Directed by:
Sang-ho YeonCinematography:
Hyeong-deok LeeComposer:
Young-gyu JangCast:
Yoo Gong, Yoo-mi Jeong, Dong-seok Ma, Woo-shik Choi, Sohee, Ee-seong Kim, Su-an Kim, Gwi-hwa Choi, In-kwon Baek, Chang-hwan Kim, Seok-yong Jeong, Sang-ho Yeon (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
As an unidentified virus sweeps the country, the Korean government declares martial law. As the country descends into chaos, one city, Busan, is rumoured to have successfully fended off the virus outbreak and remains the only beacon of hope for those not yet infected. But when the virus breaks out on an express train to Busan, passengers on board must fight for their own survival. (StudioCanal UK)
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Reviews (7)
In terms of craftsmanship, Train to Busan is excellent, with interesting plot twists in the ingenious opening scene and a pleasantly prolonged ending intended to give viewers as much of the train as possible. Only the middle third is rather laid-back (the zombies are suddenly slower and can be beaten with fists because we can’t resolve the situation otherwise in the screenplay). And those Asian emotions again go over my head. The characters are archetypally okay and all of the relationships and their tense moments work, except for the main one. When, in the most dramatic and would-be heart-rending scene, the father flashbacks to the kitschily over-lit birth of his daughter, with whom he has been on the train ride to Busan through the whole film, it was the only time the movie made me laugh out loud. Which was surely not the intended result.
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Maybe zombies aren't so boring after all? It's definitely a win here for me that the filmmakers focused purely on action, with a dash of emotion of course, it wouldn't have worked without it. No complicated rules, no hero trying to save the world, no vaccines. Just a train going to Busan and a few passengers on it. The rest is simple.... Don't get bitten and survive. A strong 4 stars.
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Train to Busan is an incredible surprise for me and a demonstration that the zombie genre should never be underestimated because there are always authors capable of handling the material in a way that keeps you entertained. Sang-ho Yeon proved it and with Seoul Station, he showed that there are still possibilities for the zombie genre. Moreover, it even dares to throw in some nods to classics, like in the finale when the soldier aims at the last survivors.
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Korea's hit of the year and the best zombie movie of the year. Train to Busan is really a mix of two excellent movies, World War Z and Snowpiercer, where my only problem is that the Koreans didn't go for brutality, because they are the only ones in the world who have no problem cramming violence into their movies in a big way, but here they had to go PG-13 for profit purposes, like World War Z. That's the only complaint, otherwise it's a very adrenaline-pumping, thrilling and tension-filled zombie tornado set on a train that's hard to escape from. The zombies look great, they are very aggressive, their movements are awesome, I haven't seen better looks and movement from them. The film is pretty much uncompromising with the characters, which makes the viewer sympathize with them all the more, while rooting for them. The best is the leading duo Dong-seok Ma, a very famous star in Korea, and Yoo Gong, who instead of being the best agent controlling the system here plays a snooty financial manager. Ee-seong Kim is completely unbearable here. The supporting roles are also gratifying, with every single one having appeared in a solid Korean blockbuster. The very intense soundtrack is also a plus. Great stuff. Story 7/10, Atmosphere 9/10, Gore 4/10, Visuals 8/10, Action 10/10, Suspense 10/10, Humor 4/10. Entertainment 8/10, Scares 5/10. 85%.
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I wasn’t very far to let myself get carried away to the highest rating. Train to Busan has everything a quality zombie survival flick should boast, and thanks to the inventive direction full of unorthodox ideas and a script that manages to treat even the through-and-through good guys in a completely uncompromising and surprising way, it has something extra at times. If it had been made in Hollywood by a filmmaker like Antoine Fuqua, it would have been a massive box office hit. In the closing twenty minutes I could barely breath. 85%
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