"Train to Busan”, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, is a South Korean thriller that takes audiences on a high-speed train journey from Seoul to Busan. This journey becomes a desperate fight for survival against a rapidly spreading zombie outbreak. At the film's heart is the train itself, not just as a setting, but as a key player in the unfolding drama.
From the moment the passengers board the KTX train at Seoul Station, the train takes on a dual role: it is both a refuge and a trap. As a sanctuary, it offers the only semblance of safety from the zombie-infested landscape of South Korea. Its high-speed rush towards Busan, one of the last safe zones, symbolizes a thin thread of hope for the survivors. But this sanctuary quickly turns into a trap as the infection spreads through the train's carriages, turning passengers into the undead and forcing the survivors to fight not only for their destination but for every inch of safe space.
The train's journey reflects the escalating tension and desperation of the survivors, with each stop presenting new challenges, from blocked routes to hordes of zombies waiting at each station. The survivors, led by fund manager Seok-woo and his daughter Su-an, must navigate this treacherous terrain, making alliances and facing betrayal in their quest for survival.
Behind-the-scenes facts:
- The success of Train to Busan led to a sequel, Peninsula, which expanded the story beyond the train to the entire apocalypse-ravaged peninsula.
- The film is the sixth highest-grossing domestic film of all time in South Korea.
- It is currently being remade, changing the destination to New York, and presumably the country to the United States, and the language to English. The new title will be "The Last Train to New York" and will be directed by Timo Tjahjanto and written by Gary Dauberman.
