Horror

Film review by Jason Day of the Korean zombie horror movie Train to Busan starring Yoo Gong and Yu-mi Jung. Directed by Sang-ho Yeon.

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Synopsis

Review, by @Reelreviewer

I love a good zombie movie.

Jason Day, at any time in his film reviewing career.

It is often that I rage in my reviews about the failure of most movies to grab me by my feet, raise me up and then slam my face against the wall before the first ‘reel’ has elapsed.

I admit I often suffer from cinematic prejudice or, to be more exact, cinematic trailer prejudice, reading too much into the PR guff presented to me or expecting too much from what my fantastical mind expects from the information about the film it has been given.

I’m happy to say that Train to Bhusan, a zombie horror that injects some much needed humour and oomph into the genre, happily lives up to the hype and my own great expectations of it (I am a complete zombie movie nut after all).

In fact, it is almost excellent!

OK, the first 10 minutes are a drag as the action is set up, but thankfully it is literally just that opening reel that gives you a ‘leaves on the track’ announcement feeling.

After that, the movie is brilliantly done. It hardly lets up and full praise to director Sang-ho Yeon who maintains a marvellous momentum – just like a runaway train!

It’s difficult to single one person in the cast as worth watching over the others as the whole ensemble are splendid, but Kim Eui-sung as the slimy train company executive officer offers an extra edge of nasty delight.

I’ve known for a while Koren cinema has something extra to offer even the casual cinema lover; Bong Joon Ho’s multiple award-winning Parasite only confirmed what a lot of us in the reviewing community have known for some time.

Suffice to say, Korean cinema is something you should keep both eyes and both ears open for. And there’s no better start for the uninitiated than this movie.

Cast & credits

Director: Sang-ho Yeon. 1 hr 58 min/118 min. Next Entertainment World/RedPeter Film/Movic Comics (15).

Producer: Dong-Ha Lee.
Writers: Joo-Suk Park, Sang-ho Yeon.
Camera: Hyung-deok Lee.
Music: Young-gyu Jang.
Sets: Mok-won Lee.

Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jung, Dong-seok, Su-an Kim, Eui-sung Kim, Woo-sik Choi, Sohee, Myung-shin Park, Gwi-hwa.