movie review on train to busan

Train to Busan

Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” is the most purely entertaining zombie film in some time, finding echoes of George Romero ’s and Danny Boyle ’s work, but delivering something unique for an era in which kindness to others seems more essential than ever. For decades, movies about the undead have essentially been built on a foundation of fear of our fellow man—your neighbor may look and sound like you, but he wants to eat your brain—but “Train to Busan” takes that a step further by building on the idea that, even in our darkest days, we need to look out for each other, and it is those who climb over the weak to save themselves who will suffer. Social commentary aside, it’s also just a wildly fun action movie, beautifully paced and constructed, with just the right amount of character and horror. In many ways, it’s what “ World War Z ” should have been—a nightmarish vision of the end of the world, and a provocation to ask ourselves what it is that really makes us human in the first place.

Seok-woo ( Gong Yoo ) is a divorced workaholic. He lives with his mother and barely spends any time with his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an). He’s so distant from her that he buys her a Nintendo Wii for her birthday, ignoring that she has one already, and that he’s the one who bought it for her for Children’s Day. To make up for this rather-awkward moment, he agrees to give Su-an what she really wants—a trip to her mother’s home in Busan, 280 miles away. It’s just an hour train ride from Seoul. What could possibly go wrong? Even the set-up is a thematic beauty, as this is more than just a train ride for Seok-woo and Su-an—it’s a journey into the past as a father tries to mend bridges and fix that which may be dead. It’s a perfect setting for a zombie movie.

Before they even get to their early-morning train ride, Seok-woo and Su-an see a convoy of emergency vehicles headed into Seoul. When they get to the train, Sang-ho beautifully sets up his cast of characters, giving us beats with the conductors, a pair of elderly sisters, a husband and his pregnant wife, an obnoxious businessman (a vision of Seok-woo in a couple decades), and even a baseball team. A woman who’s clearly not well gets on the train just before it departs, and just as something else disturbing but generally unseen is happening in the station above the platform. Before you know it, the woman is taking out the jugular of a conductor, who immediately becomes a similarly mindless killing machine. These are zombies of the “28 Days Later” variety—fast, focused, and violent. They replicate like a virus, turning whole cars of the train into dead-eyed flesh-eaters in a matter of seconds. They are rabid dogs. And you thought your Metra commute was bad.

The claustrophobic tension of “Train to Busan” is amplified after a brilliantly staged sequence in a train station in which our surviving travelers learn that the entire country has gone brain-hungry. They discover that the undead can’t quite figure out door handles and are mostly blind, so tunnels and lines of sight become essential. Sang-ho also keeps up his social commentary, giving us characters who want to do anything to survive, and others who will do what it takes to save others. Early in the film, Seok-woo tells his daughter, “At a time like this, only watch out for yourself,” but he learns that this isn’t the advice we should live by or pass down to our children. Without spoiling anything, the survivors of “Train to Busan” are only so lucky because of the sacrifice of others. And the film is thematically stronger than your average zombie flick in the way it captures how panic can make monsters of us all, and it is our responsibility to overcome that base instinct in times of crisis.

After the near-perfect first hour of “Train to Busan,” the film slows its progress and makes a few stops that feel repetitive, but the journey recovers nicely for a memorable finale. You could call it “Train of the Living Dead” or “’Snowpiercer’ with Zombies.” Whatever you call it, if it’s playing in your city and you’ve ever been entertained by a zombie movie, it’s hard to believe you wouldn’t be entertained by this one.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Jung Yoo-mi as Sung Gyeong
Ahn So-hee as Jin Hee
Ma Dong-Seok as Sang Hwa
Kim Soo-Ahn as Soo Ahn
Gong Yoo as Seok Woo
Choi Woo-shik as Yeong Gook
Yeon Sang-Ho

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Review: All Aboard ‘Train to Busan’ for Zombie and Class Warfare

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

July 21, 2016

Elite passengers on a South Korean bullet train face a twitching, hissing threat from the cheap seats in “ Train to Busan ,” a public-transportation horror movie with a side helping of class warfare.

The setup is lean and clean. A flattened deer, mowed down in a quarantine zone in Seoul where some kind of chemical spill has occurred (echoes of Bong Joon-ho’s 2007 enviro-horror film, “The Host” ), springs back to life. Then, in just a few swiftly efficient scenes, we meet a harried hedge-fund manager and his small, sad daughter (Gong Yoo and an amazing Kim Su-ahn), see them settled on the titular locomotive and watch in dismay as a vividly unwell last-minute passenger lurches onboard. And we’re off!

Sprinting right out of the gate, the director, Yeon Sang-ho, dives gleefully into a sandbox of spilled brains and smug entitlement. (“In the old days, they’d be re-educated,” one biddy remarks upon spying an undesirable fellow traveler.) As zombies chomp and multiply, an assortment of regular folks face them down while furthering an extended critique of corporate callousness. The politics are sweet, but it’s the creatures that divert. Eyes like Ping-Pong balls and spines like rubber — I’d wager more than a few chiropractors were required on the set — they attack in seizures of spastic energy. They’re like break-dancing corpses.

Often chaotic but never disorienting, the movie’s spirited set pieces — like a wriggling ribbon of undead clinging doggedly to the last compartment — owe much to Lee Hyung-deok’s wonderfully agile cinematography. Dipping and levitating, his camera injects air into tunnels and washrooms and luggage compartments, giving the action a hurtling vigor. Even more impressive is the train itself: marveling at its freakishly strong doors and dedicated staff, you might find yourself mourning the state of our own rail services more than the fate of the characters.

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Train to Busan Reviews

Many of the film’s great images capture the tenderness of parental love: a close-up of a father’s hand holding his daughter’s, a husband glancing back at his wife and in his dying breaths suggesting a name to his pregnant wife for their coming child...

Full Review | Jul 4, 2024

There is a deep love that carries through the devastation, Train to Busan delivers what movies are all about.

Full Review | Jun 8, 2024

This is viral horror with an organic purity and a cinematic distinction to it, and in its own bloody, diseased way, it's a thing of beauty.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan continues this legacy of the genre from which it draws its premise, while providing plenty of unspoiled flesh for a ravenous audience to sink their teeth into.

Full Review | Aug 1, 2023

"Train to Busan" does a great job at depicting how people deal with death during unthinkable times. When your loved one is infected and your only option is to perish with them or kill them so that you (and others) can survive, what would you do?

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 26, 2023

Train to Busan is arguably the best zombie apocalypse movie of all-time. The subgenre finds in Yeon Sang-ho's mind-blowing flick the masterpiece it deserves. I can't find a single flaw. It left me emotionally drained.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Jul 24, 2023

Yeon Sang-ho concocts something here that is uniquely gripping and emotional. By its finale, Train to Busan becomes an entry into the zombie entourage that is compelling and full of nonstop action sure to bring your blood pressure up.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2022

Its good characters, deeper themes, and impeccable execution helps it to defy any dismissive genre perceptions some folks may have.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 27, 2022

I would say the hardest part of horror is to make the audience feel empathy. A good horror story only feels horrifying if you feel it's being done to someone you care about. And that's exactly what this movie does well. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 22, 2022

Train to Busan defies the notion that all has been said and done when it comes to zombies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 5, 2022

...a cleverly concentrated shot of zombie terror.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 10, 2022

...a top-notch zombie flick...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 27, 2021

Writer-director Sang-ho Yeon's smashing together of the disaster movie genre with modern running zombies -- and all the frantic, breathless action they bring with them -- makes Train to Busan a treat for fans of both genres.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 17, 2021

The sound design just took it that whole extra level.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 28, 2021

Although it's predominantly horror, many of the concepts wisely double as opportunities to comment on the government's inability to handle widespread predicaments.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 5, 2020

...one of the best zombie films ever...

Full Review | Aug 7, 2020

It could not be done better. They pulled no punches with this movie.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Jul 16, 2020

Train to Busan doesn't blaze any new trails, but it transcends the tricks and tropes of a genre that so often feels it has nothing more to offer.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 2, 2020

In the narration of the zombie apocalypse express there is speed, fun and exciting sequences. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 27, 2020

During the harrowing ordeal, you're hunkered down with a likable group of survivors who jump resourcefully from one trap to the next, with the real monsters being the executive types...

Full Review | Jun 11, 2020

Train to Busan (2016)

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Film Review: ‘Train to Busan’

By Maggie Lee

Chief Asia Film Critic

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Following a motley crew on a bumpy ride from Seoul to Busan to escape a zombie outbreak, writer-director Yeon Sang-ho ‘s action-horror railroad movie “ Train to Busan ” pulses with relentless locomotive momentum. As an allegory of class rebellion and moral polarization, it proves just as biting as Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi dystopia “Snowpiercer,” while delivering even more unpretentious fun. Yeon has displayed recognizably cinematic sensibilities in his last three indie anime features — “King of Pigs,” “Fake” and “Seoul Station” — so it’s not surprising that he transitions easily into live-action, though his scathing, nihilistic vision of humanity is watered down for wider mainstream appeal. Buyers for Asian-friendly genre products should clamber to board “Train.”

