Visual storytelling at its best.

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2019)

Train to Busan is proof that with effective visual storytelling, you don't need exposition. I watched this movie in Japanese with Japanese subtitles, and despite my Japanese being just "Ok" I was able to understand everything the movie was trying to convey. Sometimes simple is best.
The film starts off with a protagonist who comes across as selfish and unlikeable, but slowly becomes the hero as the story progresses. However Train to Busan manages to do this without shoving it down the viewer's throat. None of the characters seem like important people with special knowledge, they're all just normal people in a bad situation trying to survive.
The choice to confine the story on a train, for the most part, helps the viewer feel a sense of claustrophobia throughout the film and it makes every action the characters make a little more nail biting.
While Train to Busan may not be the most original idea, it proves not everything has to be. When done well, even the oldest stories can still make a viewer feel fear, tension, and apprehension for 2 hours.