essay review movie train to busan

an image, when javascript is unavailable

Film Review: ‘Train to Busan’

By Maggie Lee

Chief Asia Film Critic

‘Ride or Die’ Review: Miles Ahead of Japan’s Stereotypical LGBTQ Films 4 years ago
Masterpiece ‘A Sun’ Combines Compassion With Control 4 years ago
True Mothers: Cannes Regular Naomi Kawase Delivers More Plot Than Usual in Adoption Melodrama 4 years ago

Following a motley crew on a bumpy ride from Seoul to Busan to escape a zombie outbreak, writer-director Yeon Sang-ho ‘s action-horror railroad movie “ Train to Busan ” pulses with relentless locomotive momentum. As an allegory of class rebellion and moral polarization, it proves just as biting as Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi dystopia “Snowpiercer,” while delivering even more unpretentious fun. Yeon has displayed recognizably cinematic sensibilities in his last three indie anime features — “King of Pigs,” “Fake” and “Seoul Station” — so it’s not surprising that he transitions easily into live-action, though his scathing, nihilistic vision of humanity is watered down for wider mainstream appeal. Buyers for Asian-friendly genre products should clamber to board “Train.”

Despite the vibrancy of genre cinema in Korea, you can count the country’s zombie films on the fingers of one hand. But whether it’s alleged prototype “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie” rip-off “A Monstrous Corpse” or the more recent “Zombie School” (2014), they’ve all been slapdash and unoriginal.

Why YouTube Spending Signals a Changing Content Market

How the 'Street Trash' Sequel Uses Nauseating Gore and '80s Sleaze to Tell a Provocative Story About Homelessness

However, with a MERS epidemic sweeping South Korea in 2015 and soaring discontent with corruption and economic disparity, a zombie apocalypse serves as a potent allegory for the dog-eat-dog world. In “Seoul Station,” Yeon depicted a homeless enclave inside the central train station as the ground zero of a zombie outbreak. “Train to Busan” picks up where that film left off. While the anime’s excoriation of the police and army is softened in the live-action sequel, scenarios of humans and zombies precariously separated by carriages fittingly symbolize the dangerous gap between society’s haves and have-nots.

Popular on Variety

Workaholic fund manager Seok-wu (Gong Yoo) takes his estranged young daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) on the KTX high-speed train to Busan to visit his ex-wife. The last person to hop on is a teenage girl whose bare thighs are crisscrossed with bulging veins. Yet, passengers and train crew get more alarmed over a homeless man hiding out in the washroom — one of the film’s frequent barbed comments on snobbery in Korean society.

The first 15 minutes tease audiences with glimpses of zombie threat, like a shadow lunging spastically across the platform, or ominous news reports of riots in the capital. Once the infected girl claims the first victim, however, the action surges ahead with exhilarating mayhem, abetted by the claustrophobic layout of train compartments.

The main reason zombies rank less scarily on the ghoulish scale is their slow waddling gait, but the resident evil here is so deliriously energetic and agile it’s like they’re powered by ginseng and soju. Yeon’s background in animation definitely lends their assault a cartoonish ferocity. The creatures’ only weakness is the fact they see poorly in the dark, giving rise to several mini-climaxes when Seok-wu exploits this to outwit them.

Whereas in Hollywood disaster or apocalyptic movies, the chief protagonist tends to take charge and puts him or herself in the line of fire, Seok-wu subverts the cliché by acting on his elitist, self-preserving instincts, telling Su-an off for giving her seat to an old lady, and shutting the door on escaping passengers Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife Sung-kyu (Jung Yu-mi, “Oki’s Movie”). It is up to Su-na, with her child’s innate decency, and the burly but dauntless Sang-hwa to undo the financial go-getting, cutthroat attitude, so he can learn that it is cooperation and altruism that ensures survival in a catastrophe.

Fans of Yeon’s edgier animations may miss his remorselessly evil characters, whose misogyny, sadism and dirt-filthy expletives exert repulsive fascination. In their place, “Train” features something one never expected from Yeon — nice people — such as a pair of high school lovebirds who stay faithful till the end, two deeply affectionate elderly sisters and the selfless tramp. The only major villain comes in the form of a a middle-aged corporate weasel (Kim Eui-sang) who’s calculating cowardice is bland compared with the conmen, religious hypocrites or bullies in Yeon’s past works. But his ability to incite the passengers into callous behavior is instrumental in illustrating how mob mentality works.

Given the sheer velocity of the action, some emotional connection is needed to prevent the film from turning into sheer technical exercise. Thus, Seok-wu’s gradual reform and other humane elements are essential to offset the insentient aggression of the zombies. Their sentimentality are also gleefully tempered by the jumpy, unpredictable script, which constantly teeters between nerve-racking and hilarious, as when Seok-wu hears his mother zombifying over the phone while still bitching about her daughter-in-law.

