“Train to Busan”: A Zombie Thriller That's Worth The Watch

“Train to Busan” is just like your average zombie movie: characters get trapped, zombie numbers multiply dramatically, passengers must find a way to escape without harm. But this movie is a lot more entertaining than the others. This Korean horror film, directed by Yeo Sang-ho, won an Audience Choice Award for Most Popular Film in November of 2016 and many others that were well deserved.

It starts off with a deer getting hit by a truck in a biochemical zone, and soon after the truck drives off, the deer comes back to life with an ill look and runs off. This is the first major turning point in the film. Seok-woo (played by Gong Yoo) is the father of Soo-an (played by Kim Su-an). He may not be the best father to her, but he tries his best to make ends meet. He decides to do the one thing she’s been asking for; a trip to Busan to see her mother. As all the passengers board the train and get comfortable, the train ride takes an unexpected turn for the worst. As panic ensues among the passengers, they are forced to adapt and survive the new, adrenaline-rushing circumstances. A game of “survival of the fittest”.

The main reason for the ending, however, was because of the sacrifices those passengers on the train made for each other. Even though this movie is about an apocalyptic-like setting, it teaches us valuable life lessons as to what you should and shouldn’t do when put into these life-or-death situations. Such as not trying to escape for yourself and putting other lives in danger in the process. Or if you’re ever stuck on a train during a zombie outbreak in the future, you’ll know what not to do. After all, it is 2022, anything could happen.

This movie also touches on how the government does not truly know how to handle these situations in a quick and calm way. When the outbreak first began, a broadcast was shown to passengers on the train giving them information that wasn’t beneficial to their survival and even made some believe none of it was actually happening. It also showed how employees who were also on the train handled things poorly, such as abandoning passengers in train cars to fend for themselves.

“Train to Busan” is definitely a movie worth watching, even if you’re like me, and aren’t a huge fan of zombie horror movies or zombie sci-fis in general. This film has so much more to offer other than (phenomenal) acting from the zombies and the main cast. When you look deeper into the plot and actions taken by the characters, you may learn a thing or two.