Train to Busan, which you can watch on Netflix right now, is a standout within theover-saturated zombie subgenre. Its action sequences are fast-paced and tense, but it truly shines in the moments of quiet between the action. The movie is rich with social commentary that grows from the interactions between the characters, includingGong Yooas Seok-woo, recognizable for hisSquid Gamecameo, andMa Dong-Seokas Sang-hwa, who recently joined the MCU inEternals. The diversity of characters allows the movie to present a variety of different yet realistic reactions to a zombie outbreak, with some characters selflessly sacrificing themselves whilst others remain narrowly focused on their own safety. The mundane train setting allows for a sense of claustrophobia but also ensures the characters are not reliant on superior weapons, instead depending on what they find on the train. The zombies themselves succeed in the actors' abilities, their movements are jerky and contorted, capitalizing on the success of fast-moving zombies. Yet,Train to Busan’s claim asone of the greatest zombie flicksfalls in its emotional punch during the moments when the zombies are merely a backdrop.
Train to Busan
What Is ‘Train to Busan’ about?
Train to Busanis aKorean horrormoviethat follows passengers onboard a bullet train amid a zombie outbreak.The infected, if bitten near their central nervous system, are quick to transform, and even quicker to attack again. Swiftly, these rabid zombies take over a large proportion of the train’s crew and commuters. The speed of the attack highlights a realistic reaction to such an extraordinary situation, as many of the passengers simply freeze and succumb to the infection. Our lead Seok-Woo takes this approach at first, as he stands and watches the chaos unfold in front of him before the full scope of the situation hits him, and he grabs his daughter and runs. Before boarding the train, we see he is a fund manager, focusing more on his work than his daughter.It is this neglect that has forced them to make the journey to Busan, bringing his daughter back to her mother’s.
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You won’t be able to look away.
Other passengers on the train include Sang-hwa and his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong (Jung Yu-mi), who nearly fall victim to the zombies early on in the movie as Seok-woo shuts the door on them. Business executive Yon-suk (Kim Eui-sung), the CEO of a bus company, is well-connected and is more aware than those around him of the severity of the situation, but is solely focused on his survival at the expense of those around him. Min Yong-guk (Choi Woo-shik) and Kim Jin-hee (Sohee) are the only survivors of a high school baseball team that were towards the rear of the train. The elderly in society are represented by sisters In-gil (Ye Soo-jung) and Jong-gil (Park Myung-sin), who are reserved and overlooked by their fellow passengers. The travelers represent the diversity of the population; however, theydo not just slot into horror archetypes. Pregnant Seong-kyeong’s close call early on makes it clear thatTrain to Busandoes not play by the usual horror rules. Those with characteristics that are normally protected within the horror genre aren’t safe in this outbreak. No one is.
‘Train To Busan’ Is Rich in Social Commentary
Not everyone on the bullet train to Busan is egotistical, and it counters the selfish side of humanity with the good in people that a high-pressure situation brings out. The absent parental role of Seok-woo is paralleled with the qualities of expectant father Sang-hwa, most overtly when Sang-hwa holds the door open for Seok-woo despite not receiving the same treatment earlier in the movie. After being separated from their loved ones,the paternal and protective qualities of both men are heightened, and Seok-woo becomes more aware of his behavior before the outbreak ramps up.
Without the events of the movie, it is likely Seok-woo would’ve ended up like Yon-suk, with the selfish CEO acting as the other end of the spectrum. He represents one extreme within a life-threatening situation where he doesn’t care for anyone else’s safety and does all he can to protect his own life; his high-powered job makes him believe he is more worthy of survival and represents his cut-throat nature. Having both Sang-hwa and Yon-suk on the train centers Seok-woo, elements of both men are within him, but by the movie’s climax, he has changed his priorities and leans more towards Sang-hwa.
Even thecharacters with less screen time than our leadsplay a big part in the emotional nature ofTrain to Busan.Their actions have huge consequences, showing there are no main characters within reality, and you may’t disregard individuals you do not see as important as they could be the linchpin to your survival. Following In-gil’s death, Jong-gil is stuck in a carriage of survivors who deny others safety. She is ignored and unnoticed as she goes to mourn her sister. Looking around disgusted at the selfish nature of humanity, she opens the door and lets the zombie devour everyone inside, including herself. Despite her limited screen time, she has a huge impact on the fate of others andhighlights the ignored elderly within society. Yong-guk also exists on the sidelines of the movie. However, he is the core of one of the most gut-wrenching moments of the movie. When he is faced with his zombified baseball teammates, he cannot bring himself to attack them, even if it jeopardizes his survival. It shows the stark reality that the zombies were once human. It adds another layer to the treachery of the situation.It is not just a fight against zombies, it’s a fight against zombies that were fellow passengers, friends, and loved ones mere hours ago.
‘Train to Busan’ Succeeds in Its Simplicity
Unlike most apocalyptic situations,Train to Busan’s limited setting means it doesn’t overcomplicate itself. Since space is minimal, the characters are not afforded the luxury of weapons and instead must make do with what they have. This leads to the characters taping up their wrists with tape and fighting the zombies with only baseball bats and their fists. The combat is close contact and reflective of the realism of the movie. However, the basic nature of the equipment does not mean it is unrealistic that these characters could face a gauntlet of zombies, as the infected are not overpowered either.Although the zombies are fast, meaning they are difficult to outrun, they are not intelligent.The infection strips all humanity from its victims, majorly affecting their ability to think logically;, instead, they rely on sounds and sight to locate their victims, a facet that can easily be manipulated in the dark. The straightforward nature of the zombies meansTrain to Busannever stumbles over itself and can maintain its energy throughout the two-hour runtime.
On the surface,Train to Busanseems like your run-of-the-mill zombie outbreak in a novel setting. However,the zombie flick explores themes of fatherhoodand human nature and is a rich character study of the different reactions people can have to such an unprecedented experience. It relies on the strength of its supporting cast but at no point feels over-saturated with characters. It packs an emotional punch and offers so much more than terrifyingly fast zombies.It’s in the moments between the attacks thatTrain to Busancements itself as one of the greatest zombie flicks of all time.
Train To Busan is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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