Hooptober Neun (2022) - Film #3
Films from 8 decades (2010s)

Eliciting an unexpected amount of emotion for a zombie film, Train to Busan shows not only the horror brought on by the infected, but the horror brought on by humanity as well. Characters make real choices here, often impacting the survival of others, and it’s not always predictable which path they will take. Some are willing to sacrifice, some are simply willing to sacrifice others.

It’s always interesting to learn the rules of a movie’s zombies, and the more varied the genre becomes in general will only help add interest, as these rules become less predictable. In Train to Busan, the rules aren’t a radical reinvention of the standard canon, but they are individual enough to make these zombies intriguing. Generally, I feel fast zombies feel more threatening, and that’s no exception here. These zombies have a real edgy, twitchy energy to them, and combined with their pace and singular aim, turns them into a threatening, if not co-ordinated unit. The zombies swarm, rather than shamble, and this sense of movement is crucial to Train to Busan’s effectiveness.

Plot wise, there’s not a huge amount here, but there is some very solid character work, and some great performances, particularly from the child actor playing Soo Ahn, and the actor playing Sang Hwa, perhaps the most engaging character here.

So, is there much to criticise here? I’ve read some reviews discussing the way in which the dialogue scenes slow down the movie, and I agree with this point of view somewhat. However, some of these scenes are truly affecting and essential to impact of the movie. In addition, there are times at which the visual effects aren’t entirely convincing, with one scene a at around three quarters of the way through being particularly notable here.

However, these are relatively minor quibbles, and this is an engaging zombie flick that, other than a few slow moments, holds the attention throughout the runtime.