Despite the vibrancy of genre cinema in Korea, you can count the country’s zombie films on the fingers of one hand. But whether it’s alleged prototype “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie” rip-off “A Monstrous Corpse” or the more recent “Zombie School” (2014), they’ve all been slapdash and unoriginal.

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However, with a MERS epidemic sweeping South Korea in 2015 and soaring discontent with corruption and economic disparity, a zombie apocalypse serves as a potent allegory for the dog-eat-dog world. In “Seoul Station,” Yeon depicted a homeless enclave inside the central train station as the ground zero of a zombie outbreak. “Train to Busan” picks up where that film left off. While the anime’s excoriation of the police and army is softened in the live-action sequel, scenarios of humans and zombies precariously separated by carriages fittingly symbolize the dangerous gap between society’s haves and have-nots.

Popular on Variety

Workaholic fund manager Seok-wu (Gong Yoo) takes his estranged young daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) on the KTX high-speed train to Busan to visit his ex-wife. The last person to hop on is a teenage girl whose bare thighs are crisscrossed with bulging veins. Yet, passengers and train crew get more alarmed over a homeless man hiding out in the washroom — one of the film’s frequent barbed comments on snobbery in Korean society.

The first 15 minutes tease audiences with glimpses of zombie threat, like a shadow lunging spastically across the platform, or ominous news reports of riots in the capital. Once the infected girl claims the first victim, however, the action surges ahead with exhilarating mayhem, abetted by the claustrophobic layout of train compartments.

The main reason zombies rank less scarily on the ghoulish scale is their slow waddling gait, but the resident evil here is so deliriously energetic and agile it’s like they’re powered by ginseng and soju. Yeon’s background in animation definitely lends their assault a cartoonish ferocity. The creatures’ only weakness is the fact they see poorly in the dark, giving rise to several mini-climaxes when Seok-wu exploits this to outwit them.

Whereas in Hollywood disaster or apocalyptic movies, the chief protagonist tends to take charge and puts him or herself in the line of fire, Seok-wu subverts the cliché by acting on his elitist, self-preserving instincts, telling Su-an off for giving her seat to an old lady, and shutting the door on escaping passengers Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife Sung-kyu (Jung Yu-mi, “Oki’s Movie”). It is up to Su-na, with her child’s innate decency, and the burly but dauntless Sang-hwa to undo the financial go-getting, cutthroat attitude, so he can learn that it is cooperation and altruism that ensures survival in a catastrophe.

Fans of Yeon’s edgier animations may miss his remorselessly evil characters, whose misogyny, sadism and dirt-filthy expletives exert repulsive fascination. In their place, “Train” features something one never expected from Yeon — nice people — such as a pair of high school lovebirds who stay faithful till the end, two deeply affectionate elderly sisters and the selfless tramp. The only major villain comes in the form of a a middle-aged corporate weasel (Kim Eui-sang) who’s calculating cowardice is bland compared with the conmen, religious hypocrites or bullies in Yeon’s past works. But his ability to incite the passengers into callous behavior is instrumental in illustrating how mob mentality works.

Given the sheer velocity of the action, some emotional connection is needed to prevent the film from turning into sheer technical exercise. Thus, Seok-wu’s gradual reform and other humane elements are essential to offset the insentient aggression of the zombies. Their sentimentality are also gleefully tempered by the jumpy, unpredictable script, which constantly teeters between nerve-racking and hilarious, as when Seok-wu hears his mother zombifying over the phone while still bitching about her daughter-in-law.

Shooting in standard 1.85.1 instead of widescreen, the confined mise-en-scene nonetheless affords lenser Lee Hyung-deok plenty of room for nifty camerawork of stunts in unexpected nooks. Washrooms become thrilling battlegrounds and unlikely sanctuaries. An extended sequence in which the driver tries to switch trains is choreographed with the utmost suspense.

However, like most Korean blockbusters, the production cannot resist showing off its visual and special effects clout, resulting in a bombastic stunt toward the end that’s incongruous with the film’s lean, gritty style. Likewise, the screenplay piles on the hysteria and the schmaltz in the last leg, and the hitherto restrained cast have no choice but to dial up performances to a borderline farcical level.

Craft contributions are top-drawer, especially breakneck editing by Yang Jin-mo, who raises suspense to nearly unbearable levels. Music by Jang Young-gyu and sound effects by Choi Tae-young are both sparingly and effectively deployed for genuine shocks rather than false jolts.

Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Midnight), May 13, 2016. Running time: 118 MIN. (Original Title: "Busan haeng")

Production: (South Korea) A Next Entertainment World release, presentation of a Redpeter Film production. (International sales: Contents Panda, Seoul.) Produced by Lee Dong-ha. Executive producer, Kim Woo-taek. Co-producer, Kim Yeon-ho.
Crew: Directed, written by Yeon Sang-ho. Camera (color, HD), Lee Hyung-deok; editor, Yang Jin-mo; music, Jang Young-gyu; production designer, Lee Mok-won; costume designer, Kwon Yoo-jin, Rim Seung-hee; sound, Choi Tae-young; special make-up, Kwak Tae-yong, Hwang Hyo-kyun; special effects, Demolition; visual effects supervisor, Jung Hwang-su; visual effects, Digital Idea.
With: Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Eui-sung, Choi Woo-sik, An So-hee. (Korean dialogue)

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Train To Busan Review

28 Oct 2016

Train To Busan

Terrorists in a skyscraper, alien in a spaceship, snakes on a plane: the mix of dangerous antagonists and enclosed space is a perennial favourite of filmmakers, for obvious reasons, and the combinations are formed and reformed in an endless kaleidoscope. Now South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho has put zombies on a train, and it’s a match made in heaven — or somewhere much lower down.

The zombie/train combo has actually been done before, notably in 1972’s Horror Express , but Train To Busan is considerably more propulsive and less narratively cluttered. This train and its passengers are joltingly familiar: there are businessmen, a young couple, two old ladies gossiping, a school baseball team en route to a game. They’ve boarded a modern intercity, with its sliding glass entries, flimsy toilet doors and notable lack of zombie-proofing. It could be the 11:08 to Peterborough.

Our hero, Seok Woo (Gong), and his daughter Su-an (Ahn) are en route to visit her mother, his ex-wife. But the last person to race through the train doors isn’t just running late, and the hands banging on the window don’t belong to a sweetheart waving farewell. With devastating speed, infection spreads through the carriages. A few survivors barricade themselves into what becomes a relative safe haven, but eventually the track will have to end, and it’s not clear that there’ll be any refuge beyond the train’s doors.

Zombies on a train is a match made in heaven – or somewhere much lower down.

Gong’s Seok-Woo emerges as a resourceful, determined lead, growing from a disengaged workaholic (whose company may have invested in the facility responsible for the outbreak) willing to sacrifice others to protect himself into a more recognisable hero. The characters around him are well-developed stock figures, but some neat storytelling twists mean you can’t always see who will go first, or how, or why — and the really hiss-able villain, as is traditional in these situations, is a ratfink traitor in their midst.

Crucially, Yeon has come up with a take on zombies that is rooted deep in the genre but still feels innovative. Like Romero’s undead, these are an inescapable evil spreading across the world to offer a sly commentary on our modern society. Like the ‘infected’ in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later , they’re fast and strong. And like the swarming hordes of World War Z , there’s something insect-like about their ravenous pursuit of these few uninfected hold-outs; they force their way through walls and doors with the sheer weight of their numbers and fall from great heights to continue their pursuit on broken limbs. But Yeon has his own twists, too. These figures are contorted and unnatural, closer to something from The Exorcist or Ring than zombies we’ve seen before, and they’re driven by sight rather than smell or hearing — a fact the survivors exploit to great effect.

Yeon establishes himself as a gifted action director: one mid-journey stop at an apparently deserted station turns into a terrifying set-piece that’s among the year’s best. But it’s a slow struggle through carriages full of infected people to reach a stranded loved one that really stands out; imagine The Raid , but horizontal, or The Host away from the river.

In the end, Yeon goes back to the human story and delivers a surprisingly emotional climax. It may seem like a shift of tone, but maybe family ties were the point all along.

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‘Train To Busan’ Review: This Electric Korean Zombie Movie Goes Off The Rails

David ehrlich.

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For almost 45 minutes, Yeon Sang-ho ’s “ Train to Busan ” is on pace to become the best, most urgent zombie movie since “28 Days Later.” And then — at once both figuratively and literally — this broad Korean blockbuster derails in slow-motion, sliding off the tracks and bursting into a hot mess of generic moments and digital fire.

But oh, those first 45 minutes: they’re genre heaven (or the undead equivalent). Equal parts “Snowpiercer” and “World War Z,” the film introduces itself as the rare pastiche with enough personality to feel like something new. A sequel of sorts to Yeon’s “Seoul Station,” which received limited festival play and never received U.S. distribution, “Train to Busan” unwraps its premise so elegantly that no prior knowledge is required to get swept along by its opening act.

