I generally don't care for Zombie movies. I feel like they are overdone and pretty much every aspect that can be explored in the genre has already happened.... many times. I think this is why I waited so long to watch this movie despite the fact that many people have encouraged me to do so over the years.
Now I am not going to say that the entire film is great, because it isn't, in my mind it can't possibly be because it is a zombie film. However, as this tired genre is concerned, this is definitely one of the better ones out of all of them, globally.
While it doesn't seem like much when you talk about Endgame making a billion dollars over opening weekend, Train to Busan made nearly $100 million, which is incredibly good numbers for a Korean film and has a lot to do with the accolades that the film received at the hands of many international film festivals.
[source](https://hannahmchaffie.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/52e23-zpjpwju.png)The characters are really great in this movie including Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok ), a tough guy (and really big for a Korean, who is on the train with his pregnant wife and serves as a hero for other passengers on multiple occasions. He is a bad ass and encourages heroic behavior in other passengers as well.
[source](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Train-to-Busan_cover.jpg)The movie's story focuses primarily on Seok-woo and his daughter Su-an, who have a less-than-perfect relationship because Dad is so focused on work. They are brought close together by the zombie apocalypse, and it becomes increasingly evident as the film progresses.
While the film does possess a lot of elements about zombie films that I really don't like (dumb decisions made by people who have not yet been turned zombie etc) for the most part the film moves pretty well and things almost make sense. There are a few WTF moments like how zombies are incapable of opening doors yet somehow entire cities are in flames and the military is (yet again) incapable of dealing with a deadly yet very stupid opponent... but whatever! Let's roll with it.
The real villains of the film aren't even the zombies themselves and this (to me at least) said a lot about humanity. The selfishness of certain passengers is infuriating and speaks volumes about people in general.
I have intentionally not pointed out the thing about this film that makes this movie stand out from the others in its field but I'll just say this: If you don't at least get misty-eyed during that particular part of the movie, you don't have a soul. Fast-paced and gripping with great effects despite a low budget of under $10 million, this movie is just another example of why Korean cinema just might be the best in the world. I am disappointed but not surprised to learn that this film is being remade in English.