Another classic case of an amazing movie that slipped under my radar. In fact, actually, multiple people told me to watch this movie and I put it on the back burner. Wow do I regret that. This is one of the best movies I've ever seen, honestly. Korean thrillers have got me going these last few months.
Not only is the story incredibly intriguing, but every other component in this movie is captivating. It's easy to blanket this as a zombie/pandemic movie but it has a much deeper message. The movie asks the quetion, "Who do we care for when it really comes down to it?" And not just within our family or friends. But people we don't know. Strangers. Our peers. People who need us. Do we risk our lives to help others or do we just take care of ourselves? And what kind of person does it illustrate you as when you make that decision.
I absolutely love the concept of this film, and I'm glad they didn't stray too far from the obvious setting. It's on a train. And the train may seem small and how many scenes can you fit into just a train without repeating? The whole movie, the train is seemingly the racing against time and survival, and it is basically the last chance for humanity. The acting is incredible and for having such a small space to build character, they do an absolutely incredible job. I mean, if it were me in a zombie apocalypse struggling to survive, it's hard to say what I would do. But the film shows that taking the extra step to think of someone other than yourself will actually reward you in the end. We need each other and we need to take care of each other instead of being selfish.
I find the zombies kind of similar to the 28 Days Later franchise because they can move quickly. It's not my FAVOURITE style. I only say that because, similarly, I believe in sticking to the rules just for understanding purposes. Like, I don't like when people write new vampire movies and make up their own rules for vampires. Ex. they can go in the sun. I hate that shit. BUT I suppose there are multiple movies that follow this kind of rabid wild zombie style. And maybe we are too quick to assume it's a zombie flick. It could just be a virus. My bone to pick is that not all of the infected really are the same. Some change slower than others. It really bothered me because I felt like it makes the story a bit more cheesier just for the story's sake. They either should make them all change at the same rate quickly, or it should take 5-10 minutes upon being bitten for all of them. Even the location of the bite doesn't matter. Am I being particular? Probably. My favourite part of the movie has to be the glass shattering scenes. When you watch it, you'll know what I'm talking about. There are multiple scenes where seemingly hundreds of infected are pressing up against windows building up the suspense as to whether or not they will break through. The train is a little confusing because some of the windows are that plexi-glass plastic that doesn't seem to break as easily and some are glass. When they press up against the glass however, and it finally gives, it makes for an incredible shot. The cinematography is incredible and they never overused CGI in a way that looked stupid. Obviously this is a must see. I'm ashamed once again for waiting so long.
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