Something is wrong in the verdant hills of Jinyang. A truck driver rattles his vehicle up to a military checkpoint, where he’s told that the area up ahead has been quarantined. He’s not buying it; the MERS outbreak that blitzed through the country in 2015 and likely inspired Yeon’s film hasn’t left much of an impression on him. So he drives on, eventually flattening a deer who runs into the middle of the road. “Such a shitty day,” he mutters. He has no idea — he’s already fled the scene by the time the roadkill twitches back to life and hops onto its feet.

Deeper in the quiet city, a dapper Disney dad named Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) is too busy earning his reputation as a corporate bloodsucker to notice the brewing zombie apocalypse. While (too) many of his moral failings are left to the imagination, we know that the recently separated Seok-woo refers to his employees as lemmings, and doesn’t make time for his young daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an, who delivers a ferociously believable child performance).

All of that begins to change when Seok-woo retrieves the girl for a birthday trip to visit her mother (she must be some kind of monster not to get custody in this situation) and they take an early morning train — oblivious to the threatening imagery on the periphery of Yeon’s compositions. The last person to board the high-speed KTX train is a girl with a curious bite on her leg.

Yeon shines as he introduces the film’s supporting characters with the sneaky glee of a chess master arranging his pieces for a blindside attack. As Seok-woo and his daughter walk through the cabin, we’re introduced to a baseball team, a girl with a crush on one of the players, a pregnant woman (Jung Yu-mi), her salt-of-the-earth husband (the super charismatic Ma Dong-seok), an old lady, her sister, a fresh-faced train employee, and more.

The only passenger to receive special attention, however, is the homeless man in the bathroom. All zombie movies need a social conscience, and “Train to Busan” is nominally devoted to the subject of economic discrimination. Survival isn’t possible, as Seok-woo soon learns, when the rich think only for themselves, and it’s telling that the KTX crew is so preoccupied with removing the poor stowaway that they fail to notice when a young girl starts eating the paying customers.

Characters will die with a randomness that feels capable of reviving the entire genre — the movie may be on rails, but it’s hard to overstate the degree to which Yeon’s script revitalizes a familiar premise (and uses action to articulate its central theme) by leveling the playing field. It’s key that “Train to Busan” quickly establishes rules of the game — the zombies are fast, their attacks are based on sight, and infection spreads within seconds — and resists the convenience of violating them until everything goes haywire in the inexcusable third act.

Yeon cherrypicks genre tropes in order to steer this story toward action rather than horror. He gleefully punctures the film’s austerity in order to send waves of zombies stampeding over themselves down the narrow train cabins. His favorite trick is to shoot through a window as a flesh-hungry passenger runs face-first into the glass, reasserting the physical reality that eluded similar blockbusters like “I Am Legend.” It’s even fun when the chaos spills outside and zombies begin falling from the sky, losing their grip on the landing gear of military helicopters.

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But it’s only a matter of time before Yeon loses his own grip on the material, and everything that made “Train to Busan” so exciting begins to sludge into runaway nonsense at 200 MPH. As the carnage ramps up and surviving characters are forced to become a ragtag group of zombie-fighting ass-kickers, Seok-woo’s inevitable evolution from elitist prig to hero of the people gets lost in the shuffle. A half-assed side plot involving his potential involvement in the outbreak doesn’t help, nor does Yeon’s decision to let his protagonist off the hook by introducing an unbelievably scummy and selfish villain to shoulder all of the movie’s awfulness.

As the characters whittle away into archetypes (and start making senseless decisions), the spectacle also sheds its unique personality. There are really only so many ways that you can stage people sneaking around zombies in a confined space, and it’s even worse when they’re spotted and forced to fight back, if only because it’s not convincing to see a zombie throw in the towel after taking a light thwack to the head.

Yeon’s eventual surrender to such cartoonish imagery may be unsurprising given his background in animation (this is his first live-action feature), but “Train to Busan” is easily his least realistic film. This one is pitched for the big houses and the cheap seats, betraying the bitter streaks of humanism that made previous work like “The Fake” and “The King of Pigs” feel so unflinchingly real. “Train to Busan” preaches that equality is the key to survival, but Yeon doesn’t do the rest of us any favors by sacrificing the very things that make him special.

“Train to Busan” opens in theaters on Friday.

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Movie Review: Train to Busan (2016)

Matthew Roe
Movie Reviews
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--> August 9, 2017

Zombie films have always been hotbeds of teeth-gnashing, blood splatter and almost the origin of stellar gore effects in cinema. But classics of the subgenre such as Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” and George Romero’s “Dead Series” have equally served as sociological petri dishes in which the filmmakers examine our own societies. While this breed of story has been explored by almost every filmmaking country in the world, South Korea has been interestingly, more or less, absent from the debate. Its horror and thriller films are bursting with creativity, originality and a unique voice in a flooded international market, set apart by works such as Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host,” Jang Cheol-soo’s “Bedevilled” and Kim Jee-woon’s “ I Saw the Devil .” But with Train to Busan (original title, “Busanhaeng”), Yeon Sang-ho delivers a personal and emotional work that also pulls major blockbuster appeal from its stylish effects, raw acting power and masterful storytelling within a convincing zombie outbreak.

The film is centered around a vivacious cast of characters as they travel from Seoul to Busan aboard the Korea Train eXpress (KTX). Though the main pair of protagonists are Seok-woo (Gong Yoo, “The Age of Shadows”) and his estranged daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an, “The Battleship Island”) as he escorts her during a birthday trip to visit her mother, the cast is spread among the train. Each collection of characters are on the train for various purposes, but when a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, these passengers struggle to survive among the trapped infected.

The filmmakers take a very skilled hand to dissect numerous tropes that are combinations of Western zombie origins and Asian culture, creating an experience that is unlike most other media of its type. Though obviously at times taking notes from the exquisitely-executed, and similarly train-themed film “ Snowpiercer ,” Train to Busan never feels as if it is borrowing from someone else’s work. It relies on easily-followed set-ups of chemical leaks making rage-filled zombies, which is all delivered within the first ten minutes of its hefty 118-minute runtime. Each action on a country-wide scale is mirrored in its intensity within the train, which is also then compounded by characters undergoing epiphanous moments that alter the course of everyone’s stories. Then mix in the zombies — a whole lotta zombies — which move, snarl and pile up much in the way if those infected in “ 28 Weeks Later ” had fused with “ World War Z .”

It would be hard-pressed to find a substantial flaw in the production values or storytelling present in this superb movie. The emotional distance between the father and daughter is handled directly without being overbearing, allowing the chasm between the two be tested against this insane crisis rather than being easily set up to be healed with a hallmark ending. Nothing is ever certain between any of the characters, with many relationships altering continuously, and many supporting players becoming meat for the slaughter by incident, intent or surrender. This is brought to life by the bold and visceral acting of the cast, primarily by Ma Dong-seok (“Chronicles of Evil”), Choi Woo-sik (“In the Room”) and Jung Yu-mi (“Tough as Iron”). However, without a shadow of a doubt, the two strongest actors (thusly delivering the best results), are Yoo and Su-an, whose chemistry and pure emotional reactions to each other sell their performances every second they are on screen. Each decision the actor makes in their delivery is in tandem to the evolution (or devolution) of the characters they portray, complementing the change in tones and mindsets that each character undergoes to further the story.

The cinematography crafted by Hyung-deok Lee (“A Company Man”) is crisp, effective and immersive; though initially acting too well within convention it forgoes most elaborate camera positions or movements. Shots are held for longer than most of this work’s contemporaries, relying more on racking focus to draw out the claustrophobia and tension within the train, especially as the amount of space they have available is continually reduced, thus brilliantly inferring how the experience is collectively shared between each cast member. Regardless if a character is to be killed off later, they are given just as much importance as any other, making it a genuine shock if someone finally does die.

Coverage of the stunt work and fight scenes is never sporadically crazy either, relying more on what the character sees rather than for adrenaline injections into the image and pacing, adding impressionistic flourishes that could be pulled right from “Come and See.” This collection of intrusive and taut shots were mixed by editor Yang Jin-mo (“ Okja ”), whose magnificent sense of timing and parallel linear storytelling creates astonishing pacing and sense of space, especially when establishing the length of the titular train and the many people who are along for the ride.

From the abrupt title card in the beginning moments to its somber contemplative ending, Train to Busan is far more than a damn good zombie flick, a deep character study into the roles we play in society, or an excellent practice in cinematic storytelling. The strength of the work is that there is never an extended moment of pandering, fluff or unnecessary frames. The movie is so systematically well-built that it’s actually quite amazing that the film isn’t more successful than it has been (it has, however, broken nationwide attendance records in South Korea, and is the current highest-grossing Korean film in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore).

Train to Busan is a wild ride, and one that can be enjoyed by any fan of cinema who can handle the trip.

Tagged: daughter , father , Korea , survival , train , zombie

A Maryland-based film critic and award-winning filmmaker, founder of Heaven’s Fire Films. Has written film critique and theory for FilmSnobbery, Community Soul, The Baltimore Examiner, AXS, Men's Confidence Magazine, Screen Anarchy, and IonCinema. He writes the film theory column "Anarchic Cinema" for Film Inquiry, DVD/Blu-ray reviews for Under the Radar, and movie reviews for Film Threat.

