Films › Yeon Sang-ho

Train to Busan (2016)

Film

DirectorYeon Sang-ho

Meta takes5

Figures

Form & technique

The scene where Yon-suk incites passengers to block a door from other survivors
The sound design, specifically the zombies' clicking teeth and vocalizations → The Unseen Voice

Tropes

Seok-woo's character arc from fund manager to sacrificial father → The Enterprise of the Self
The infected populace and the government's quarantine measures → The Stripped Citizen
The confined, class-segregated space of the KTX train → The Counter-Space
The emphasis on family sacrifice and emotional farewells
The contrasting masculinities of Seok-woo and Sang-hwa
The fast, convulsive, and relentless movement of the zombies → The Glocal Aesthetic

Films most connected to Train to Busan

Dheepan (2015) — via The Counter-Space, The Stripped Citizen
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) — via The Enterprise of the Self, The Glocal Aesthetic
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) — via The Enterprise of the Self, The Glocal Aesthetic
Chungking Express (1994) — via The Counter-Space, The Glocal Aesthetic
Taken (2008) — via The Unseen Voice, The Glocal Aesthetic
Y Tu Mamá También (2001) — via The Unseen Voice, The Enterprise of the Self
The Conjuring (2013) — via The Unseen Voice, The Enterprise of the Self
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — via The Unseen Voice, The Enterprise of the Self