Film-making is popular throughout the world, so it should come as no surprise to learn that there are numerous film industries can be found throughout the world. Most of their output is middling for much the same reason that most of Hollywood’s output is middling, but there are exceptions to this rule. Fortunately, media executives are capable of recognizing excellence when they see it, which is why Train to Busan can now be found on Netflix for those who are interested.
Train to Busan is a South Korean movie about a zombie outbreak. It is centered around a father and his daughter who are attempting to reach the safe zone that has been established in the South Korean city of Busan via a train-ride, which explains the name of the movie. With them are a number of other characters who share their goal, with examples ranging from a husband and wife to a selfish and self-centered corporate executive. Summed up, the basic premise of Train to Busan is not a new one, but its excellent execution of that basic premise means that people who love zombie movies might want to take a chance on it.
Why Should You Watch Train to Busan?
There are a number of reasons why people should consider watching Train to Busan. For example, the movie has a simple and uncomplicated plot that has no pretensions about what it is supposed to be. Instead, its characters are understandable; its stakes are clear; and its setting conceits are minimal. As a result, there is little flab on the movie’s narrative, which should come as welcome news to those who are tired of thriller movies that miss the point by meandering so much.
Of course, this is helped by the emotion that is imbued throughout the narrative, which is important because viewers need to connect with the characters on more than a superficial level for the horror of a zombie outbreak to have its full impact upon them. Fortunately, South Korean cinema is often excellent at provoking an emotional response from the movie-goers, even if it sometimes chooses to use simplistic but nonetheless effective methods for this purpose. Going into details would involve some serious spoilers, but suffice to say that not all of the characters are interested in cooperating for the sake of their mutual survival, which is something that has a horrendous impact on those around them. With that said, interested individuals should remember that emotional lows are a critical component of rewarding narratives, not least because they make the emotional highs that much more pleasant through the comparison.
On a final note, the whole movie is helped by the real sense of threat generated by the zombies. Train to Busan is interesting in that it has chosen to use fast zombies, which serves to increase the tension of its scenes. Combined with stylistic choices that emphasize the zombies’ once human nature rather than play up their newly inhuman nature, this makes the movie’s zombies surprisingly distinct in spite of their relative familiarity. Overall, the zombies combine with the tension of the situation as well as the emotions of the cast members to create action scenes that are well-worth watching, thus providing Train to Busan with the solid core that it needs to prove entertaining.
Follow Us
