Parents' Guide to Train to Busan

Movie NR 2016 118 minutes
Train to Busan Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Tom Cassidy By Tom Cassidy , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

South Korean zombie action film is intense, bloody, violent.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 10 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 21 kid reviews

Kids say the movie is a thrilling blend of horror and emotional depth, though its graphic violence makes it unsuitable for younger viewers. While many praise the strong performances and emotional stakes, others find the gore overwhelming, suggesting it is best suited for older teens and adults.

  • thrilling experiences
  • emotional depth
  • graphic violence
  • suitable for older
  • strong performances
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

In TRAIN TO BUSAN, a father and daughter's journey is disrupted when a zombie outbreak occurs on their train and they are forced to fight back.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 10 ):
Kids say ( 21 ):

The zombie genre is so well worn, anything fresh to sink your teeth into is always darkly delicious. As such, writer-director Sang-ho Yeon'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 (Gong Yoo) and his young daughter, Su-an (a brilliant Su-an Kim). Throwing a kid in the mix adds heft to the drama, as does pregnant character, Seong-kyeong (Yu-mi Jung). When key events kick off midway, the realization that you've grown to care for the main gang serves to up 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 an action thrill ride than a chilling horror, this is a refreshing and exhilarating movie that packs a few emotional punches alongside its blood-soaked action.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Train to Busan's violence. Did the blood and gore seem over the top? Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • How did this movie compare to other zombie films? Was it more or less intense? What's the appeal of zombie movies in general?

  • Discuss the father-daughter relationship between Seok-woo and Su-an. How did it change throughout the course of the movie?

Movie Details

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