Train to Busan

The movie opens to a checkpoint area by the highway. Men wearing protective gear patrol the area. A delivery truck passes by and stops, the men checking the contents, and allows the truck to pass through. In a fluster over the checkpoint, the driver accidentally hits a deer and decides to drive off instead of tending to the dead animal. A short point passes by and the deer springs back to life, but instead of the eyes being its normal color, it has changed into light blue.

Train to Busan is a survival movie. No theories about zombies, or how it affects the world, or a different take on making a zombie flick. It is simply people being attacked by zombies and them trying to fend it off and look for a safe place. As in survival movies, it focuses on a group of survivors who just happen to team up due to the circumstances. The group is composed of a single father and his daughter, a married couple awaiting the birth of their first child, schoolmates, among others. Supporting characters also come to play in order to keep the movie going. 

For a simple, straight point zombie flick, this is entertaining. There are no lull moments as events quickly escalate, leaving no breathing room. However, the movie also has its emotional core, testing humanity’s reaction in the face of chaos. The movie doesn’t shy away from the bad and the good; the moments of heroism contrasting with cowardice. The movie's lack of character development worked to its advantage because not only did it keep the plot moving, but also solidifying its intent to be a well-made survival flick. 

Original Title: Busanhaeng

Cast: Yoo Gong, Soon-an Kim, Yu-mi Jeong

Director: Sang-ho Yeon

Year: 2016