Dernier train pour Busan

If I have not watched the trailer, I will give it a score of 10 for its entertainment value but having seen the trailer, a little is lost. I don't remember having watched any movie that is so damn engaging, so easy to follow, and so exciting right from the first few minutes all the way to the end. All the exciting moments end with a climax that's fit for a movie. The few minutes during each break for audience to catch their breath is not boring or wasted, perfectly used for characters development. I don't understand why someone commented the last 30 minutes is not as good. I find each climax better in the next. If they make a sequel to show some happenings elsewhere with the same plot and concept, I will still watch it.

The investment manager Seok Woo (Yoo Gong) is a divorced man that lives in Seoul, with his daughter a Soo-an (Soo-an Kim) and his mother. Seok Woo is a selfish man and neglects Soo-an that misses her mother that lives in Busan. On Soo-an's birthday, she asks to visit her mother and Seok Woo travels with her with the intention of returning after lunch. They board the fast train KTX and a sick woman also boards another wagon. During the journey, the woman attacks a train staff and soon all the passenger in the wagon are attacked turning into zombies. Soon Seok Woo realizes that there is a zombie outbreak in South Korea and together with the passenger Sang Hwa (Dong-seok Ma), who is traveling with his pregnant wife Sung Gyeong (Yu-mi Jeong), they isolate the safe front wagons from the infected ones. Along their journey, the non-infected passengers have to fight the zombies and the selfishness of the human being.

"Busanhaeng", a.k.a. "Train to Busan", is one of the best zombie films ever made. The story is original and there is deep character development, which is not usual in horror movies, showing the different behavior of the human being in a stressful situation depending on his or her character (or lack of). The direction is amazing and the action scenes are fantastic. The screenplay is melodramatic but also attractive; the beautiful cinematography and special effects and make-up are highlighted by perfect edition. The cast has good performance but the girl Soo-an Kim is impressive and steals the show. We hope Hollywood industry does not destroy this little gem with the usual remake. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

This lively South Korean zombie flick arrives in Oz with a limited release, which is a pity as it's a riotous adventure filled to the brim with action, gore and damn interesting story beats. Like all good films within this subgenre, the narrative is rife with metaphors about modern day issues (parent-child connections, corporate greed, human interaction, etc) but it also provides a compelling survival plot when taken at face value. The core relationship between Yoo Gong's self-centred businessman and his quiet, emotionally-neglected 9-year-old daughter (Soo-an Kim – a tour de force) is riveting as it gets put through the wringer, never feeling anything less than authentic. There are spurts of melodrama, however, that induce the odd unintentional chuckle, whilst a select few from the supporting cast play up their stereotypes – love-struck school girl, despicable scaremonger, muttering homeless man – a little too much. Sang-ho Yeon directs with unabashed gusto, pumping up tension and thrills though a string of adrenaline-pumping set pieces, an amazing train-station sequence that turns from hopeful to deadly being a particular high point. The undead are suitably grotesque and enjoyably expendable, their physical movements a mix between the 28 Days Later mode of rapid flesh-eaters and the herky-jerky twitches of J-horror ghosts, although the rules for how quickly someone becomes "infected" seems to vary depending on plot requirement. It doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the zombie genre, but with a bunch of exhilarating set pieces and a willingness to kill off anyone at anytime, Train to Busan certainly adds a whole lot of spark.

Forget about the ordinary and immerse yourself into this amazing zombie thriller experience. If you love thrillers and zombie flicks, then you are in for a ride with this one. This film has it all: the hero arc, character development, insane action, relentless tension, drama, tear jerk, comedy, special effects, great cinematography and most of all excellent pace! Well done to the Korean cinema. Excellent film. 9/10

One of the best Zombie films since World War Z. This film is non-stop from the beginning to the end. Very intense and lots of blood. The acting and story telling is amazing. Worth the watch.