Movie Review: Winter Hunt (2017) Movie Review: Blue Iguana (2018) Movie Review: Do You Trust This Computer? (2018) Movie Review: The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) Movie Review: The Last Witness (2018) Movie Review: Gantz: O (2016) Movie Review: Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

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What it's about.

A zombie virus breaks out and catches up with a father as he is taking his daughter from Seoul to Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city. Watch them trying to survive to reach their destination, a purported safe zone.

The acting is spot-on; the set pieces are particularly well choreographed. You’ll care about the characters. You’ll feel for the father as he struggles to keep his humanity in the bleakest of scenarios.

It’s a refreshingly thrilling disaster movie, a perfect specimen of the genre.

I agree, “a perfect specimen of the genre.” The movie had such an amazing start, giving you a taste, and the movement of the zombies was simply thrilling.

this is by far the best Zombie movie I have seen after 28 days later!

Best zombie movie I’ve seen in a long time, and certainly the most emotionally heart wrenching.

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Review: Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) ★★½

South Korea has become a powerhouse in the horror and horror-thriller genre over the last decade and a half. There have been many examples of their superb filmmaking combined with adequately horrific and disturbing story-telling: Kim Jee-woon’s A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and I Saw the Devil (2010), Bong Joon-ho’s The Host (2006), and Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy (2003) and Thirst (2009), among others. In all of these films, there is a building of tension, almost at a snail’s pace, intermittently broken up by frightening images or revelations, and it works. These kinds of films keep the audience on the edge of their seats, and never suffer from being overly formulaic or reminiscent of Hollywood’s take on the horror genre. They feel unique to the Korean style of filmmaking and viewership. Unfortunately, Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan does not fit into this mold. It takes an entirely different, altogether less interesting approach.

The premise is intriguing, though not entirely original. A speeding train is a popular setting for horror/action films, due to its being inherently claustrophobic and at the same time allowing for a high-octane thrill ride. Films such as The Midnight Meat Train (2008) and Howl (2015) have used trains as the setting for their carnage with varying degrees of success, and this actually works pretty well in Train to Busan . A zombie epidemic shown from the perspective of train passengers as they barrel through the apocalyptic setting is both scary and exciting.

At the start of the film, we are introduced to Seok-woo, a career oriented fund manager who struggles to balance his work and family life. Seok-woo is not on good terms with his ex-wife, and his daughter, Soo-an, is slowly pulling away from him due to his selfishness and workaholic lifestyle. When Soo-an insists on taking the train to Busan to see her mother, her father is reluctant, but eventually agrees to take her. As they board the train, news breaks across the country of a horrific and fast-spreading virus that is turning the populace into bloodthirsty zombies. Just before the doors close, an infected woman slips past the attendant and stumbles onto the train. The passengers are suddenly trapped with an ever-growing number of infected, and must find a way to reach their destination safely.

Many of the scenes in Train to Busan are reminiscent of Snowpiercer (2013), a far superior film from South Korean director, Bong Joon-ho. Our heroes fight their way down a long string of cable cars, with each new segment of the train presenting a slightly different challenge than the last. Though they are entertaining, these extended fight sequences, interspersed with moments of sugary-sweet sentimentality, serve as the vast majority of the film’s plot. At times, Train to Busan becomes much more of a formulaic action movie than a horror movie, and this is possibly its greatest fault. Rather than having interesting characters, facing a terrifying situation, these are merely tired archetypes of people engaging in over-the-top fight sequences with the undead.

Seok-woo is the workaholic father, who must become less selfish and realize that family is the most important thing in his life, so that he may truly love and appreciate his daughter. Soo-an is the typical action-movie daughter, a doe-eyed, inquisitive little girl with an unfaltering moral compass. Then there is Sang-hwa, who initially comes across as abrasive and vulgar, but we come to realize that he is a kind-hearted working class man, who just wants what is best for his pregnant wife, Seong-kyeong. A few less important archetypes are also scattered about the train: a shy young man who must embrace his masculinity to try to save his girlfriend, a rich CEO whose selfishness borders on pure evil, a homeless man who teaches us that you can’t judge a book by its cover, and so on. The character types are such that, once the general premise is set and everyone is in place, we can predict what each of the main characters will inevitably do.

In addition to the predictability of the plot and characters, the film also beats us over the head with its lame sense of right and wrong. You shouldn’t judge people based on their appearance; money is not the most important thing in the world; spend time with your family while you still have the chance; be willing to make sacrifices for your loved ones; karma will punish those who are selfish; deep-down, the rich and the poor are the same, etc. It borders on being insulting at times, and ruins what could have been a fantastic zombie film.

So, Train to Busan has a great premise that is held back by cookie-cutter characters and an overly sentimental moral compass. These last two elements would be forgivable if not for the sheer length of the film. At 118 minutes long, Train to Busan feels like it will never end. What should have been an hour and a half movie is stretched for an extra thirty minutes for no reason in particular. Much like other formulaic action movies, the characters are faced with new and increasingly implausible hurdles to overcome, with each hurdle extending the story unnecessarily. You will be begging them to wrap it up after the 90-minute mark.

In short, Train to Busan took what could have been an amazing horror film and ran it off the rails with lazy, predictable writing and far too much screen time.

Rating: ★★½ out of 5

If you’d like to watch Train to Busan , it is currently available to rent or purchase via Amazon here .

Matthew Jones

Matthew Jones is a freelance writer who has written for dozens of local and international businesses, in addition to his publications on film and philosophy. To see more of his writing, check out his Medium page or personal website . If you like Philosophy in Film, be sure to contribute on Patreon !

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Review: train to busan.

Train to Busan ’s scare tactics are among the most distinctive that the zombie canon has ever seen.

Writer-director Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan , which largely takes place aboard a high-seed KTX train traveling from Seoul to Busan in the midst of a zombie outreak, is so nakedly hospitable to conservative attitudes that one may come to resent its strikingly creative and efficiently orchestrated maximalist frights. During the film’s elegantly staged opening, a man passing through a toll booth turned quarantine zone is so distracted by his phone, as well as by his contempt for the officials in hazmat suits who surely must be downplaying the seeming severity of the quarantine situation, that he runs over a deer. As the man drives off, the camera pans slowly to the right and reveals the deer jolting itself back to life, its glazed-over eyes representing both a promise of countless horrors to come and a confirmation of the man’s assertion that his government’s agents are “so full shit.”

When divorced of message-mongering, the film’s scare tactics are among the most distinctive that the zombie canon has ever seen. The zombies here are rabid, fast-moving ghoulies that, as Train to Busan ’s protagonists discover, are attracted to loud sounds and only attack what they can actually see. This realization becomes the foundation for a series of taut set pieces during which the story’s motley crew of survivors manipulate their way past zombies with the aid of cellphones and bats and the numerous tunnels through which the train must travel. The genre crosspollination for which so many South Korean thrillers have come to be known for is most evident in these scenes (as in the survivors crawling across one train car’s overhead luggage area), which blend together the tropes of survivor-horror and disaster films, as well as suggest the mechanics of puzzle-platformer games.

Train to Busan ’s macro frights, such as a freakish chase sequence wherein a horde of zombies unconsciously exhibit the behavior of colonial organisms, are no less impressive than Yeon’s staging of micro ones, primarily for how they shun conventional jump-scare tactics. When Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his young daughter, Soo-an (Kim Soo-ahn), board the train to Busan, where Seok-woo’s estranged wife is now living, an infected woman scurries onboard in the split second during which a conductor looks the other way. The moment is so casually presented as to hardly register at all. And as the train pulls away from the station, Soo-an barely glimpses from a window as someone crashes into and pushes a conductor to the ground. In one stylishly tossed-off beat, the girl’s fears of estrangement and uncertainty are effectively conflated with the audience’s certainty of this train’s doom.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to ignore Train to Busan ’s almost punishing devotion to formula. In between skirmishes with zombies, the train’s survivors dutifully corroborate their bona fides as stock genre types. Seok-woo is fund manager whose “bloodsucking” ways are understood by Sang-ha (Ma Dong-seok), a working-class bruiser on board the train with his pregnant wife, Sung-gyeong (Jung Yu-mi), to be consistent with how he only thinks of himself in the heat of the moment. Soon-an even takes her father to task, blaming the selfishness of his actions for his separation from her mother. The film sees Seok-woo as being one step away from the totalistic and cartoonish villainy of the bus-company executive played by Kim Eui-sung, and the zombie apocalypse as a means for Seok-woo to reconnect with what the filmmaker seems to believe is the man’s essential goodness.

Train to Busan treats, like San Andreas before it, a cataclysmic event as a backdrop to the restoration of a nuclear family—or something close to approaching one. The film’s drive toward a conventional sense of closure, executed with a clean sense of movement reminiscent of Steven Spielberg’s work, becomes impossible to separate from a series of essentially socio-political talking points that suggest a nation’s ever-increasing embrace of capitalistic values has unhinged its populace from the salt-of-the-earth ethos of an idyllic past. And yet, because everyone’s reminiscences about how things used to be, delivered in service to remind Seok-woo of his capacity for empathy, are so culturally unspecific, it’s easy to see hypocrisy in how Yeon so scrupulously serves up Train to Busan as a calling card.

