Train To Busan: World War Z, Eat Your Heart Out

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It was only a few years ago that the Zombie genre was utterly let down by the screen adaptation of World War Z. Since then we’ve largely limped along with random indies or in-joke films. Every time we get another brain-eating film coming out they have too often felt like a Walking Dead shambler – barely moving and just kind of going through the motions. Now comes along Train to Busan, and it hits with the weight of the very train that the characters and story are racing along on. The zombie genre has need this kind of breath of fresh air ever since the 2006’s Fido and 2004’s Shawn of the Dead.

Hailing from South Korea (and while I’m sure there’ll be subbed versions available, its native dialogue is entirely in Korean. The story follows Seok-woo, a work-obsessed financial worker who has a daughter that he doesn’t have any time for. It’s her birthday and she pleads with him until he agrees to take her to Busan to see her mother. Finally he relents and so he sets out to the train station. In the background there’s various news reports on television about various riots breaking out. People first thing it’s a labor dispute boiling over, but before long the truth becomes clear to everyone, there’s a zombie outbreak going on.

These aren’t walkers, they’re full tilt runners. The station is overrun just as the train is pulling away. Just to keep it interesting one injured woman makes it on just as the last of the doors close. Being set on a high speed train makes for a great sense of isolation and entrapment, even as they race along through the scenic countryside.

The class-separation between some of the cars and lack of empathy that emerges brings up a highly effective question of who to let in, or is the best course of action to batten down the hatches and let everyone else fend for themselves.

It’s an incredibly refreshing thing to see a really effective Zombie film. The characters are memorable, the arcs ring honestly, and the finale satisfying. That’s not what we’ve seen in a long time. If you see no other horror film this year, Busan is the one to run for.

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