Train to Busan (2016)

While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

Jess’ Review

Train to Busan follows divorcee Seok-Woo (Gong Yoo) escorting his young daughter, Soo-An (Su-An Kim) to her mother is Busan, whilst a zombie virus is taking hold beyond the confines of the train. I’ve seen plenty of zombie films in my time, though few quite so raw and gritty at this. It’s a slow-build, commendable as it must be so tempting to launch headfirst into the carnage. Yet director Sang-ho Yeon is patient, and in doing so builds a far more realistic universe and wholly relatable cast. The outbreak, and so the pace of the film, is measured, which is a mastery in suspense even before the horror kicks in.

The acting ensemble is brilliant, demonstrating a fantastic depth as the film diverts into a more emotional tone. (I was not prepared. And yes, I did cry.) Seok-Woo turns from a reserved businessman to a goddamn hero. Though Gong Yoo’s performance in the final act is downright heartbreaking.

There is quite the catalogue of characters in Train To Busan, most of which completely fleshed out and sympathetic. It’s an impressive feat considering the run-time of the film, as well as the scene-stealing nature of the zombies. But Yeon does it. He presents the audience with real people with their own stories and dreams, nailing the balance between drama and the ensuing horror. I found myself desperately rooting for these supporting characters as much as our leads. I got attached. A mistake, of course, in a horror, but it stands as a true testament to calibre of character building.

The film’s plot is relatively simple, but it doesn’t need to be glitzy. It feels real. The action hits hard and fast. Hell breaks loose suddenly, and the ensuing chaos is captured phenomenally. The events that unfold come with a truly realistic sense of panic. There is confusion hesitance, blind fear and even hostility amongst the survivors. It seems so authentic and true to life that I find myself totally enamoured with the grittiness of this world.

The zombies themselves are pretty sick. Whilst design and originality is somewhat limited, they’re sufficiently frightening whilst being rooted in reality. They’re flawed and nothing seems wildly over-the-top or nonsensical. The film’s action sequences are intense, shot-well and finished off with some great effects. I found myself on edge throughout, often shouting at our heroes to run a little faster. It’s gripping, relentless and a feast for the eyes.

Train to Busan completely surpassed my already high expectations. It was a fantastic zombie-flick, suspenseful and gritty. Yet it’s additional layer of drama, and the attention given to its characters, elevates it beyond the norm. This was an intense film. Powerful, emotional, raw and completely unmissable.

9/10

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Sam’s Review

Unrelenting. That’s Train to Busan. A film where you find yourself groaning, wondering how much more the protagonists will have to endure. That isn’t an indictment of the film, just a reflection on the harsh realities of a zombie plague. Something that is portrayed perfectly here. It doesn’t waste time using pseudoscience to clumsily explain the impossible. Instead, we’re here and that’s that. In lieu of the typical troupes which range from comedic to ridiculous, Train to Busan approaches its subject with a gritty seriousness. Rather than make a horror film for the sake of gore, Yeon Sang-ho, the director, hones in on the humanity of the situation, creating a surprisingly emotional film.

I was taken back by the family-dominated beginning, with Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) struggling to parent his daughter, Su-an (Kim Soo-Ahn). It’s a slow build, but always interesting. And when it gets going, it really gets going. The pacing was brilliant. I never lost interest, even though, largely because of the genre, you know where the film is headed.

What impressed me the most was the tension. First of all, there was personal and real stakes, which is already a step up from most horrors. This wasn’t just about survival. Also, though I had to use subtitles to understand the characters, I cared about them. And the way the tension is gently built, brilliantly combining sound, pacing and lighting, had me on the edge of my seat.

This is a hauntingly accurate portrayal of humans, with both repulsive, virtuous and just-trying-to-get-by portrayed. In a genre such as horror, it would have been easy to create two dimensional characters, yet most were fleshed out. They had a range of emotions, and struggle through them. How the screen time was divided up was fantastic, there were multiple secondary characters and all felt like they were visited enough to matter.

There were a few issues. While I appreciated people not realising what was happening at first, as surely you wouldn’t, I did feel that at certain times that it bordered on stupidity. If someone is biting another person’s neck, even if your first thought isn’t ‘zombies!’, you still should be able to work out something is wrong. And it took an infuriatingly long time for anybody to think about shutting the door.

Their was a sense of balance to this film, and it was touchingly poetic. I must praise Jess for her brave selection, one that I fought. Train to Busan is a heartfelt film with real stakes that is an unrelenting and tense journey through human nature in the face of crisis. And if the coronavirus is any indication, we’d all be dead.

8/10