Train To Busan (2016)

Think of Snowpiercer… but with zombies.

When a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, a couple of passengers struggle to survive on train from Seoul to Busan.

Sang-ho Yeon hits you right in the feels with this thrillingly unique zombie flick. Normally, I am not a supporter of zombie films, what I usually deem as an exhausted sub genre, I will gladly eat my words here as Train To Busan is totally reinvigorating and surprisingly super emotional. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Korean horror is fast becoming a favourite of mine, there is a fresh vibrancy seen amongst their genre films that isn’t seen or felt elsewhere.

Prepare for Train To Busan to reach into your ribcage and rip your heart out. With a story amassed with colourful characters it’s only too soon we grow to learn and love each one – the high school baseball team, the homeless gentleman, a young pregnant couple, two old gossiping ladies and even an uptight businessman. The characters are well developed and storytelling twists your idea of you will go and who will stay and how. By the end of the film I was a blubbering mess, even if it tended to be a tad melodramatic.

The action of the film is admirably stylish. With skilful choreographed action these zombies are ruthless and quick and swam together at a ferocious pace. Reminiscent of World War Z’s rushing zombie hordes, yet here they almost resemble J Horror creatures in their insect like movement, contorting in an unnatural way during their ravenous pursuit as they force their way through walls and doors with sheer weight in numbers.

Train To Busan’s fast pace, keeps the story increasingly heightened and the tension seemingly grows from hopeless to impossible. A particular stand out sequence involves a motley trio who must make their way through the hordes of three different carriages using only minimal weapons and the cover of dark provided by tunnels – which is where we are given a unique twist for the zombies.

Train To Busan is lean and gritty and pulls on the heartstrings. It’s a breath of fresh air for a genre that is at time suffocating.

8.5 / 10

“Everyone is dead”