Train to Busan is generally considered one of the best zombie movies of the modern era, and there are a handful of things it does better than other films in the horror subgenre. The 2016 film was directed by Yeon Sang-ho, and became an instant hit in its home country on the way to becoming something of an international sensation.

Reviving the sagging zombie genre that had been mᴀssively overexposed thanks to popular series like The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Train to Busan felt both revolutionary and classic at the same time. It blended archetypal zombie storytelling with a uniquely dramatic undertone, and it seemed as if a new franchise was on the horizon.

While an oft-forgotten animated prequel was released in the same year as Train to Busan, it would take until 2020 for a true follow-up to arrive. Peninsula was once again written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, but it moved in a decidedly action-centric direction. Unfortunately, Peninsula was an incredibly divisive movie, and it bared little resemblance to its predecessor.

It was clear that Peninsula didn’t capture the same dramatic essence as Train to Busan, but that’s not particularly surprising. Many other zombie films miss the mark too, and the things that make the 2016 film so compelling are not common in the horror genre. Train to Busan sets a new benchmark for zombie movies everywhere.

5

The Drama Comes First In Train To Busan

The Zombie Movie Gives The Audience A Reason To Care

Horror films often get a pᴀss for sloppy writing or generally lackluster filmmaking technique, but one of Train to Busan‘s greatest strengths would also be an ᴀsset to any other genre. The 2016 zombie film features an airтιԍнт script that puts the emphasis on the characters first and foremost. This imbues everything with meaning, and elevates the story.

While the zombie outbreak is an exciting backdrop for the story, the actual narrative of Train to Busan revolves around Seok-woo and his desire to preserve his relationship with his young daughter. There are so many layers of intrigue, and it isn’t merely about surviving the zombie hordes, but about making up for his failures as a father.

Giving the audience a reason to care makes everything so much more impactful, and some of the worst horror films are often guilty of setting up characters merely to be fodder for the killer or monster. Every death has importance once the story gets going, and it actually makes things much scarier for the viewer.

Because the audience is so invested in seeing Seok-woo succeed, it transforms every moment into a life-and-death situation with real stakes. He has multiple goals to accomplish by the end of the film, and Train to Busan uses the drama to deliver plenty of twists, turns, and heartbreaking moments. Other films have tried this method, but few have succeeded.

Even classic zombie flicks like George Romero’s Dawn of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ are a bit more surface-level with their storytelling. The heroes are trying to survive, and the movie makes them likable and interesting, but that’s as deep as things go. Horror doesn’t need to always be groundbreaking cinema, but when it is, movies like Train to Busan are the result.

4

The Ensemble Cast Is Key To Train To Busan’s Story

A Diverse Range Of Characters Makes For A More Enjoyable Movie

Seok-woo’s journey to protect his daughter and repair their relationship is the heart of Train to Busan‘s story, but that doesn’t mean the other characters are boring or one-dimensional. The тιтular train is stocked with interesting supporting characters that cross paths with Seok-woo, and it opens the door for a richer narrative.

A zombie outbreak would naturally affect everyone in a society, but Train to Busan and its animated prequel put a heavy emphasis on the disparate reactions to the existential horror of the living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Many of the characters represent different aspects of society, especially social class, and the movie cleverly puts them on an even playing field.

Seok-woo is the quintessential workaholic, but there is also a homeless man, a COO of a successful company, and various other characters from diverse economic backgrounds. There’s also a wide range of ages represented, which is not typical in most horror movies. When disaster strikes, the movie uses its roster of characters to make subtle commentary about class divisions.

Some zombie movies, such as Night of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, have also relied on a diverse cast to make a statement. However, there is an intentional aspect to the writing of Train to Busan that makes it unique. Night of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ was retooled to make commentary about race, but it’s not the crux of the story.

Train to Busan wouldn’t be the same movie without its cast of characters, because it also serves to add more stakes. While they aren’t all likable, they are all human, and the zombie attacks aren’t merely exciting gory scenes, but legitimately traumatic moments for the other characters.

The script of Train to Busan doesn’t get bogged down in exposition though, and seamlessly weaves the characters into the overall storyline. Balancing an ensemble isn’t easy, especially for a movie so driven by its overarching concept. The characters don’t detract from the zombie story, they actually add something to make it stronger.

3

Train To Busan’s Location Offers Plenty Of Chills

The Train Makes A Great Setting For Zombie Terror

One of the unwritten rules of horror is that the story must somehow limit the movement of its characters so that they are forced to interact with the monster, killer, or supernatural enтιтy that stalks them. The zombie movie is especially beholden to that rule because there has to be a reason that they can’t escape from the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ hordes.

Dawn of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ had its shopping mall, and Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ had a cabin in the woods, but Train to Busan‘s тιтular setting is both original and exciting. The train itself is a small, claustrophobic space that traps the characters with the zombies, but it also moves, which adds a new wrinkle to the old horror rule.

Even the means of conveyance isn’t safe, which adds extra terror to the entire story. While trying to escape from the overrun city, the characters find no safe haven. Furthermore, the train is also a logical place where people from all walks of life would be, thus it makes sense for there to be such a diverse cast of characters.

2

The Humans Are Train To Busan’s Real Enemy

Every Zombie Movie Does It, But Train To Busan Does It Better

In nearly every zombie movie, the human characters are the real enemy. Because the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ monsters aren’t a thinking foe, they become something of a force of nature in the story. This means that the treachery and shortcomings of the humans becomes the threat. Train to Busan is hardly original on that score, but the movie simply does it better.

Other zombie films use human shortcomings more as a story catalyst, with violence, deceit, or downright stupidity as the impetus for the progression of the plot. On the other hand, Train to Busan examines those faults, and they are actually the entire point of the movie itself. Each betrayal and poor decision is a biting remark about society.

1

Train To Busan Makes Subtle Tweaks To The Classic Zombie

Not Just Another Fast Zombie Movie

For the longest time, zombies were lumbering creatures with very little energy, and they were only a threat in large numbers. That changed in movies like 28 Days Later, which envisioned a faster, more rage-fueled unᴅᴇᴀᴅ monster. By the time Train to Busan arrived, the fast zombie was already overdone, and the movie made some well-needed tweaks.

The twitching and jerking motion of the zombies is new and downright harrowing, and it implies that the reanimated body is literally breaking apart from the inside. Furthermore, Train to Busan added a zombie detail that few movies have dared to touch before or since. Not just limited to humans, the virus also infects animals.

Not only does this detail possibly explain how the virus spread, but it also adds some subtle environmental commentary too. Other zombie flicks limit the damage to human society, and often imply that mankind will simply wipe itself out. Unfortunately for the universe of Train to Busan, the rest of nature isn’t immune to their destruction.