Zombie horror masterwork from Korea

Rating: 8/10 (1 March 2017)

South Korea has made plenty of horror films over the last couple of decades, but very few of them have been zombie films; the country typically favours ghost or psycho tales like WHISPERING CORRIDORS or I SAW THE DEVIL. That changes with TRAIN TO BUSAN, a Hollywood-feel film that owes more than a debt of inspiration to WORLD WAR Z in its depiction of fast, feral zombies that amass into a CGI-animated crowd on occasion.
This film is straightforward enough, with a simple premise: zombies on a train. And yet it also happens to be thoroughly gripping, exciting, and indeed excellent, thanks to the skill of director Yeon Sang-ho who is known for his animated features like KING OF PIGS. The reason this film succeeds where others fail is down to the characterisation, which is superb for a straight horror tale. The characters are realistic, well-drawn, and appealing, and there's plenty of sentiment while at the same time the film narrowly avoids falling into melodrama.
This is a visceral journey that has the viewer on the edge of his or her train seat for much of the running time. It starts off eerie and foreboding and then builds a momentum that never flags right up until the end. The CGI effects are pretty good although occasionally weak, but that doesn't matter a jot when everything else is so well portrayed. The actors impress as always in Korea, putting tons of energy and heart into their performances, and as an action-horror film this is difficult to surpass. I enjoyed every moment.