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Train to Busan

Review by brian eggert december 13, 2016.

Zombies become relevant, even vital again in Train to Busan ( Busan haeng ), a tense horror story that unfolds with breakneck pacing and unexpected emotional substance. South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho makes a leap from animation to his first live-action feature, delivering a decidedly commercial project compared to his earlier releases. Yeon’s The King of Pigs (2011) and The Fake (2013) took probing and acerbic looks at bullying, poverty, and religion, while his other 2016 work, Seoul Station , dealt with a zombie outbreak in less straightforward terms—all of them animated. The director makes a graceful transition to live-action with this debut, as Train to Busan proves far more accessible and purely entertaining, while also containing the social commentaries and grim view of humanity for which the director is known. A mixture of perfectly calibrated scares, unlikely laughter, rage over social injustice, and even a few tears combine into a wholly satisfying experience.

Delivering his country’s biggest box-office performer of the year with more than $90 million in receipts in S. Korea alone, Yeon’s international hit has already sold its English-language remake rights to France’s Gaumont—despite not having a sizeable U.S. theatrical release. Imagining a successful remake is difficult, beyond the usual unlikelihood of a worthwhile rehash (see Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy for evidence), since Train to Busan ’s considerable subtext reflects a number of issues specific to Yeon’s home country. After the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) swept through S. Korea in 2015, stories of nationwide terror and plague hysteria consumed the headlines. Add to this an already prevalent national discussion about a division between social and economic classes, and suddenly a foundation emerges for a zombie allegory of better-than-average intelligence.

Juggling his ex-wife and cushy career as a fund manager in Seoul, workaholic Seok-wu (Gong Yoo) neglects his young daughter Soo-an (Kim Su-an, excellent). Only after botching her birthday gift and breaking her heart does he agree to deliver Soo-an to her mother in Busan, over two-hundred miles away. But their journey is just over an hour on S. Korea’s KTX high-speed train, which they board amid vague news reports of rioting and contagion throughout the country. Audiences have already seen glimpses of the zombie outbreak by now, including some uncertain allusions to a research facility leak as the cause. But in true zombie horror tradition, the source doesn’t matter much once fast-moving flesh-eaters start biting and adding to their rampant horde. The zombies themselves are scary and reminiscent of those in World War Z (2013), screeching and piling over each other in a rabid attempt to blindly attack anything that moves.

And so, our sense of dread is very real when a near-dead bite victim boards the same train as Seok-wu and Soo-an. Once the train’s attendants lock the exits, there’s no escape; the zombie chaos spreads. Seok-wu’s self-interest hangs over his every action and, at one point, he tells his daughter, “At a time like this, only watch out for yourself.” Fortunately, other passengers prove less cynical and build Train to Busan ’s rather affecting theme about the importance of helping others in times of crisis. Among the most enjoyable characters are the blue-collar Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife Sung-kyung (Jung Yu-mi), who remain unafraid to scorn Seok-wu for his petty behavior and, at first, act as surrogates to Soo-an. If the parents-to-be represent how Seok-wu should aspire to behave, then the entitled executive Yong-suk (Kim Eui-sung) represents the lowest point of humanity. A detestable character on par with Paul Reiser’s turn in Aliens (1986), Yong-suk cruelly uses his influence to ensure his own survival.

Yeon makes the most of the claustrophobic zombies-on-a-train concept, blending human drama with effective, genuine shocks in cramped spaces. But there’s plenty of action off-train too, using elaborate and impressive set pieces to explore the concept to its fullest. Occasionally the special FX threaten to call too much attention to themselves, but even amid a wowing derailment and swarms of zombies, screenwriter Park Joo-suk never forgets about the characters. Ma plays an affable and chummy tough guy reminiscent of Russell Crowe, and Gong’s father role affords a satisfying redemption arc. Kim’s rather awful corporate bastard may aggravate you, but he’s the sort of villain whose eventual comeuppance proves oh-so-satisfying. However, the best character must be Soo-an, whose tearful rendition of “Aloha ʻOe” won’t leave a dry eye in the house.

Train to Busan defies the notion that all has been said and done when it comes to zombies. It begins with an unrelenting setup, and the second half only becomes more complex, frightening, and emotionally involved as it goes—a strange rarity for zombie films today. After all, when AMC’s The Walking Dead pushes new boundaries with each new episode, zombie stories on film could hardly expect to compete, much less equal classics like George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1979), or even the newer 28 Days Later (2004) by Danny Boyle or Shaun of the Dead (2004) by Edgar Wright. But Yeon finds a way of delivering well-established genre elements within an exciting and resonating framework. He turns predictable tropes into an urgent rollercoaster for genre enthusiasts, and a curious but rewarding ride for fans of blockbuster-sized entertainment.

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REVIEW: “Train to Busan”

The zombie sub-genre is probably the fastest growing in all of horror. While it seems to have slowed down a tad, there are still countless numbers of films about the undead. Not surprising, a lot of it is waste, but there are also thoughtful, intelligent zombie movies that manage to terrify while also having something to say.

Director Sang-ho Yeon’s blistering South Korean zombie picture “Train to Busan” is one of the good ones. More survival thriller that straightforward horror, Yeon’s film pulls influence from several movies. It’s a bit of “Snowpiercer” meets “28 Days Later” but with a dash of “World War Z” tossed in for good measure. I’m not the first person to make those comparisons but they’re almost impossible to avoid. But that’s not a bad thing. “Train to Busan” doesn’t hang its hat on those influences. It has enough of its own ideas to make it unique.

The film’s central relationship is between a father and daughter (right off the bat it had me – I’m easy.) Gong Yo plays a workaholic fund manager named Seok-Woo. He’s recently divorced and spends more time at the office than with his young daughter Su-an. His disconnect with his daughter is best illustrated in one scene where he gives her a birthday gift. It’s the exact same thing he recently gave her for another occasion. Frustrated, Su-an pleads with her father to take her to her mother in Busan.

The next morning father and daughter board a bullet train from Seoul to Busan. Once onboard Yeon and writer Park Joo-suk introduce us to several side characters who will impact the story in a variety of ways. There’s a blue collar husband and his pregnant wife, two elderly sisters, a self-centered CEO, a train-hopping homeless man, and even a high school baseball team. But there is one more noteworthy passenger – a staggered young woman with a bite mark in her leg. She begins to convulse, attacks an attendant, and soon the zombie spread begins leaving a handful of survivors trapped on a speeding passenger train.

There are no guidelines to how movie zombies operate. Some creep and stumble while others run full-throttle. Some return to life over time while others turn quickly. Yeon’s zombies are fast, ferocious, milky-eyed terrors. Their transformation from victim to zombie is instantaneous. This makes for several remarkably intense sequences especially considering the claustrophobic confines of a fast-moving train. Sang-ho and cinematographer Lee Hyung-deok create some stellar scenes brimming with viciousness yet not fully relying on graphic gore. Don’t get me wrong, the zombie violence is bloody but far from excessive.

And as with the best zombie flicks, it’s the human elements that makes this one rise above genre expectations. Take the key daddy/daughter relationship. For them it becomes more than a train ride and zombie attack. It’s a wake-up call for Seok-Woo and a chance at righting his relationship with his daughter. There is also a running theme of kindness and charity in the face of great horrors. Repeatedly characters are faced with the options of working together or alone. Their decisions often impact whether people live or die. The film also examines paranoia, selfishness, sacrifice, and more.

I went into “Train to Busan” expecting a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat zombie romp and it’s very much that. It’s a tension-soaked blast of a movie but with plenty of smarts both in front and behind the camera. Its good characters, deeper themes, and impeccable execution helps it to defy any dismissive genre perceptions some folks may have. Sure, it still won’t appeal to everyone, but for me “Train to Busan” is an injection of freshness into its genre and easily in the upper tier of zombie movies.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

‘Train to Busan’ review — A surprisingly unique and entertaining zombie flick

Train to busan is a heart-pounding, armrest-gripping, teeth clenching zombie flick that breathes new life into the genre..

Just when the zombie genre seemed on its way out, then along rolls in Train to Busan . This South Korean production breathes a new life into the genre without straying too far out of its confines. The rules set in place in this world are a little updated from the usual and refreshingly there are no guns. Not only does that raise the stakes, it makes for action like no other zombie movie I’ve seen. It is one of the best, if not the best, zombie movie since 28 Days Later. Taking place in Seoul, South Korea, Train to Busan follows Seok-Woo ( Gong Yoo ), a fund manager, and father to Soo-an ( Kim Su-an ). In typical horror movie fashion, he’s a terrible father. So terrible that he gives his daughter a birthday present she already has while she begs to see her mother in Busan the next day to celebrate. Looking to appease his daughter, early the next morning he takes her on a KTX bullet train to Busan. Little do they know a chemical spill nearby has caused a wave of infected people. Little do they know, an infected person made it on the train. This swift and quick setup is not only refreshing but integral to setting the pace of the story. As the lower class cars fall to the zombie outbreak, the forward class cabins fight to keep the undead out and escape.

