Movie Review: Train to Busan (2016)

I’d imagine this is what World War Z would have been like if it were good. It’s a zombie apocalypse movie that’s more action oriented than horror oriented, but it works so well, in no small part due to its fully realized characters.

The zombie stuff is fine. The makeup is pretty good, and that weird body distortion thing always gets me when it’s performed convincingly.

What’s perhaps most shocking about this movie is how emotional it is. It doesn’t feel manipulative, and it is genuinely moving. There are several moments that will definitely make you feel something.

Despite the characters on the whole being excellent, the movie does have a few characters that are a little too over the top. Sure, it’s a zombie apocalypse, so there’s going to be interpersonal conflict, but the movie gets a little unrealistic at certain points.

Still, this movie is absurdly entertaining. It has a very clever script that allows the characters to be very intelligent, making excellent use of technology. And Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) may be the most badass character in motion picture history.

Rating: 9/10