Shooting in standard 1.85.1 instead of widescreen, the confined mise-en-scene nonetheless affords lenser Lee Hyung-deok plenty of room for nifty camerawork of stunts in unexpected nooks. Washrooms become thrilling battlegrounds and unlikely sanctuaries. An extended sequence in which the driver tries to switch trains is choreographed with the utmost suspense.

However, like most Korean blockbusters, the production cannot resist showing off its visual and special effects clout, resulting in a bombastic stunt toward the end that’s incongruous with the film’s lean, gritty style. Likewise, the screenplay piles on the hysteria and the schmaltz in the last leg, and the hitherto restrained cast have no choice but to dial up performances to a borderline farcical level.

Craft contributions are top-drawer, especially breakneck editing by Yang Jin-mo, who raises suspense to nearly unbearable levels. Music by Jang Young-gyu and sound effects by Choi Tae-young are both sparingly and effectively deployed for genuine shocks rather than false jolts.

Reviewed at Cannes Film Festival (Midnight), May 13, 2016. Running time: 118 MIN. (Original Title: "Busan haeng")

Production: (South Korea) A Next Entertainment World release, presentation of a Redpeter Film production. (International sales: Contents Panda, Seoul.) Produced by Lee Dong-ha. Executive producer, Kim Woo-taek. Co-producer, Kim Yeon-ho.
Crew: Directed, written by Yeon Sang-ho. Camera (color, HD), Lee Hyung-deok; editor, Yang Jin-mo; music, Jang Young-gyu; production designer, Lee Mok-won; costume designer, Kwon Yoo-jin, Rim Seung-hee; sound, Choi Tae-young; special make-up, Kwak Tae-yong, Hwang Hyo-kyun; special effects, Demolition; visual effects supervisor, Jung Hwang-su; visual effects, Digital Idea.
With: Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Eui-sung, Choi Woo-sik, An So-hee. (Korean dialogue)

More from Variety

Comcast Exploring Spinoff of NBCU Cable Networks Into New Company

Before NBCU Considered Spinning Off Cable Networks, It Shut Many Down

Matt Strauss, Donna Langley Will Lead New NBCUniversal

A globe with a play button on a passport

Entertainment Everywhere: A Special Report

Brian Roberts, chairman and chief executive officer of US cable giant Comcast, speaks during a ceremony to announce a strategic partnership between Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing on October 17, 2019. - Comcast is the largest US cable provider and owns the NBCUniversal media group. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP) (Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Comcast Announces Spin-Off of Most Cable Networks Into New Company to ‘Set These Businesses Up for Future Growth,’ CEO Brian Roberts Says

More from our brands, katy perry celebrates sabrina carpenter’s la show: ‘too short but so sweet’.

Meet the TWR Supercat. Here’s What You Need to Know From Magnus Walker and Khyzyl Saleem.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Chevy as First-Ever Helmet Sponsor

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Will Trent Adds Scott Foley as Love Interest for [Spoiler] in Season 3

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Parents' Ultimate Guide to Roblox (2024)

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Jewish Experiences
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Parents' guide to, train to busan.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 8 Reviews
Kids Say 16 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

South Korean zombie action film is intense, bloody, violent.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Intense scenes of zombie horror throughout. The action is frantic and often feat

Infrequent language includes "arse," "s--t," "bulls--t," "pissing," "a--hole," "

Visible brands include Burger King, Audi, and Nintendo. A kid is given a Nintend

Some flirting between teens.

Any Positive Content?

Teamwork, courage, compassion, and communication are all shown to help in desper

Seok-woo is a busy fund manager who is separated from his wife and has been miss

Parents need to know that Train to Busan is an excellent South Korean zombie horror -- with English subtitles -- that features frantic, bloody violence, and intense scenes in enclosed spaces. Despite the intensity it is more of a fun action movie than a chilling horror. Zombies kill many people and they in turn instantly become zombies. The movie features scenes of civil unrest, a train crash, and people falling from helicopters. Most characters are courageous and resourceful. Teamwork, courage, compassion, and communication help train passengers under siege from zombies to get out of desperate situations. A father, Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), takes care of his daughter, Su-an (Su-an Kim), and forms a group with survivors to help others escape. One character lets others die to save himself. Infrequent strong language includes "bulls--t," "bitch," and "arse." A few brands feature in the movie, including Burger King, Audi, and Nintendo.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Violence & Scariness

Intense scenes of zombie horror throughout. The action is frantic and often features blood and gore. A burning train crashes and people fall from a helicopter. Buildings explode. Zombies are attacked with baseball bats. Hordes of zombies rampage through cities and attack people.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Infrequent language includes "arse," "s--t," "bulls--t," "pissing," "a--hole," "bitch," and "hell." "Jesus" is used as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Visible brands include Burger King, Audi, and Nintendo. A kid is given a Nintendo Wii and a DS, and a DS poster also features.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Teamwork, courage, compassion, and communication are all shown to help in desperate situations.

