Despite its innocuous title, "Train to Busan" (in Korean with subtitles, or dubbed in English on Well Go USA's Blu-ray, which comes out Tuesday) offers a terrifying, harrowing ride on the Zombie Express.
Yoo Gong stars as a mutual fund manager reluctantly taking his daughter (Soo-an Kim in a gut-wrenching performance) by train to live with his estranged wife. Trouble starts as soon as the train departs, with passengers rapidly succumbing to a growing zombie plague, and accelerates to a stunning climax that leaves viewers breathless and emotionally drained.
"Train to Busan" is animation director Sang-ho Yeon first live-action film, and it displays his flair for mind-bending visuals and economy of story-telling. His feature-length animated prequel, "Seoul Station," sets up the events of "Train to Busan" but, sadly, is not included on the Blu-ray as an extra. Word is that a separate U.S. release will come later.
The Blu-ray does include two short making-of extras and a trailer.
Zombie-movie purists mighty scoff at the usual cliches and a general lack of gore. But while "Train to Busan" doesn't redefine the genre, it does stand as the best zombie film since "28 Days Later" and maybe even the original "Night of the Living Dead." It's for those who want gut-wrenching, not just guts.
