Train to Busan (2016): Travelling with zombies
2016 • Lee Hyung-deok • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Often cited as one of the most successful zombie films of the twenty-first century, Train to Busan tells the story of a workaholic dad travelling with his young daughter on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan. Shortly after departure, an infected passenger boards the train and begins to transform into a violent zombie. The infection spreads rapidly through the train cars, forcing passengers to fight their way through confined spaces to reach safety.
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the film combines high-speed action and tightly controlled spatial design with emotional character arcs centred on the father-daughter relationship. This dynamic gives the story an emotional core that sets it apart from many earlier films in the zombie genre.
The train setting provides a clear structural framework for the action. Each carriage functions as a separate tactical space, enabling the story to unfold in distinct stages as the survivors try to advance through the train. The pacing alternates between intense combat sequences and quieter moments among the remaining passengers. As the characters repeatedly cross narrow corridors and enclosed compartments to avoid infected travellers, the limited spatial geometry significantly amplifies the danger of each encounter. In the end, who will survive?
Technical Specs:
- The Story: As a zombie outbreak engulfs South Korea, passengers aboard a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan must fight for survival, facing not only the infected but also the darkest instincts of those around them. Read my review of Train to Busan.
- Actors: Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, Kim Eui-sung.
- Director: Lee Hyung-deok
- Year: 2016
- Cinematographer: Owen Roizman
- Origin: Korean Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Horror / Zombie Films
