Train to Busan (2016) – A Great South Korean Movie
I was pleasantly surprised when I started watching Train to Busan. With a solid 7.6 rating on IMDb and a slightly more modest 6.99 on Kinopoisk (which feels oddly low for such a strong genre film), I personally gave it a firm 10/10.
Poster for the South Korean thriller Train to Busan (Busanhaeng, 2016)
It is a fast-paced story about ordinary people, a high-speed train, and a sudden zombie outbreak – if you simply cannot stand zombie movies, you can pass, but for everyone else it is well worth watching.
Why Train to Busan Hits Harder Than Hollywood Blockbusters
The movie’s tagline sums it up well: “Stay alive or stay human.” Another reason it stands out is the absence of familiar Hollywood A-listers like Brad Pitt in World War Z or Arnold Schwarzenegger in Maggie (2015). Because of that, the passengers in the train cars feel like ordinary people you see on the street or on your daily commute.
At first they seem like a random crowd of strangers, yet each character’s true nature comes through quickly. Watching how different people handle panic, make choices in a confined space, and risk everything for the people they love creates more tension than any flashy CGI set piece.
South Korean filmmaking brings its own distinct touch here – the storytelling is direct, emotional, and remarkably cohesive. The film shows clearly how one selfish coward can doom the people around him with words and actions, and what it actually takes to hold on to your humanity in a disaster. It is not The Walking Dead – instead of a multi-season series, you get one tight two-hour movie that manages to say and show a remarkable amount.
Quick Facts, Cast, and Follow-Ups
- Director and premiere: Directed by Yeon Sang-ho (his first live-action feature after working in animation). It premiered on May 13, 2016 in the Midnight Screenings section at the 69th Cannes Film Festival and runs for 118 minutes.
- Key cast: Gong Yoo plays workaholic fund manager Seok-woo, young actress Kim Su-an plays his daughter Su-an, and Ma Dong-seok shines as the brave, charismatic Sang-hwa protecting his pregnant wife.
- Prequel and sequel: That same year, Yeon Sang-ho released the animated prequel Seoul Station (2016), depicting the start of the outbreak, followed in 2020 by the standalone sequel Peninsula, set four years later.