Synopsis: While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan. Original title: Busanhaeng

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Calamity Brains:

Train to Busan is one of the best modern zombie movies I’ve seen. Though zombie movies by their nature are fairly formulaic (misfit group of survivors must fight the undead to get to safety), Train to Busan always felt fresh and interesting. A large part of that is thanks to the creative setting; almost all of the movie’s action takes place on the titular train. But it’s also due to the thoughtful way characters are handled.

It’s pretty common at a Codex Mortis viewing party for me to shout things at the screen or mock the characters. Less common is when a movie manages to ramp the tension up to the point where I’m holding my breath waiting to see what will happen next. Train to Busan has more than one utterly nerve-wracking scene as the characters try to navigate a narrow, zombie-filled train. The movie’s use of noise and light in such scenes really helps set the stage for the dangerous attempts.

It’s easy to find empathy for most of the main cast, and though several of the supporting characters are basically one-dimensional caricatures, they manage to stay interesting. Two of the main characters are also a pregnant woman and a young girl – and while I’ll be the first to admit that’s cheating a little in the empathy department, it’s definitely effective. The acting is such that I never felt like I was being conned into feeling for the characters, though.

Even if you usually give foreign films a pass, consider making an exception for Train to Busan. It’s a very strong movie, and deserving of a place among the top zombie flicks.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: A-
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