Train to Busan is such an interesting study on the application of a genre. All the facets of a zombie horror movie are there – the absentee dad, the plot-point child, a pregnant woman, a more than capable fighter. However, the way that the movie applies these characters and throws them into the story is quite interesting. The first 45 minutes of the movie can’t help but draw comparisons to 2013’s Snowpiercer. Both movies take place on a train, involve commentary on class warfare, and involve fighting to get to the front of the train. Except, Train to Busan replaces rebels with zombies. However, both have a similar forward momentum that feels fast, efficient, and damn right thrilling.

One of the most refreshing aspects of the movie is its update of the traditional rules of zombie movies. While they are sensitive to sound, they are also more affected by their vision. At one point, a character puts newspaper over a window and the zombies instantly stop their pursuit. It’s a fun rule that’s put to great use a few times. It’s also very refreshing to have zombie movie where there aren’t any guns. At one point, a group of characters makes an all out dash for another car, the all-out assault on the zombies in their way is not only impressive but incredibly entertaining. The creature design is also really marvelous and terrifying. It perfectly compliments the violence of the transformation into a zombie, which we get to witness a few times. What the movie does pull directly from other movies — World War Z to be specific—is the flood of zombies. However, here it’s done on a smaller scale, which makes it look more realistic and all the more terrifying.

While yes, Train to Busan does eventually give into genre cliches – slow reaction times, horror movie logic—the first half of the movie is strong enough to plow through them. Even though some characters feel familiar, you come to actually care about the right people. By the end of the movie, you become so attached that the tension is almost unbearable. But that’s what we’re looking for, right? The amount of energy that director Yeon Sang-ho is able to infuse into Train to Busan is a welcome change from the stop and go nature of recent entries in the genre. Some wonky translations and frustrating decisions aside, the movie invigorates a genre on the way out. Sure, it completely owes a lot of itself to movies that came before it— World War Z, 28 Days Later— but it does enough on its own to warrant respect all on its own. Needless to say, I am all onboard with Train to Busan.

★★★★ out of five

Train to Busan is available to rent and buy on Amazon!

Karl Delossantos

Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

12 Years A Slave Movie Review — A Beautiful, Unflinching Film
2014 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises
2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture (Updated 2/16)
2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Director (Is Alfonso Cuarón a Lock to Win?)

Train to Busan (2016) Ending Explained – Does Seok-woo make it to Busan?

Train to busan plot summary.

Train to Busan is one of the best horror movies of all time. This 2016 South Korean action horror film stars the handsome and talented Gong Yoo and the highly acclaimed actor Ma Dong-seok. Choi Woo-sik is also part of the cast, along with Jung Yu-mi and Sohee. The film was directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Most people don’t know that Train to Busan is the sequel to the 2016 horror film Seoul Station. Train to Busan packs more punch compared to its predecessor as it follows the story of a father and a daughter travelling to Busan to celebrate the mom’s birthday. However, things go awry during the trip due to a zombie outbreak in South Korea.

How does Train to Busan start?

Train to Busan starts with a truck approaching a tollbooth where several workers wearing safety suits and masks stop it and sanitize the truck. The truck driver complains about his animals dying, and one of the workers tells him that it is nothing serious but just a tiny leak from a nearby factory. The driver does not sound convinced and continues complaining on his way past the booth. A phone call distracts the driver from the road, and he accidentally hits something while trying to reach for his phone.

The driver stops the truck and steps out to look, and a deer is seen lying seemingly dead in the middle of the road. Since he can do nothing, the driver returns to the truck and drives off. Suddenly, the seemingly dead deer staggers to its feet, and as the scene zooms in on the animal, its eyes and skin suggest that it is infected.

Who is Seok-woo, and why was he on the train?

Seok-woo is a fund manager in an investment company in Seoul. A client calls him anxious about his investment because of strange happenings in the country. Seok-woo tries to convince the client that they are just rumours, but he is adamant, which forces Seok-woo to ask his assistant to sell everything in their fund. The assistant is reluctant, but Seok-woo insists. Later, we learn that Seok-woo is separated from his wife, and he has a daughter, So-an, and lives with his mother. Seok-woo barely has time for his daughter since he accidentally buys her the same gift for her birthday that he had bought her during Children’s Day.

So-an wants to visit her mother in Busan for her birthday, and she makes a fuss about it. Seok-woo, initially reluctant due to work commitments, is forced to when his mother shows her a video of So-an at a school recital, which he failed to attend due to work. To make it up to So-an, Seok-woo takes So-an to Busan the next morning before returning to the office in the afternoon.

On the way to the train station, Seok-woo nearly crashes into ambulances and fire trucks as they suddenly rush through an intersection. They can see smoke indicating a fire outbreak from a distance, and So-an rolls down the window and catches an ember. Seok-woo comments that something must be happening but continues to head to the train station.

After boarding the train, Seok-woo and So-an run into a myriad of fellow passengers, including Sang-hwa and his pregnant wife Sung-gyeong, the elderly sisters In-gil and Jon-gil, a team of high school baseball among them Jin-hee and Young-gook, the seemingly wealthy and arrogant Young-suk, and the train attendant Ki-chul. Amidst them is a stowaway who seems to be the only one aware of what is happening outside, while everyone else is oblivious.

What caused the Zombie Outbreak?

The film does not delve into the cause of the Zombie outbreak, but towards the end, Seok-woo’s assistant calls him and says that a company known as YS Biotech is responsible. The assistant adds that the company was crucial to his and Seok-woo’s plan. The assistant feels guilty and asks if they are to blame for the apocalypse, and even though Seok-woo comforts him, he cannot help but break down after the call.

What Happens at the end of Train to Busan?

The train approaches the final tunnel leading into Busan, but the tracks are blocked with dead bodies and metal gates. So-an and Sung-gyeong exit the cockpit and start to walk towards the tunnel. On the other side, the military is armed and watching their approach, and when they are unable to verify if they are infected or not, the superiors order that they be killed. However, before the sniper shoots, So-an starts singing the song she had practised for the recital, Aloha’ Oe, to encourage an exhausted Sung-gyeong to keep going. The soldiers hear her song, realize they are survivors, and rush to their rescue.

Train to Busan is so much more than just a group of people trying to survive a rapid group of blood-sucking zombies. It has an emotional and compelling story amid the exhilarating, action-filled sequences. It also embeds a tale about the greed and selfishness of the wealthy, seen within the selfish and manipulative nature of Yong-suk. Consequently, the story touches on the impact of humanity and kindness even in the face of danger as several characters selflessly sacrifice themselves for the sake of strangers they just met on a train.

There is also a hint of transformation and character development as Seok-woo turns from the self-absorbed fund manager at the movie’s beginning to a person willing to keep promises and keep a stranger and his daughter safe at the expense of his own life. Unlike other zombie movies, it focuses on morality and does not waste time understanding the reasons behind the outbreak. Thus, Train to Busan is a thrilling must-watch movie for fans of zombie movies since it brings a fresh, unique, and exciting twist to the zombie genre.

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

The Best Action Movies Of 2024 So Far

The action genre is capable of delivering some of the most memorable set pieces and sequences in cinema. However, it also has the greatest potential to become repetitive. At a certain point, it may seem like there are no other ways to take down a bad guy or run away from a natural (or unnatural) disaster. That's what makes it such a breath of fresh air to see a crop of filmmakers prove there are still ample ways to have fun with the genre's tropes.

The best action movies of 2023 definitely set the bar high, but filmmakers in the field haven't slouched this year either. There's been a fantastic variety of action flicks that skew the genre in interesting ways, from incorporating jokes to exploring scientific concepts. While it's fun to see hand-to-hand combat or explosions, sometimes more innovative solutions are necessary than just punching someone ad nauseam or blowing up another building.

You've probably already heard of a bunch of these movies (or seen them multiple times in theaters), but there are also bound to be at least a few hidden gems that may have flown under your radar and are absolutely worth your time. We considered critic and audience reviews, as well as our own personal opinions regarding the best in action cinema (because we see a lot of it). The following is a worthy mix of action in various subgenres that hopefully has something to get everyone's blood pumping.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne

Director: George Miller

Runtime: 148 minutes

Where to Watch: Max

It will forever remain one of the greatest cinematic tragedies of 2024 that "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" bombed at the box office . The film deserved so much better as a worthy prequel to the still-classic "Mad Max: Fury Road." This time around, audiences get to see the origin story of Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), as she's taken away from a life of abundance and must fend for herself in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. This includes proving herself to the warlord Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) and seeking revenge against Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth, who delivers one of the best villain performances of the year.

