Train to Busan

Train to Busan was released in 2016 as a zombie thriller directed by Yeon Sang-ho where a zombie outbreak occurs on a train, endangering the safety of passengers. With an animated prequel, Seoul Station, released a month later, this movie duology took the summer box office by storm.

Plot

As a divorced fund manager, Seo-wook struggles to care for his young daughter, Soo-an. With his mother taking care of home life while he works himself to a near stupor, it comes to his sudden attention that Soo-an wants to go see her mother that lives in Busan for her upcoming birthday.

After some meek arguments, Seo-wook caves and decides to take his daughter to the next city as a proper gift, one that she would enjoy unlike the Wii he'd invested in. As the next day arrives, Seo-wook notices fire trucks, ambulances, and a load of police cars making their way through traffic on and off. He thinks nothing of it while boarding him and his daughter on the train, letting his ex-wife know they are on the way.

While hell manifests in the city as the train makes through the ominous tracks to either salvation or their impending doom, an outbreak on the other carriers forces Seo-wook to group up with surviving passengers in hopes of getting out alive.

Overall

If you know anything about me, it has to be how zombie movies make my life...even the ones that would make you question being friends with me. There's always that thrill of being in those shoes (unless it's Dawn of the Dead because there's so much unnecessary sex in that mall, good lord). Train to Busan reminds me much of World War Z. It could quite possibly be in the same universe as such, given the magnificent portrayal of zombies and how quickly they turn.

The plot doesn't take long to develop. I mean, how far can developing a zombie outbreak go other than quick action and a lot of neck biting? Unlike the norm, I fell in love with Train to Busan because of the range of characters. From high school students to newly married couples struggling to survive while the mental break of others drives them astray; it's a whole lot of adrenaline-pumping fun.

My only complaint with this piece is that it ran far too long than it should've. It's a two-hour-something movie that starts off great in the beginning and end, but loses me for a few scenes during the middle. I do like the technical way of having to save others by outsmarting these brain-eaters, but I think they could've done away with the nonsensical high-school romance that ends in mere demise.

All-in-all, this is definitely a movie you can watch by yourself or with a group on a Saturday night when you just want to get Chili's take-out. Even if it ends up being rubbish food, you'll have a pretty awesome movie night.

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