Feasting on Fleshed Out Characters
Reviewed by Rimi
South Korea has given us K-pop, now K-horror?
Train to Busan is about Seok-woo, a father (Gong Yoo), and his daughter, Soo-an (Kim Soo-Ahn) who along with other passengers become trapped on a bullet train during a zombie virus outbreak in South Korea.
Seok-woo is a workaholic dad who has become estranged to his young daughter Soo-an more so after the separation from his wife. So when Soo-an asks for her birthday to see her mother, Seok-woo begrudgingly and guiltily agrees to do so. What should have been a relaxing train ride from Seoul and a time for perhaps Seok-woo and Soo-an to bond turns into a fight for survival when an unexpected passenger gets on train. The survivors have to try work together if they want to make it alive to Busan.
From the opening sequence you are given a peek that this is no ho hum zombie film. The movie does post some social commentary like what would you do to ensure that you and your loved one survives, and who do you follow in place that has no clear leader? Aside from that this is not Snowpiercer with zombies, although there is one scene in particular that does gives off a Snowpiercer vibe but that is where the comparison should end. The zombies are reminiscent of those found in 28 Days Later or Z Nation but Train to Busan gives them their own twist. The action scenes between the zombies and train passengers is well choreographed, you get the urgency and feel just as claustrophobic as they try to secure a train car free of the infected.
This is a surprisingly a good movie and don’t let the fact that it it’s subtitled keep you from watching it. In this roughly two hour movie you get something that that seems to have become a rarity in American films, well developed characters. Seok-woo changes as not only a father but as man as well thanks to his daughter, Soo-an. The young actress Kim Soo-Ahn gives a solid performance as Soo-an, who is facing a life and death situations but still manages to think others before herself. You bond not only with Soo-an & Seok-woo but the other survivors as well, you want to see them make it to the end. There are a couple of scenes that unless you are a Grinch will hit you right in the feels. The movie is refreshing that characters for the most part actually react to situations like normal people would do. Even though the movie is well written during the last leg of the film characters fall into some of the typical movie tropes and start doing questionable behavior.
Train to Busan was written and directed by Yeon Sang-Ho, this is his first live action movie. His previous work has been in animation including a prequel to Train to Busan called Seoul Station. The movie received critical acclaim and a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival in May 2016. Train to Busan had a limited release in July 2016, but you can stream it now on Netflix.
Rating: well dressed baked potato
Why am I Adulting 