My Two Cents: Train To Busan

BEWARE: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

If you have never heard of this movie before, then I'm guessing you either aren't interested in Korean movies or you have been living under a rock. This movie has been watched by over 11 million South Korean moviegoers, making it the 11th most watched Korean movie of all time. I remember when it came out, it was all everyone talked about. Many of my friends have been telling me how good it is but I just never watched it. In 2017, as I was checking Netflix to see the new releases, I saw the words "Train To Busan." I was so excited and I watched it as soon as I could. I watched it in a Starbucks and I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy fool. I scolded the characters across the screen; I cried; and I was scared. It is one of the best movies I have ever watched.

Year: 2016

Country: South Korea

Synopsis:

Seok Woo is a divorced fund manager with a daughter named Soo An. For Soo An's birthday, she wants to go to Busan to visit her mother. They board a train. Right before the train leaves, a young woman, with an injured leg, boards the train. The young woman becomes a zombie and starts to attack the other passengers. Everyone tries to escape to the upper compartments of the train. They try to go to Busan, the only city that is currently safe from the zombie apocalypse. 

There are a million reasons why I love this movie so much, but the main reason is the characters, specifically how imperfect they all are. None of them, except Sang Hwa and his superhero-like strength, are anything close to perfect. Many are selfish and are scared of dying. Each character really reveals something about human nature.

Seok Woo is a divorced fund manager with a younger daughter. He rarely spends time with her and is obsessed with work. In the beginning he is selfish and only cared about his daughter and his well-being. Physically, he is not strong, he is pretty smart and slowly learns about the zombies' weaknesses. He is a pretty standard character. At first he is selfish but soon learns that life is not all about profits. He learns to truly love and understands that survival is key but protecting loved ones is the most important thing in life.

Soo An is a young girl who misses her mother and wants to visit her in Busan. Compared to her selfish father, she is one of the most innocent characters in movie. She is unwilling to leave anyone behind. 

Sang Hwa is a buff, masculine man, who is afraid of his wife. They two of them make a power couple. He teaches Seok Woo to stop being selfish. As the strongest man on the train, he protects the rest of the passengers. I nicknamed him Captain America. He is honestly a superhero. He is willing to sacrifice his life for the safety of others and his family. Him and his wife are literally contagious. They make almost everyone change for the good.

Sung Kyung is a pregnant woman who makes up the other half of the power couple. She is smart and quick to think on her feet. She is also very motherly and is protective of Soo An. She teaches us that selfishness will never get us anywhere. Only by working together can society thrive.

Young Guk is a baseball player who boarded the train with his baseball team. He is also smart and quick to think on his feet. He is kind and is always helping others. He is nowhere near perfect, as his is easily afraid. However, he proves that even a teen can help protect society.

Yong Suk is the COO of a company and is the character I hate in this movie. I understand that hate is a really strong word, but he is a really despicable character. He only cares about his well-being and is willing to compromise everyone's life for his. Despite the multiple incidents where others have sacrificed themselves for him, he never learns and continues to be selfish. I nicknamed him COO bastard. He is the sad truth that some people just do not become good. 

This is honestly one of the best movies ever. It is extremely suspenseful, packed with great acting, and makes us all rethink about ourselves. All of the hype is not for nothing. It is truly a masterpiece and now that it is on Netflix, it is more accessible.