[Featured Image: Next Entertainment World]
Train to Busan follows a group of passengers on a train from Seoul to Busan during a zombie outbreak. Considering it’s almost 2 hours in length and takes place primarily on the train, it never gets boring. Just when you think the current dilemma is over with and things will be smooth sailing from then on out, something else happens, but it’s never too much.
The gore, the violence, and the general horror of it all is never overdone. There was a never a point where it felt like someone was trying too hard.
In terms of story, they make the most of the time. Every moment is used well and the movie has great pacing. There is the odd choice I would change, like certain character deaths, but none of these things were enough to really make a dent in my overall opinion, which is that this is one of the best zombie movies around. It has a slow build that’s not boring, it has a great middle that builds really well and executes amazingly each time, and the end was definitely satisfactory.
The way Train to Busan is filmed really helps to make it too. They make the most of the limited space and it’s often used to their advantage. There was one particular moment that used a slow motion effect, which unfortunately I can’t say anything about without spoiling it, but it was probably one of the most satisfying scenes. The use of sound effects is also really on point and used extremely well, and the music towards the end was so lovely to hear and really helped to set the appropriate tone.
The zombies in this movie are fast. I wouldn’t say their speed is super human but they certainly move a lot faster than you would expect the average zombie to. Also, the way they move adds to it. They scurry and react quickly to noises. It’s a little unsettling in a way but makes for an interesting watch because they really feel original.
The process of turning from a human to a zombie was great too. I can’t really say anything about it without giving too much away, but it felt really refreshing and suits the kind of zombies that they are.
Majority of the main characters are likable and you find yourself rooting for them. Any you don’t like or feel indifferent about, seem to be characters that you’re meant to feel that way towards. Even they have moments where you understand why they act the way they do, although it might not change your overall opinion. For example, there was one character I really didn’t like, however, there was a split moment where I could understand why they had been acting the way they had, but I still continued to dislike them afterward.
The cast is fantastic and I highly recommend you check out the full list here. They do a phenomenal job at bringing their characters to life and they make each moment matter. Even scenes with no dialogue tell you so much. I admittedly didn’t know much about any of the cast (or crew) beforehand but I will certainly be checking them out after this.
As I said before, this is probably one of the best zombie movies around. There are countless movies about them out there but Train to Busan manages to feel refreshing. If you’re a horror fan, and more specifically a zombie fan, I would highly recommend checking this movie out as soon as you can.
Rating: ★★★★★/5
wonderoes 