The Horror Show
Train to Busan
by Yeon San-ho
Train to Busan, was the world’s breakout zombie hit of the summer. I was happy to see (of course) a new zombie film emerge that had a nice production budget behind it and even happier to see that it was coming out of South Korea. From what I’ve read, director Yeon Sang-ho is no stranger to horror or zombies, but this does look like his first live action film, and for his debut, he has done one bang up job.
The film begins by giving us a taste of the zombie virus in the form of a reanimated deer, proving that this is a virus that doesn’t mess around. I’m not talking about a comical zombie deer either, trust me on this one, it was creeptastic to the max. Centering on a father and daughter with a strained relationship, there is a heartwarming story amidst all the blood and gore in Train to Busan. And it doesn’t stop there. There is a clear portrayal of Us vs Them, and I’m not referring to the humans vs the zombies. I’m talking about the young and the old, the rich and the middle class, and the heroes and cowards. Sang-ho has executed on this and brilliantly created antagonists out of every day people and heroes where you wouldn’t think to find them.
I feel that typically much can be lost in translation when watching foreign films, but the on-screen chemistry was enough to portray excellent character development and I probably could have watched the film without subtitles and still enjoyed myself.
With a high-intensity film like this, it’s easy to overlook the small things, but what I found consistent throughout the movie were the make-up and effects. There was just the right amount of violence and gore without going overboard and the zombies were more than convincing.
I hear there’s an American remake already in the works and that deeply disappoints me because I don’t feel enough people have seen this original film yet to truly enjoy what it has to offer. It’s almost as though Hollywood has made up their mind that English speakers can’t possibly enjoy a film with subtitles or be patient enough for even an English dubbed version. Train to Busan is everything that World War Z should have been. Don’t get me wrong, I honestly loved WWZ, but if we’re asking “who wore it better” than Busan all the way, baby. I can only imagine Hollywood putting this film to shame by casting Tom Cruise in the lead.
I for one, thoroughly enjoyed Train to Busan and it has definitely been added to my list of “Modern Day Zombie Winners.” I recommend this to all horror and undead fans alike. This is one foreign film that you don’t want to miss!
Stevie Kopas, HMS
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