Zombie films are probably not what most people would choose to watch first thing on a Thursday morning, but that's exactly what I did. I woke up at half 7, lay there for an hour then when it was clear I wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon decided to put a film on to review. 'Train to Busan' (2016) was the film of choice. I had heard of this very briefly, having first seen it was showing on Film4 at some point. Apart from that, I knew very little about it. And I'm not going to lie, it might have been the best thing to get me and going for the day. I bloody loved it. The film follows Seok-woo (Yoo Gong), a workaholic father who has neglected his relationship with his daughter, Soo-an (Su-an Kim) to focus on his work. When Soo-an wants to visit her mother in Busan for her birthday Seok-woo decides he will take her. While on the train they suddenly realise there is something wrong as people infected by an unknown virus have started to turn extremely violent and attack the passengers, turning anyone they bite. Along with a group of other survivors, Seok-woo and Soo-an fight to survive long enough to reach their destination.
Narratively this film follows your classic zombie films. A small group of survivors in an enclosed space fighting not only against the zombies but also against each other. It also has the classic narrative convention of the distant father who becomes a better person throughout the narrative. It is a plot point you have seen a thousand times before in films, but they pull it off really well in this film with a very emotional climax to go with it. The use of these genre and narrative conventions does make the film a little predictable, but the filmmakers pull them off well enough that it is not an issue. But the film is also making a comment on the class divide in South Korea. It does this both by commenting on it directly as well as having characters actions comment on this. There is one character in particular, who is the COO of a company, who sacrifices the lives of several people who are 'below him in status' in order for himself to survive. He also happens to be one of the most dislikeable characters in zombie film history. He genuinely made me angry. On a technical level, the film is very solid. It is shot well and the film has superb sound design. The special effects are a little 50/50. Sometimes they look brilliant and other times they look a little wonky, but these moments go by so quickly that you don't have enough time to really focus on it. The acting in the film is also great across the board. Dong-seok Ma is great Sang-hwa who is a more comedic character than most in the film but also acts as an action hero and the real moral heart of the film. His wife Seong-kyeong is also played beautifully by Yu-mi Jung who plays the character with a real kindness and friendliness which makes you very empathetic towards her. Both Yu-mi Jung and Dong-seok Ma have great chemistry which adds a lot to both performances. Su-an Kim puts in a brilliant performance, one of the best I have seen from a child actor in a while especially in the film's climactic moment where her performance is simply superb. Yoo Gong is also brilliant as the films lead. He captures the distant nature of his character very well but you can also see how his character changes in just his face throughout the film. It is an engrossing performance and it has you completely rooting for the character despite the issues you have with him at the beginning of the film.
You might be thinking I have gone along time in a review about a zombie film without mentioning zombies. Well, that is because the zombie action in this film needed its own paragraph. Basically, it kicks fucking ass. When I think of truly gripping, exciting, and tense zombie action I tend to think of '28 Days Later' (2002). Well, 'Train to Busan' takes that action and turns it to 11. Every single action scene is both tense and intense, and it sets out its stall brilliantly in its first action scene. This might have been my favourite zombie attack scene I have ever seen in film. It is frenetic and violent with the enclosed space making everything feel all that more vigorous and exciting. It also just builds and builds and builds. One zombie is soon two, then three, then four, until there are hundreds of zombies barrelling through this train devouring everything in sight. The more the scene went on the lower my jaw hung. It is one of the most exciting scenes I have seen not just lately but ever and I felt like I needed a lie down afterward (fortunately I was watching the film in bed). The design of the zombie is also great. It isn't your classic zombie where they are rotting corpses, instead of being normal looking apart from clouded over eyes and veins popping out of their body. But the best bit about these zombies is how their bodies contort just before they fully turn. It is visually pretty grim but also awesome and you get to see it several times. Without being too gory this film manages to be one of the more visceral and exciting zombie films I have ever seen.
If you like zombie films then I implore you to watch 'Train to Busan'. Not only does the film have a lot of emotional depth due to a great script and brilliantly written side characters but it is also some of the best action you will ever see in a zombie film. Even if you don't like zombie films usually give this one a go. It has enough heart and emotion behind all the blood and gore that it is a step above the majority of zombie films. I can't recommend it enough, I just loved it.