Train To Busan can be summed up in four words: zombies on a train. But what director Sang-ho Yeon does with this simple premise is extremely impressive, giving the somewhat tired zombie genre another jolt of life.
Using his confined location-a packed intercity train-to maximum effect, Yeon expertly ramps up the tension, the living gradually whittled down to a handful of passengers fighting for survival against the slavering undead (a bit like taking the last train home from Waterloo on a Saturday night).
There are some great ideas present that really add to the excitement, such as the zombies getting confused whenever the train enters a tunnel and swarming in numbers to break through barriers (with special effects easily on a par with those in World War Z). Surprisingly, the gore quotient is very low, but with such a rollicking pace, the lack of blood really isn't an issue.
Perhaps a touch too long at almost two hours to be perfect, Train to Busan is nevertheless one of the better zombie films to come out in recent years. Highly recommended. 8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.
Using his confined location-a packed intercity train-to maximum effect, Yeon expertly ramps up the tension, the living gradually whittled down to a handful of passengers fighting for survival against the slavering undead (a bit like taking the last train home from Waterloo on a Saturday night).
There are some great ideas present that really add to the excitement, such as the zombies getting confused whenever the train enters a tunnel and swarming in numbers to break through barriers (with special effects easily on a par with those in World War Z). Surprisingly, the gore quotient is very low, but with such a rollicking pace, the lack of blood really isn't an issue.
Perhaps a touch too long at almost two hours to be perfect, Train to Busan is nevertheless one of the better zombie films to come out in recent years. Highly recommended. 8.5/10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.