If you like good horror flicks and don’t mind subtitles, the new zombie movie Train to Busan is pretty fantastic. Best horror film of the year and I honestly think it might be the best zombie movie as well (in general). This is a South Korean movie that borrows not a little bit from the movie version of World War Z. Same spastic, swarming zombies that even has lower-level version of the ant-hill mobs from that other movie.
Basic premise, a father and his little daughter board a train (to Busan) along with others like a baseball team, a man and his pregnant wife, a shell-shocked homeless man, the train conductor, a salary man, etc. Just as the train leaves, the zombie apocalypse hits and the riders watch the news, Twitter, and YouTube as chaos spreads across the country. The train they are on is safe if they can determine which city it passes through is safe. And as long as no infected got aboard the train before it left the station (spoiler alert: one did).
What makes this movie works so well is that its grounded and human. There’s legitimate thrills and suspense and you can’t tell who will live or die. And many of the deaths are troubling and sad and at least one was beautiful and tragic. I was really into the suspense and scares but was surprised by how much I cared about the characters.
Like I said, these are fast zombies that will remind you completely of World War Z (the movie) to the extend this almost feels like a side-story. What happened in S. Korea during the original outbreak. As this story is told on a train, it adds suspense from the narrow passages (which also reminded me a little of Snowpiercer) and zombies who are largely blind so when the train passes through tunnels, they can’t see the survivors. Some nice, if minor, twists on the zombie mythology.
I rented this on iTunes and I recommend you do as well… assuming you don’t mind yet another zombie film.It’s not super original in its premise and it does borrow from other zombie flicks and It’s gory but not overboard. But it’s also well acted, thrilling, suspenseful, moving and tragic. It’s well acted and genuinely human. Check it out.
Score: 90