Review of Train to Busan (2016) by Meydianarizki21 — 24 Nov 2020

An overall excellent movie.

A friend of mine recommended this movie. In his words, it would be "a kickass Korean zombie flick", so naturally I went into this movie expecting another generic, dumb, goofy zombie splatter film. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

First of all, the acting is spot on. All the actors are doing a tremendously great job, but for me, little Soo-an Kim totally nails it in one of the best child actor performances I have ever seen. The zombie actors are also truly exceptional and they manage to spook you, without having to rely on heavy prosthetics and rotting flesh.

Secondly, the cinematography is amazing. Although the whole story is taking place during daytime, the film manages to make you feel claustrophobic and constantly nervous without having to rely on cheap tricks such as jump scares or low lighting conditions. The cuts are seamless, the colours great and, though different from Hollywood standards, it is a generally really good looking movie.

What really captured me though in this film was the drama. In this genre the characters are usually very generic and one dimensional. Though this flick is, at first, not so different in this aspect, as the story carries on we witness the shifting between the dynamics of the characters, we see their personalities evolve and change, we find out about their motives, their relationships and the depths they would go for their loved ones. I personally found myself very emotionally invested to the characters (which might be due to the great acting performances),I was actively routing for them and was really moved by the movie's finale.

Don't get me wrong though. This is not some melodramatic drama flick. It is still an awesome zombie apocalypse movie. It is fast paced, it is action-packed, it is gory, it is tense and terrifying and it will keep you at the edge of your seat. It is also original, it doesn't play around and will surely satisfy even the hardcore fans of the genre. However, it is also a film you will remember for its awesome story and characters and for being an overall great movie.