Zombies on a train. It’s an idea that’s brilliant in its simplicity, and Korean director Yeon Sang-ho (transitioning from animated features to live action) exploits it ingeniously in Train to Busan. A father and workaholic fund manager (Gong Yoo) reluctantly accompanies his small daughter (Kim Su-an) on a visit to her mother (the couple is separated). They board the train just as a zombie outbreak hits, not noticing that an infected victim has leapt aboard as the doors close. As with the best zombie movies, Train to Busan offers keen insights into the nature of humanity via an arresting ensemble cast: Yoo’s selfish father; a working-class tough guy (Ma Dong-seok) and his pregnant wife (Jung Yu-mi); a panicky businessman (Kim Eui-sung); a homeless stowaway (Choi Gwi-hwa); and a high-school baseball player (Choi Woo-shik) and his girlfriend (Ahn So-hee). Each reveals different shades of the best and worst of us as the chaos ensues. Yeon’s zombies are of the quick—and quickly transforming—variety, which adds to the film’s split-second intensity. His camera, meanwhile, takes precise advantage of this confined space, emphasizing the survivors’ limited options. Shots mostly push forward or backward, as if the camera is wearing blinders. When there is a parallel tracking shot along the length of a train car, it only underlines the nearness of the walls on either side. Occasionally we leave the train for scream-worthy gonzo surprises—like the shot of zombies falling from helicopters, crashing onto the pavement of a parking lot, and then getting up to contortedly chase after a group of stunned skateboarders—but mostly Train to Busan is a cleverly concentrated shot of zombie terror.
(2/10/2022)
