Train to Busan is one of the best surprises of the year; a redemption tale that reminds us how close we are to losing our humanity, but also the compassion we are capable of. All aboard.

Train to Busan is a fulfilling film because it smoothly blends entertainment and social critique without being didactic; the class struggle between the characters remains subtle yet profound, and the genre of the zombie apocalypse horror film is not compromised. It has plenty to offer both casual and serious cinema-goers.

Director Sang-ho Yeon coaxes restrained performances from the talented cast which allows the eventual melodramatic climax to hit home without being too hard to digest. This combination makes ‘Train to Busan ’a thoroughly enjoyable, and occasionally thought-provoking experience, making it a must-watch for horror fans!

A good horror film is chicken soup for the soul and when such a film is tailor-made to be a family affair (similar to Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 Korean monster film The Host), it becomes all the more ‘important’. You begin to root for the characters fighting insurmountable odds and miss them when they die in gruesome, undeserving ways. Train to Busan has all these qualities and probably the worst thing we will get from the film is that Hollywood has already begun remaking it. Yes, hide kids.