I've come to share a new movie with all of you. The movie Train to Busan has been recently released and I was one of the huge crowd vying to watch it as soon as possible. I have just gotten back from the cinema and I just couldn't wait to share my thoughts about it.
Train to Busan is a zombie movie based in South Korea about a group of people who try to survive by going to (by train obviously) a province called Busan. It tells you the story of several people who have very different lives. They all have different reasons why they are on the train, but it reminds us about humanity and how different people react to desperate situations. You'll see people trying to help others, sacrifice others, care about themselves, care about their loved ones.
It was definitely a good watch for me. I would even pay to watch it again. Some things happened that I didn't expect at all. The very few jump scares got me, but overall, you wouldn't really be scared because of those. Personally, what scared me was the decisions some of the characters made to survive. They've made those decisions because they were scared, but it affected me nevertheless.
I thought the characters had this special trait or this special thing about them that makes you want to know what will happen to them. I felt like the movie isn't just the usual zombie movie out there. Yes, it was about survival. Yes, it had a lot of violence. But, I'd say it focused on the characters and their development.
Should you go and watch it? Yes you should.
You can check out one of the trailers out below :
Below, I will be sharing more about these characters if you'd like to know more, you can scroll on ahead. There will be spoilers on that are, so be warned if you do read ahead.
If you haven't watched the movie: Do I think you should read more about these characters? No, it would be better to see and learn about them yourself. But, if you're the type of person who isn't affected about the spoilers and whatnot, go right ahead. Just don't say I didn't warn you!
Characters: Spoiler Alert
This is just some of the characters in movie. As much as I want to, I won't really be able to cover them all.
Seok Woo: A Funding Manager and Father who tried to buy his daughter's affection through material things. He was the typical father who got divorced/separated from his wife, but wants to take care of his child. He was financially stable, but always busy. He also had this loving mother who took care of his daughter. I understand he was trying to do whatever he can to provide for his daughter but he forgot the important part which was actually being there for her and being able to see her grow as a person. There was even this scene where he gave his daughter a Wii console, but then forgets he already got her one before. I felt bad for him when he found out her daughter's plan to leave and go to her mother. He did redeem himself though. From being the man who only cared about himself and his daughter, to a Man who cares about other people and knows the value of a life. I just cannot express how sad I was to see what happened to him. He did go with a smile on his face, but I felt like he just had to get more time with hi daughter.
Soo/Su Ahn: Daughter of Seok Woo and overall a good kid. She knows her values and isn't afraid to speak of it. She tried to correct her father when needed and showed what she tried to preach his dad. Her mother taught her the meaning of being a "good person" and she definitely took it to heart. She gave the elderly her seat when she had one, insisted his father to let people in when they were being chased by the zombies, knows judging people isn't a good thing and voiced it out, and a lot more. I just wanted to give this kid a hug in the end. I can't stress out how much my heart ached for her too when she said she practiced the song for her dad, but he never came to his recital. I respect this little girl. If only more people were like her.
Sang Hwa: The father-to-be and big guy who just wanted to take care and protect his family. He was one of the heroes in this movie. He was brave, strong, and protected everyone he could. I thought it was adorable how he interacted with his wife. He was bold and strong with others and soft and sweet to his wife. I just hoped I had heard more about his story.
Sung Gyeong: The pregnant wife of . She acted like the typical pregnant woman at first sort of commanding her husband and all that, but the movie also showed her soft side when she was with Su Ahn. I thought she was the silent rock for Su Ahn during the movie. People tried to protect them physically, but she also tried to protect who she can. She tried to fight the zombie in the last train, as Seok Woo was having difficulties fighting him off. I just want to see her give birth to a healthy child. I kept hoping her water won't break or that she won't get a miscarriage from all the stress physically, emotionally and mentally. Is it just me though, or did her baby bump become smaller near the end?
Young Gook and Jin Hee: The two students who liked each other. The girl was more vocal about her feelings, but the guy was quiet, reserved and tried to keep his feelings to himself. I thought they greatly cared about each other and it did show in the movie. They refused to leave each other till the end. I can't believe she was pushed by that old man. I just felt heartbroken for the two.
The elderly man who seemed like a homeless person: He was quiet, scared and ever seemed a little crazy. He looked like he didn't have much, like he only has the clothes on his back and his will to live to carry on. I felt he was just his luck that he was able to go to the train. He didn't have a lot, but he gave what he can. Strength and Help to the people whom he can help. He threw his jacket on the face of the zombie who was attacking Seok Woo when he was pinned down in the train station. He also gave his life to save others. He didn't have much, but he gave what he can.
Yong Suk: COO of Stallion Express and antagonist of the story. He was the cause of so many deaths in the movie. I think he believes in Survival of the Fittest. In this case, yes, he was a grumpy old man, but he was still human. He was scared and did what he did because he wanted to live. People will say he was greedy and shouldn't be called human at all. But if we were in his situation, what will we do? I'm not condoning his actions. I hated what he did. So many people would have lived, if not for him. I'd even call a lot of what he's done Murder. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd like for us to think of what we'll do if we were in his situation. Will we try to save other people too? Or will we focus on saving ourselves even at the cost of other people's lives? Just think about before he died, he confessed, he was scared and almost broke down. I feel conflicted about this character. I want to hate and be angry at him, but I feel a little sad for him too.
Do you think people are the way they are because that's who they truly are? Or do you think there is a reason for their behaviour? I think, there is always something that influences us as human beings. It includes the way we were brought up, the family we have, the friends we hang out with, the environment we live in. These are just some of the things that influence us as human beings. If someone was brought up in this all-for-yourselves environment and taught only the fittest will survive, do you think he will think/react differently in emergency/desperate situations? If someone was taught to be a caring person who should be 'good' to other people and have moral values, do you think they will react differently in emergency/desperate situations? I guess all these things are subjective and all these things don't have a straight answer.
Another thing I noticed was how the Elderly man who looked like a homeless man acted towards other people in comparison to the supposedly rich COO of Stallion Express. The COO definitely had more in terms of money and whatnot, but who do you want to be like more?
These are the things the movie made me think about.
I'd like to ask you what I asked myself, and I'd like you to really think about this: What would you do if you were in their situations? What type of person will you be? Which character will you most likely be like?
I'll stop here before I go on and on about this as I have a lot more things I want to say and ask. Thanks for reading this far!
Hopefully I'll get to see more movies like this. This is a 4.9 out of 5 Stars for Me! I usually just make it a 4.5 or so, but this one will have to be a special case. I want to make it a 5, but I just wished some things ended differently
