Train to Busan

A zombie movie that leaves you speechless, who would've thought? Train to Busan is a film that has stuck with me since I first saw it several years ago, and it remains as compelling on rewatch. There are many emotions one could go through watching this, the big two being stress and an utter gut-punch of sadness as the story unravels. Then other emotions intensified from this rewatch for me, namely anger towards the piece of shit COO who shamelessly put a whole cabin of unharmed individuals in danger to fulfill his own ill-gotten gains before helping others... and quite frankly should've gotten the boot a little earlier, honestly. The subtle themes of different hierarchies and class archetypes didn't completely 'connect' in my mind the first time but now that I'm learning more about the troubles of the world... it tracks and it's frustrating in specific areas. Let me go back to the two big emotions felt: first, the stress. Now let me be as honest and lucid as possible by saying: I wouldn't have a shot in hell to survive a zombie apocalypse - especially one of this magnitude. These buggers were persistent in seeking out their prey, or new converts if you will, and the way they continued to multiply as things went on... really spooky stuff that could make the strongest person in the world piss themselves. Sure, some of the realistic aspects of various scenarios can be questioned but could I back up these situations by saying "I could do much better than [insert person here]"? Not on your life. Then there's that gut-punch feeling of sadness. A lot of these characters - early on - are your usual suspects: a father putting work before an estranged family (even as he tries to better his intentions); a group of preppy high school students; a buff, blue-collar man who's accompanied by his pregnant wife (and my personal favorite characters); and a duo of older sisters. It's mostly development with a dab of comedic exploits with these characters at first but as the danger settles and many start to meet their fates one-by-one, that queasy pit in your stomach starts to grow and it never goes away. This feeling definitely spikes triple when that ending comes around. Man... it's heavy, brutal and filled with a sense of dread... and still got me fighting tears. Kudos to the child actor for giving it her all in those final sequences. Such a performance (and the finality of the events that transpired) definitely elevates the movie as a whole, in a way that it isn't pigeonholed as "your typical zombie movie". Beyond this, I enjoyed the cinematography, and certain scenes are shot distinctively and beautifully amidst a brooding backdrop. And how about the practical effects and makeup work for the zombies? Seamlessly well-done work from all involved. It's one of the most compelling movies from the subgenre I've seen and highly recommended from yours truly.