, but not everyone reacts just the same. The film also features social and social issues such as the problems of big companies, corrupt politicians, class divisions, and the jobs of estranged parents.

Hundreds of zombies are very well portrayed and they look really scary. Interestingly, no zombie was killed by firearms, which makes this story even more interesting and special. None of the passengers on the train are expecting a zombie attack, no one is armed to the teeth, and all of them are at once in danger and each of them has to fight for their lives.

“Train to Busan” is a very good movie and is a great addition to the zombie movie sub genre. It is extremely fluid and easy to watch, requires almost no attention, and offers so much action and fun that you should not miss it.

The rating on IMDb.com is an enviable 8/10, with an excellent 93% on Tomatoes.

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