All aboard chilling express

The Sun

6 days ago

AMID a flood of over-saturation with scream-for-the-sake-of-it horror films, Ghost Train comes chugging into cinemas as a refreshing detour. Rather than shoving viewers into a nonstop haunted house of shrieking ghosts and flickering lights, this South Korean horror-thriller dares to take its time. Directed by Tak Se-woong and featuring a sharp lead performance from Joo Hyun-young, the film anchors itself in urban legend and internet clout-chasing two elements that surprisingly play very well together.
Clocking in at 94 minutes, Ghost Train tells the story of Da-kyung, a struggling horror YouTuber who sets her sights on Gwanglim Station, a place infamous for disappearances and whispered legends. What follows is not just a ghost story, it is a meta-exploration of storytelling itself, where the search for viral fame runs headfirst into forces far beyond comprehension.
This is not the kind of horror film that punishes viewers with jump scares every five minutes. And thank goodness for that.
Dash of mystery, sprinkle of satire
The biggest surprise of Ghost Train is how confidently it refuses to play by typical horror rules. Yes, there are creepy visuals and unsettling moments. But instead of going for the throat, the film lets its atmosphere do the heavy lifting. Director Tak understands dread does not always come from sudden noises, it simmers best when built through odd silences, peculiar behaviors and the slow unraveling of truth.
There is a dry humoru that runs just beneath the surface, particularly in the way the film treats YouTube culture. Da-kyung's desperation for attention is both cringe-worthy and strangely relatable and Joo plays her with just the right balance of ambition and naivety. Her interactions with the station master (Jeon Bae-soo) often feel like oddball sketches that veer just short of parody.
Choi Bo-min's Woo-jin and Kim Ji-in's Hye-jin round out the cast nicely, serving more as narrative mirrors than traditional sidekicks. The supporting cast, including a few well-placed background characters, bring in texture without stealing the spotlight.
The good, the great, the ghostly bits
Where Ghost Train shines is in its structure: part anthology, part myth-busting adventure, part YouTube-gone-wrong cautionary tale. The different stories woven into the mystery of Gwanglim Station are compelling, some even unsettling in a psychological rather than supernatural way. It is clear the film is more interested in unsettling its audience intellectually than scaring them silly.
That said, the ride is not without a few screechy halts. Some of the ghost stories presented could have absolutely stood on their own as mini-features or short films. They are packed with intriguing ideas and world-building, but often get rushed through in favour of tying everything back to Da-kyung's main arc. Others, unfortunately, overstay their welcome. A few moments stretch longer than necessary, leading to sequences that feel more like filler than tension-building.
Had the script given more breathing room to some of these mini-mysteries and maybe shaved off a few slower middle bits, the overall pacing could have matched the film's creative ambition. Still, what is here is commendable for its effort to be more than just spooky eye candy.
A different kind of fear
For international audiences, Ghost Train offers a neat entry point into Korean folklore-adjacent horror. The setting of a lonely, nearly abandoned subway station lends itself well to feelings of urban isolation, a theme often underexplored in some subgenres of horror. The film also makes clever use of the Korean language, with dialogue that plays subtly on regional intonations and cultural phrasing (subtitles do not always capture the layers, but they try their best).
This is where the film makes a quiet but powerful case for why horror should not always be globalised. Watching Ghost Train in its native language enhances the uncanny atmosphere. It makes the local legends feel personal and adds a sense of cultural specificity that is often missing from Hollywood horror.
Cliché-free ride
Ghost Train is not a perfect ride. It meanders in places. Some parts try too hard to tie into a bigger narrative when they could have been stronger left alone. And viewers expecting a fright-a-minute experience might be disappointed by the film's more cerebral, subdued tone.
But for those willing to step onto a slower, moodier track, there is plenty to appreciate. This is a horror film for viewers who enjoy stories that breathe, who appreciate when the fear creeps in sideways rather than jumping straight at the face.
Come for the urban legend. Stay for the clever structure, the satirical edge and the satisfyingly strange journey.
Just do not expect a final boss ghost fight. Ghost Train has no interest in clichés and that is what makes it special.
A horror tale that blends folklore, mystery and a fresh take on fear. – IMDB