Train to Busan is an intense and thrilling zombie movie, but it shares an unexpected similarity to the hilarious Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Train to Busan revitalized the zombie movie genre with its fast-paced and exciting story of pᴀssengers on a train contending with a zombie outbreak onboard the train and in the world outside.
In a very different tone, Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is the first entry in Edgar Wright’s Three-Flavor Cornetto trilogy, starring Simon Pegg as a slacker who must prove to his girlfriend and everyone else that he can be a hero when the zombies take over. It is a funny homage to the genre while poking fun at its tropes.
At a glance, these two movies seem like drastically different takes on the zombie genre. However, they share one interesting detail about how their protagonists fit into this horror subgenre.
Train To Busan & Shaun Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Both Portray Their Protagonists As “Zombies”
Seok-Woo And Shaun Draw Comparisons To The Unᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Train to Busan and Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ both feature unlikely heroes out of their element in battling the zombies. However, Train to Busan‘s Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ‘s Shaun (Simon Pegg) rise to the occasion despite their respective movies initially drawing a comparison between them and zombies.
Presenting the protagonist as a “zombie” themselves makes the literal zombie outbreak their motivation to change their ways and escape the fate that is consuming so many people around the world.
Seok-woo is introduced as a workaholic divorced father whose mindless dedication to success in the office drains the life of the people around him. Likewise, Shaun is an aimless young man, sleepwalking through life and doing the same things every day with no ambition.
In both cases, presenting the protagonist as a “zombie” themselves makes the literal zombie outbreak their motivation to change their ways and escape the fate that is consuming so many people around the world. It creates layered characters at the center of these zombie stories while building stronger themes than are typical for these movies.
The Zombie/Protagonist Connection Is One Reason Train To Busan & Shaun Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Are Both Great
Both Movies Stand Out As True Highlights Of The Genre
Train to Busan and Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ both stand out as two of the best zombie movies of all time, despite their very different tones. The decision to connect both of these protagonists to the zombies is an indication of why these movies rise above so many other zombie movies and become something special.
It gives each of them something to overcome besides simply surviving the zombie apocalypse.
Zombie movies do have to deliver on the kind of thrills audiences expect, but just sticking to mindless mayhem and gore isn’t going to be very interesting in the end. Train to Busan and Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ focus on their characters, which is more than can be said for a lot of zombie movies.
Seok-woo and Shaun have dilemmas in their lives before the zombies even show up. Their lives are grounded in relatable struggles, such as relationships with their children and girlfriend. It gives each of them something to overcome besides simply surviving the zombie apocalypse. The elevated writing of these movies draws the audience in, making the thrills all the more effective.
