Ivy Kwok

   Released in 2016, “Train to Busan” is a South Korean zombie horror-thriller that offers a unique twist on its respective genre.

   When a deadly zombie apocalypse breaks out in South Korea, a group of passengers must fight their way through hordes of infected passengers while trapped in the cramped confines of a speeding bullet train bound for Busan. The characters come face-to-face with terrifying, blood-hungry zombies and grapple with painful life-and-death decisions in order to protect the ones they love.

   The film relies less on horror and focuses more on human nature itself. It forces its characters to ask themselves what they are willing to sacrifice for survival, whether that be their family’s or their own lives.  

   While American audiences are used to zombie films, these types of movies are relatively unexplored in South Korea. I appreciate the risks the film took by not shying away from presenting the more selfish aspects of human nature and survival. 

   The film has characters that are quick to abandon others to preserve their own survival and others who choose to put the greater good above themselves. The character Seok-woo is an example of the latter. A divorced businessman who has a strained relationship with his young daughter, Su-an, the audience sees him change throughout the film from an initially self-centered individual to an ultimately self-sacrificing hero. 

   While the characters were notable, the production of this film is also deserving of praise. The special effects were impressive and realistic. The zombie makeup has plenty of gore to satisfy most horror fans without being unrealistic or cartoonish and the score matches the film in terms of power and impact. During the most climactic parts, the orchestral score blasts in the audience’s ear in a dramatic and almost overwhelming way.  

   Although there are many aspects of this film that make it deserving of high praise, that does not exempt it from flaws. The plot remains as predictable as one expects a zombie movie to be. For a film almost two hours long, the bulk of it consists of characters swinging at the bloody zombies with bats and making questionable decisions for the sake of plot convenience.

   While certainly not a perfect film, both zombie and horror fans will find this film gripping and unique in its depiction of people in the midst of fatal circumstances.