While "Furiosa" clearly owes a lot to "Fury Road," there are some distinct differences. "Fury Road" offers mile-a-minute action with much of the movie devoted to one exceptionally long car chase. "Furiosa" leans more into being a character study, providing insight into the titular character's psyche and how she just wants to get back to the life she once had. Through all of this, there are plenty of epic set pieces that will excite any "Mad Max" fan, from the attack on the War Rig to Furiosa escaping from the Bullet Farm. Director George Miller proves he still has plenty of gas left in the tank to make amazing "Mad Max" movies; hopefully, this one's poor financial showing doesn't deter future installments from coming to fruition.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Cast: Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Freya Allen, Peter Macon

Director: Wes Ball

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 145 minutes

Where to Watch: Hulu and Disney+

The most recent trilogy in the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, beginning with 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," is one of the more underrated film series of the 21st century. The story of ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) ended with 2017's "War for the Planet of the Apes," so there was certainly a lot riding on a follow-up. Luckily, 2024's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" not only offers epic action, but thoughtful commentary on how mythology and religion can become bastardized by those wishing to use it for their own nefarious means.

"Kingdom" takes place many generations after Caesar's death, so our hero this time around is young Noa (Owen Teague), who comes into conflict with the tyrannical bonobo Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Each has very different visions for the future of ape-kind and their relationship with the remaining humans. One of those humans is the intelligent Mae (Freya Allen), who tags along with Noa on his journey but may have an agenda of her own.

The film functions as a fascinating epilogue to the previous trilogy, while setting the stage for even more stories to be told before the franchise catches up with the events of the original "Planet of the Apes." The ending of "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" questions whether apes and humans can live harmoniously – and if all parties aren't careful, both camps may head for yet another war.

The Fall Guy

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, Hannah Waddingham

Director: David Leitch

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 126 minutes

Where to Watch: Peacock

"The Fall Guy" was always set to be something special judging by the marketing campaign alone, which heavily emphasized the often-overlooked aspect of stunt work on major blockbusters. At least "The Fall Guy" finally gives these amazing performers the spotlight with the story of stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), who gets wrapped up in a major entertainment conspiracy where it's up to him to save the day and get back with his girl (Emily Blunt) — who's also directing the movie he's working on.

There's just something to be said for practical effects, and since "The Fall Guy" includes several scenes that take place on a movie set, audiences get to see the action in real time. While it's always fun to see Gosling crack jokes, it's equally fascinating to watch the long sequences where we just get to see stunts play out, such as Gosling's character continually being flung against a big rock. It truly shows how demanding this work is, with the stunt team often doing the same things repeatedly until a take is just right (or until a jilted lover has had her fill). "The Fall Guy" ranks up there with "Furiosa" as far as 2024 box office bombs , but we hope this is one film that gets more love over time.

Cast: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Maniktala, Harsh Chhaya

Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

Runtime: 105 minutes

Where to Watch: Rent or buy from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Microsoft Store

Anyone interested in seeing the best of what the action genre has to offer should expand their horizons beyond American productions. Bollywood has frequently become the go-to destination for inventive action flicks, as evidenced by the immensely popular 2022 film, "RRR." However, 2024 has something special for fans with "Kill," a brutal film that sees Amrit (Lakshya) get on a train to try to prevent the love of his life from marrying another man. However, during his train ride to the wedding, a gang of bandits take over, forcing Amrit, as a former commando of the Indian Army, to stop their reign of terror.

If you thought John Wick was deadly with a pencil, just get a load of Amrit with a fire extinguisher. This is a movie that continually finds ways to ramp up the brutality, with the second half of the film having some of the best fights in any 2024 picture. American audiences may have passed it by, but an English-language remake is already in the works from the producers of, appropriately enough, "John Wick." It's highly recommended to give subtitles a chance and check out the original before the remake comes around.

Cast: Dev Patel, Pitobash, Sharlto Copley, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala

Director: Dev Patel

Runtime: 121 minutes

Given Dev Patel's previous credits like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Newsroom," it's understandable if general audiences didn't expect him to make one of the best action films of 2024. Patel stars in and makes his feature-length directorial debut with "Monkey Man," a movie about a man who comes from nothing and competes in underground fights. He soon takes his grievances with society to the upper class, enacting vengeance on those who have taken so much from the lower rungs of Indian society.

Introducing the film at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas (via Deadline ), Patel spoke about wanting to make a real thinking man's action flick: "I wanted to give it real soul, real trauma, real pain and you guys deserve that," he said. "And I wanted to infuse it with a little bit of culture." "Monkey Man" explores the idea of religious nationalism taking over a country's politics, but that doesn't mean Patel slouched on the fights. The movie also suggests that sometimes violence is necessary but requires support from a community to be the most effective. Whether you care about international politics or just want to see one of the most devastating fist fights in recent memory, "Monkey Man" is for you.

Dune: Part Two

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Runtime: 166 minutes

It's pretty incredible to think that at one point, Frank Herbert's "Dune" was considered unadaptable to film. David Lynch admirably tried in the 1980s to little acclaim, but Denis Villeneuve has now directed two epic science fiction movies that amazingly capture the essence of Herbert's work. From the beginning, it's apparent the sequel would be something awe-inspiring, as enemy forces fly into the air to locate Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) but are taken out by Fremen. The rest of the movie follows Paul's rise to galactic supremacy as he becomes a messiah for the Fremen and ruler of Arrakis.

When people think of great action movies, practical effects and physical fights may often come to mind. "Dune: Part Two" has some hand-to-hand combat, particularly the emotional final battle between Paul and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), but the visual effects are genuinely astounding. From attacking Harkonnen ships to Paul riding a massive sandworm, Herbert's world has been brought to breathtaking life. Denis Villeneuve has already expressed his desire to adapt "Dune Messiah," but unlike "Dune," that book has more political intrigue than outright action. Given what Villeneuve has accomplished already, it's likely that a "Messiah" movie will still entrance audiences, with or without amazing battles.

Deadpool and Wolverine

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfadyen, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney

Director: Shawn Levy

Runtime: 128 minutes

Where to Watch: Currently in theaters (likely going to Disney+)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe only has one 2024 entry, but the company definitely made it count. "Deadpool and Wolverine" is a billion-dollar-grossing fan-favorite flick that sees Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) team up with a Wolverine variant (Hugh Jackman) to save his own universe. Along the way, there are numerous epic cameos and naughty jokes that fans of the Merc with a Mouth have come to expect. And when it comes to the copious fight scenes, a killer needle drop is the name of the game.

Things kick off with Wade Wilson murdering a team of TVA agents while busting a movie to *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye." A juxtaposition between poppy song choices and bloody action is a recurring theme throughout the movie, as Deadpool and Wolverine duke it out in a Honda Odyssey to "You're the One That I Want" from "Grease," and the whole story culminates with the titular duo taking on the Deadpool Corps while Madonna's "Like a Prayer" plays. Such fights are an ideal encapsulation of who Deadpool is as a character — silly and ruthless at the same time. "Deadpool and Wolverine" is truly a love letter to anyone who's kept up with superhero movies over the last 25 years, and at this point, Reynolds and Jackman will probably play these characters until they're both 90.

Badland Hunters

Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-joon, Lee Jun-young, Roh Jeong-eui

Director: Heo Myung-haeng

Runtime: 107 minutes

Where to Watch: Netflix

Ma Dong-seok proved he could kick butt in "Train to Busan," which helped him attain leading man status in future South Korean productions. His latest is 2024's "Badland Hunters," the sequel to 2023's "Concrete Utopia," in which an earthquake devastates Seoul, turning it into a lawless society. "Badland Hunters" takes place several years after that initial earthquake, with Nam-san (Ma) and other survivors trying to make peaceful lives for themselves. However, all of that is thrown into turmoil when one of their own is kidnapped as part of horrific scientific experiments.

Rescuing someone who's been kidnapped is as basic as it comes for action movie plots. However, the thing that sets "Badland Hunters" apart is that it leans into sci-fi and horror elements as well as B-movie sensibilities. There's an array of fighting styles on display to differentiate the set pieces, but some of the best scenes come from Ma Dong-seok simply barreling his way through combatants with his fists. With "Concrete Utopia" and "Badland Hunters" coming out in quick succession, one can imagine even more stories being told in this universe. If it winds up becoming the Korean version of "Mad Max," we're fully on board with that.

Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Katy O'Brian, Brandon Perea, David Corenswet

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Runtime: 122 minutes

Where to Watch: Currently in theaters

It's always a pleasant surprise when a legacy sequel to a beloved film from decades ago actually turns out to be good. 1996's "Twister" is a solid disaster movie following a group of storm chasers. "Twisters" pretty much does the same thing for modern sensibilities: Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who's trying to right some wrongs from the past, initially butts heads with YouTuber storm chasers led by Tyler (Glen Powell), before teaming up with the charismatic "tornado wrangler."

Strong enemies proficient in martial arts can certainly make for engaging foes. However, it's another thing entirely to go toe-to-toe with Mother Nature, and "Twisters" has some spectacular VFX to show off the visceral carnage caused by tornadoes. At first, it may seem like there's nothing to do but drive as fast as you can from the wind, but Kate has some tricks up her sleeve.

