Parents' Guide to Train to Busan

The zombie genre is so well worn, anything fresh to sink your teeth into is always darkly delicious. As such, writer-director Yeon Sang-ho's smashing together of the disaster movie genre with modern running zombies—and all the frantic, breathless action they bring with them—makes Train to Busan a treat for fans of both genres. Here a diverse group of people are brought together to fend off zombies on a very narrow train. This includes Seok-woo and his young daughter (a brilliant Kim Su-an). Throwing a kid into the mix adds heft to the drama, as does the addition of pregnant character, Seong-kyeong (Jung Yu-mi), who proves herself to be incredibly capable. When key events kick off midway, the realization that you've grown to care for the main gang ups the emotional investment as the action continues to escalate.

Setting it apart from most horror movies, nearly all the action in Train to Busan takes place in daylight, adding an eerie, mundane quality. The sleepy train carriages are easily recognizable until the blood baths occur. Masterful touches such as having a baseball team onboard to add a believable reason for the survivors to have access to weapons is simply a delight. More of a thrill ride than a chilling horror, this is a refreshing, exhilarating movie that packs a few emotional punches and some humor alongside its blood-soaked action.