Positive Role Models

Seok-woo is a busy fund manager who is separated from his wife and has been missing key events in his daughter's life. He accompanies his daughter, Su-an, on a train journey to see her mom for Su-an's birthday. When the train is overrun with zombies, he teams up with other characters who risk their lives to save others and have smart solutions to problems. Su-an is thoughtful and kind. The train conductor is diligent, dedicated, thoughtful, and resourceful. One character causes the deaths of others to save himself.

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (8)
Kids say (16)

Based on 8 parent reviews

A tense train ride!

Zombies are a mere metaphor, what's the story.

In TRAIN TO BUSAN, a father and daughter's journey is disrupted when a zombie outbreak occurs on their train and they are forced to fight back.

Is It Any Good?

The zombie genre is so well worn, anything fresh to sink your teeth into is always darkly delicious. As such, writer-director Sang-ho Yeon's smashing together of the disaster movie genre with modern running zombies -- and all the frantic, breathless action they bring with them -- makes Train to Busan a treat for fans of both genres. Here a diverse group of people are brought together to fend off zombies on a very narrow train. This includes Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his young daughter, Su-an (a brilliant Su-an Kim). Throwing a kid in the mix adds heft to the drama, as does pregnant character, Seong-kyeong ( Yu-mi Jung ). When key events kick off midway, the realization that you've grown to care for the main gang serves to up the emotional investment as the action continues to escalate.

Setting it apart from most horror movies, nearly all the action in Train to Busan takes place in daylight, adding an eerie, mundane quality. The sleepy train carriages are easily recognizable until the blood baths occur. Masterful touches such as having a baseball team onboard to add a believable reason for the survivors to have access to weapons is simply a delight. More an action thrill ride than a chilling horror, this is a refreshing and exhilarating movie that packs a few emotional punches alongside its blood-soaked action.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Train to Busan 's violence . Did the blood and gore seem over the top? Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

How did this movie compare to other zombie films? Was it more or less intense? What's the appeal of zombie movies in general?

Discuss the father-daughter relationship between Seok-woo and Su-an. How did it change throughout the course of the movie?

Movie Details

In theaters : July 22, 2016
On DVD or streaming : December 6, 2016
Cast : Gong Yoo , Su-an Kim , Jung Yu-mi
Director : Sang-ho Yeon
Inclusion Information : Asian actors
Studio : Well Go USA Entertainment
Genre : Horror
Topics : Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires , Trains
Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
Run time : 118 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : October 7, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Night of the Living Dead

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

Shaun of the Dead

28 Days Later

Best zombie game apps, vampire, werewolf, and zombie books, related topics.

Communication
Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Movie Review — Analyzing Societal Dynamics in “Train to Busan”

Analyzing Societal Dynamics in "Train to Busan"

Categories: Film Analysis Movie Review

About this sample

Words: 628 |

Published: Aug 24, 2023

Words: 628 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Colliding worlds amid crisis, evolving social hierarchies, forces of altruism and self-preservation, reflection of societal anxieties.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

Expert in: Entertainment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4 pages / 1978 words

1 pages / 656 words

3 pages / 1411 words

2 pages / 925 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Movie Review

The High Jinks Shoot Out is a classic Western film that has captivated audiences with its thrilling gunfights, daring stunts, and charismatic characters. In this analysis, we will delve deep into the heart of this cinematic gem, [...]

Salt of the Earth, directed by Herbert J. Biberman and released in 1954, is a remarkable film that stands as a testament to the power of cinema to address pressing social issues. This movie essay delves into the film's [...]

When it comes to timeless holiday tales, Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" stands as a beloved classic. This novella, written in 1843, has been adapted into numerous films and TV specials over the years. Two of the most [...]

Something the Lord Made is a thought-provoking film that chronicles the true story of two medical pioneers, Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, and their groundbreaking work in the field of cardiac surgery. Set against the [...]

Rebel archetypes in movies are portrayed as the mean person or character that does not care about any rules they are being told.when you hear rebel people assume they are talking about a bad person or the villian but really it [...]

Introduction of the movie "Fight Club" and its initial reception Mention of the movie's actual genre and surprise ending Brief summary of the movie's plot, including the protagonist's transformation into Tyler [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free