Movie Review - Train to Busan

I have seen a couple of Korean movies. And every movie of theirs I saw, has never failed to impress me. Given that Koreans do Drama and Romance very well, I did not know what to expect from Train to Busan. At best, it can be a rip-off of The Walking Dead (of which I am a fan of btw) and at worst, a toned-down World War Z. I hate to admit it but I was DEAD wrong...see what I did there? "Dead" wrong?... Never mind. Without any further ado, here is my review of this masterpiece of a (zombie) film.

The premise is simple. Our protagonist and his daughter board a train to visit their wife/mother when *gasp* Zombies join them for a ride. And I'm not talking about those lazy ones a la The Walking dead. These guys are rabid, blood-thirsty mutton-heads that can run at 80 km/hr. Once bitten, you turn into them in just seconds. I know that this is not something new since Danny Boyle had previously done it, but trust me, never once did I feel it being a rip-off of his movies.

The characters are really, really well done. Our protagonist is a practical guy who is nonetheless an A-hole who tries to keep himself and his daughter safe at all costs. I mean, that is immediately a win-win right there. Most of the protagonists in zombie flicks are this leader-ish, "first to get in, last to get out", " we stay together" type of guys but no, not this one. The daughter (who is an exceptionally talented actress for her age) is quite the opposite of her father. She believes in helping people at the risk of her own life. Apples and Oranges among an apocalypse, and I like it! The main focus is on how people change during dire situations. How human emotions start to get the best of us during difficult situations and bring forth people who are brave enough to fight these emotions to keep others safe. And that angle in any story gets an "up" in my book. The supporting characters are no push-overs either. Even though this is the first time I am seeing them on screen, each and every single actor made me feel like I was a part of them. Not even a single actor was bad. Yes, that is a rarity in movies these days, but I swear, I felt as if I was in the train with them. Even the extras who play minor roles were superb. Wonderful casting, superb performance and well thought out characters are what carry this film throughout a simple yet intriguing backdrop.

And the tension levels while watching this movie are high af. I mean, once the action starts, I kid you not, my heart was pounding till the end. I am sure you will watch this movie with sweat on your forehead and chillness in your palms. The immersion is really that good! And the icing on the cake is, I never felt bored throughout the entire 2 hour ride. NOT EVEN ONCE! And it has been a long time since I experienced that level of immersion in a horror/zombie movie.

The effects were decent. Not the best but not bad either. Some CGI was a bit questionable but it can easily be overlooked. And again, why did this movie receive an A rating in India? I haven't the slightest idea. It is violent, yes, but never too gory. I saw no hacking of heads, guts spilling out or flesh being teared out from necks. The violence was just right - like salt in food; too little, tasteless. Too much, repulsive. Anybody above the age of 12 should be okay to watch. Go for subbed rather than dubbed, if possible. Adds to the immersion and feels authentic.

If you are a fan of Zombie movies, Korean movies or heck, even movies in general, you owe it to yourself to watch this movie somehow. I can go as far as to say that this is THE best zombie film (yes, even as a Walking Dead fan) that I had the pleasure to watch (as in pleasure from the  movie and not as in deriving pleasure from people getting bitten by zombies). And trust me when I say that you will leave the theater sobbing like a little girl. The only disappointing thing for me is that the movie, like all movies, ends.

 

                                                                 Score - 8.5/10