28 Weeks Later
Movies Like Train to Busan
Train to Busan excels in its portrayal of a zombie outbreak. One of the reasons it works so well, is that it tells a much smaller tale than a lot of its Hollywood counterparts, taking place almost entirely on a train, with very few characters involved. It shows a slice of a much bigger picture, and is all the better for it. Another film which benefits from keeping its focus on telling a smaller, more grounded tale is 28 Days Later. The film focuses on a man who, after waking up from a coma, must survive in a zombie-infested London Borough.
It focuses on a small group of survivors, and its depiction of the undead is very much in-line with that of Train to Busan. These aren’t your average, slow-moving zombies, instead being able to run at full sprint and take incredible amounts of damage. Much like in Train to Busan, those who get infected turn very quickly indeed, which lends itself nicely to the thriller feel of the film. There’s a sense of urgency that permeates through the whole thing, with tense close-quarter action and claustrophobic London environments used to convey tension and horror.
The Wailing
Movies Like Train to Busan
The Korean film industry has quietly become a serious force to be reckoned with over the last ten years or so, seeing the release of countless horror flicks which are as terrifying as they are unique. The Wailing is a recent example of a great Korean horror film, having released in 2016. A small-town police Sergeant investigates reports of a string of murders, thought to be linked to the emergence of a strange disease.
As you’d expect, things quickly go awry, as the town is sent into a downward spiral, fuelled by paranoia, fear and racism. The Wailing shares Train to Busan’s propensity for dark humor and moments of slapstick brilliance. Our hero is presented as a bumbling fool before he is forced to toughen up and lead the charge for survival. The film has received critical acclaim worldwide, and has been praised for its refreshing take on the outbreak-thriller genre.
World War Z
Movies Like Train to Busan
At the end of Train to Busan, we get the sense that the outbreak is happening on a much larger scale than what we’d seen throughout the movie. A good idea of what that might look like is World War Z, which takes the zombie thriller to a much more global scale. The film features zombies more in line with the runners we see in Train to Busan, though presents them in much larger numbers, with them acting in huge hordes, clambering together to form giant zombie structures.
The two movies have a similar approach to their action scenes, keeping the camera tight and emphasising the quick cuts found more often in the thriller genre than in straight up horror films. Both films hold a family relationship dynamic at their core, with the two main protagonists being protective Father figures doing all they can to ensure their family’s survival.
REC
Movies Like Train to Busan
Taking place entirely within a small Spanish apartment block, Rec is a masterclass in zombie-horror storytelling. Rec blends in elements of found footage movies in a way that is more Blair Witch than Paranormal Activity, presenting a gory, claustrophobic and genuinely scary tale of a virus outbreak. It’s a must watch for horror fans as a whole, not just those of Train to Busan. Rec is one of the few horror franchises that has genuinely great sequels too, so there’s plenty here to enjoy.
Fans of Train to Busan will love the small-scale zombie horror, though there’s not the same balance between humor and scares, with Rec leaning heavily into the latter.
Snowpiercer
Movies Like Train to Busan
If it’s movies contained entirely on trains that you’re after then look no further than Snowpiercer. Okay, we’re mostly joking, because Snowpiercer actually has a lot of similarities with Train to Busan and is sure to be appeal to a lot of the same viewers. Snowpiercer is much more of a thriller than Train to Busan, incorporating elements of fantasy and sci-fi into the mix. The action sequences play out in much the same way though, in that the main characters must slowly make their way from carriage to carriage, defeating enemies in impossibly small spaces.
The setting really helps ground the story, which, in short tells a tale of a civilisation housed entirely within a train, with different classes confined to different areas. Chris Evans is brilliant in the role, managing to come across as both compassionate and physically imposing. It really is a great movie for those that love thrillers, and presents a unique twist on the classic sci-fi dystopian civilisation trope.
The Host
Movies Like Train to Busan
Not to be confused with the angst-filled teen romance of the same name, The Host is another excellent Korean thriller movie. It puts a cool spin on the classic Kaiju formula, telling the story of an unidentified monster surfacing from the Han River. The film is a masterful exercise in tension, action and suspense, and looks surprisingly good for a 12 year old movie relying on CGI monsters. The monster is, hilariously, said to be modelled after Steve Bucshemi’s performance in Fargo, and there’s plenty of incredibly dark humor to break up the tension.
The movie does something unthinkable in its very first shot, completely revealing the monster for everyone to see. Ordinarily, this would kill any suspense surrounding it but somehow it just works here. The Host is a fantastic monster movie, expertly blending elements from a wide range of genres to produce an experience that is both exciting and nail-biting.
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