Much like "Top Gun: Maverick," "Twisters" harkens back to simpler times of blockbuster entertainment before cinematic universes ran rampant. Granted, "Twisters" is a sequel based on pre-existing intellectual property, so it's not like it's a completely original idea. But given how "Twisters" blew everyone away at the box office , it's a good reminder that you don't always need a superhero to sell tickets. Sometimes, you just need Glen Powell in a cowboy hat.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Cast: Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lu

Director: Soi Cheang

"Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" draws from the history of Hong Kong and its infamous Kowloon Walled City. Within that historical setting are some of the best fight scenes of 2024, as the protagonist seeks refuge in the crime-ridden enclave but soon triggers an all-out gang war between those inside and outside the city.

"Walled In" draws heavily from Bruce Lee films of the past, but director Soi Cheang told The Hollywood Reporter that he also kept one eye toward the future. "I hope to see a new generation of filmmakers take [Hong Kong action cinema] forward in innovative ways," he stated. "Rather than simply relying on nostalgia, it's important for these new voices to bring fresh perspectives and reinterpret the genre for a new era."

The fight choreography is second-to-none, with the bus fight, in particular, needing to be seen to be believed. Bus fights are nothing new to the action genre, as evidenced by "The Transporter" and "Nobody," but this one's truly something special. Plus "Walled In" fans should be pleased to hear that both a prequel and sequel are in the works, so expect more martial arts-infused fights in the near future.

Alien: Romulus

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, Aileen Wu, Spike Fearn

Director: Fede Álvarez

Runtime: 119 minutes

Where to Watch: Currently in theaters (likely going to Hulu and Disney+)

"Alien: Romulus" has been a solid hit with audiences, and it would be easy to credit this success to its various Easter eggs, small details, and references to past "Alien" movies. However, "Romulus" manages to stand on its own with some truly inventive set pieces that provide for both ample horror and action. The set-up harkens back to the original "Alien," as a group of young folks venture to an abandoned space station to get the equipment they need to start new, better lives elsewhere. Unfortunately, there are facehuggers and xenomorphs waiting for them, and not everyone makes it out alive.

The set-up may be more akin to "Alien," but one sequence calls to mind the more action-oriented "Aliens," when Rain (Cailee Spaeny) gets hold of a pulse rifle to do some serious damage to the xenomorphs. And that's before the ludicrously amazing final act. "Alien" wouldn't be much of a franchise if every single character got killed by a creature without much of a fight. Rain follows in a long line of superb "Alien" heroines who know how to fight back and ramp up the already mounting tension.

COMMENTS

Train to Busan movie review & film summary (2016)
Yeon Sang-ho's "Train to Busan" is the most purely. entertaining zombie film in some time, finding echoes of George Romero 's and Danny Boyle 's. work, but delivering something unique for an era in which kindness to others. seems more essential than ever. For decades, movies about the undead have. essentially been built on a ...
Train to Busan
Jul 4, 2024. There is a deep love that carries through the devastation, Train to Busan delivers what movies are all about. Jun 8, 2024. This is viral horror with an organic purity and a cinematic ...
Train to Busan Movie Review
Parents need to know that Train to Busan is an excellent South Korean zombie horror -- with English subtitles -- that features frantic, bloody violence, and intense scenes in enclosed spaces. Despite the intensity it is more of a fun action movie than a chilling horror. Zombies kill many people and they in….
Review: All Aboard 'Train to Busan' for Zombie and Class Warfare
Elite passengers on a South Korean bullet train face a twitching, hissing threat from the cheap seats in "Train to Busan," a public-transportation horror movie with a side helping of class ...
Train to Busan
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 26, 2023. Train to Busan is arguably the best zombie apocalypse movie of all-time. The subgenre finds in Yeon Sang-ho's mind-blowing flick the masterpiece ...
Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan: Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. With Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an. While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.
Train to Busan (2016)
Perhaps a touch too long at almost two hours to be perfect, Train to Busan is nevertheless one of the better zombie films to come out in recent years. Highly recommended. 8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb. 6/10. Starts strong only to turn into a typical Hollywood blockbuster.
'Train to Busan' Review
Yeon Sang-ho. Film Review: 'Train to Busan'. Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Midnight), May 13, 2016. Running time: 118 MIN. (Original Title: "Busan haeng") Production: (South Korea) A Next ...
Train To Busan Review
Train To Busan Review. Banker Seok Woo (Gong Yoo) agrees to take his daughter (Ahn Soo-hee) to visit her mother in Busan. But a zombie epidemic breaks out as they leave Seoul, and the passengers ...
Train to Busan
1 h 58 m. Summary Train to Busan is a harrowing zombie horror-thriller that follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a countrywide viral outbreak while trapped on a suspicion-filled, blood-drenched bullet train ride to Busan, a southern resort city that has managed to hold off the zombie hordes… or so everyone hopes.
Train To Busan Review: Electric Korean Zombie Movie Goes ...
July 18, 2016 1:06 pm. "Train to Busan". For almost 45 minutes, Yeon Sang-ho 's " Train to Busan " is on pace to become the best, most urgent zombie movie since "28 Days Later.". And ...
Movie Review: Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is a wild ride, and one that can be enjoyed by any fan of cinema who can handle the trip. Critical Movie Critic Rating: 5. Movie Review: Planetarium (2016) Movie Review: An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017) Tagged: daughter, father, Korea, survival, train, zombie.
Train to Busan
Train to Busan (Korean: 부산행; RR: Busanhaeng; MR: Pusanhaeng; lit. To Busan) is a 2016 South Korean action horror film [4] directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung. [5] The film mostly takes place on a KTX from Seoul to Busan as a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out in the country and threatens the ...
Train to Busan (2016) Movie Review
The take. A zombie virus breaks out and catches up with a father as he is taking his daughter from Seoul to Busan, South Korea's second-largest city. Watch them trying to survive to reach their destination, a purported safe zone. The acting is spot-on; the set pieces are particularly well choreographed. You'll care about the characters.
Review: Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) ★★½
Soo-an is the quintessential action-movie daughter, providing the film with much of its heavy-handed morality (Train to Busan, 2016). So, Train to Busan has a great premise that is held back by cookie-cutter characters and an overly sentimental moral compass. These last two elements would be forgivable if not for the sheer length of the film.
Review: Train to Busan
Review: Train to Busan. Train to Busan 's scare tactics are among the most distinctive that the zombie canon has ever seen. by Ed Gonzalez. July 17, 2016. Writer-director Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan, which largely takes place aboard a high-seed KTX train traveling from Seoul to Busan in the midst of a zombie outreak, is so nakedly ...
Train to Busan
Rated. R. Runtime. 118 min. Release Date. 07/20/2016. Zombies become relevant, even vital again in Train to Busan ( Busan haeng ), a tense horror story that unfolds with breakneck pacing and unexpected emotional substance. South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho makes a leap from animation to his first live-action feature, delivering a decidedly ...
REVIEW: "Train to Busan"
Director Sang-ho Yeon's blistering South Korean zombie picture "Train to Busan" is one of the good ones. More survival thriller that straightforward horror, Yeon's film pulls influence from several movies. It's a bit of "Snowpiercer" meets "28 Days Later" but with a dash of "World War Z" tossed in for good measure.
Train To Busan Film Review
Overall though, Train To Busan is quickly simply a very good thriller. Not only is the action relentless, gripping and well shot, the characters are all memorable and have satisfying arcs. Despite not really ending the main conflict and a tendency to devolve into Hollywood spectacle toward the end of the film, Train To Busan is smartly written ...
'Train to Busan' review
The first 45 minutes of the movie can't help but draw comparisons to 2013's Snowpiercer. Both movies take place on a train, involve commentary on class warfare, and involve fighting to get to the front of the train. Except, Train to Busan replaces rebels with zombies. However, both have a similar forward momentum that feels fast, efficient ...
Train to Busan
Chris Stuckmann reviews Train to Busan, starring Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jung, Dong-seok Ma, Su-an Kim, Eui-sung Kim, Woo-sik Choi, Sohee. Directed by Sang-ho Yeon.
Train to Busan (2016) Ending Explained
Train To Busan Plot Summary. Train to Busan is one of the best horror movies of all time. This 2016 South Korean action horror film stars the handsome and talented Gong Yoo and the highly acclaimed actor Ma Dong-seok. Choi Woo-sik is also part of the cast, along with Jung Yu-mi and Sohee. The film was directed by Yeon Sang-ho.
Train to Busan MOVIE REVIEW
Train to Busan is the breakout classic from South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho.This movie has always slipped through my peripherals, but with a new directorial project from the filmmaker JUNG_E hitting Netflix this week, I finally set aside the time to check out a few of his earlier works. Yeon is also responsible for the limited series Hellbound, which also premiered on Netflix in 2021, so ...
The Best Action Movies Of 2024 So Far
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne Director: George Miller Rating: R Runtime: 148 minutes Where to Watch: Max It will forever remain one of the greatest cinematic ...

Train to Busan

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Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Midnight), May 13, 2016. Running time: 118 MIN. (Original Title: "Busan haeng")

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Train To Busan Review

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Movie Review: Train to Busan (2016)

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Train to Busan (2016)

Juan Manuel

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Review: Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) ★★½

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REVIEW: “Train to Busan”

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS