Latest news with #TraintoBusan
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
I rewatched Train to Busan a decade later, and it broke me in new ways
It's been almost 10 years since the action-horror film, Train to Busan, directed by Yeon Sang Ho, changed how the world saw Korean entertainment industry. Back then, zombies were still a foreign concept for most. But with this film that hit like a freight train, Gong Yoo, Choi Woo Shik, and the rest were building legacies. The film used the undead as the catalyst to tear off the layers of fake civility and showed people for who they really are. It took me a decade and an adult lens to see it wasn't about the zombies at all. It was a bold, fearless take on class, privilege, broken families, and capitalism, the real monsters we live with. This was probably the core theme of Train to Busan. Seok Woo, the protagonist, is a workaholic caught deep in a world of extreme individualism. All that matters to him is climbing the ladder, securing his financial success, and making sure his daughter is safe, even if that means ignoring everyone else. His character is a product of South Korea's cutthroat work culture that puts profit way above human connection. The way he's emotionally shut off from his daughter in the beginning shows exactly how people today are too tied up in their own grind to even spare a moment for family, and by the time they wake up, it's already too late. The outbreak feels like both a consequence (hinted through his company's link to the virus) and a metaphor for a system that's been eating itself from the inside out. Also read: S Line review: K-Drama that's freaking viewers out with its dark take on shame and surveillance Train to Busan subtly, and at times, not so subtly, throws brutal punches at social hierarchies. Yong Suk, played by Choi Woo Shik, stands in for everything rotten in the system: the power, the entitlement, the blind belief that status alone will save him, no matter what. What he doesn't get is that the end doesn't care who you are. He's ready to sacrifice anyone he sees as beneath him. The way he turns the 'safe' passengers against others, gets them to throw people out, shows exactly how fear breeds prejudice, and how fast class lines get drawn when survival's on the line. The early news coverage downplays the outbreak even as chaos breaks loose, and the overwhelmed, eventually zombified military shows how the public blindly puts its faith in the government and media, only to be misled at every turn. The lack of real leadership outside the train shows a complete breakdown of trust in authority. The government keeps assuring people, but it means nothing. In the end, everyone's left to fend for themselves. Ten years later, after watching it all play out in real life, whether it was during a pandemic, social unrest, or political polarisation, we get it. Also read: Trigger Ending Explained: Does Kim Nam Gil's Netflix thriller have a happy ending and who survives the rampage of gunplay? After all, Train to Busan's core was always about the love and sacrifice our parents make. I was a teenager when I first watched it, and back then, I didn't really get that part. But rewatching it now, I couldn't hold back the tears. The bond between Seok Woo and Su An is the emotional anchor. Train to Busan shows how deep a parent's love runs, and how far they'll go, even if it means sacrificing themselves so their child can live. Now that I've grown older and had real conversations with my parents, I get it. I understand why Seok Woo did what he did in the end, why he let go, knowing he'd never see his daughter again, just to make sure she survives. I was sobbing. It felt like, for the first time, I could see things through my parents' perspective. And when Su An sang that song, the same one she once couldn't finish because her dad was never around, now she sings it because there's no one left. No one else is going to help her. She sings it to survive. To not get shot by the soldiers.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Why 'My Daughter is a Zombie' could be summer's pleasant surprise
A feel-good zombie comedy juggles horror, heart and humor with dexterity Korean cinema showed up fashionably late to the zombie party. But when it finally arrived with 2016's "Train to Busan," it more than proved it could hold its own. Now we're dealing with an even quirkier subspecies: The so-called zom-com, a hybrid genre as awkwardly constructed as its shambling subjects. From cult favorites like "Shaun of the Dead" to "Warm Bodies" and "Zombieland," this mash-up of horror and comedy has staked out real cinematic territory — one that turns blood-soaked chaos into unexpected belly laughs. Korea's earliest foray into this space might be 2019's "Zombie for Sale," which spun the undead into a get-rich-quick scheme gone predictably sideways. Enter "My Daughter is a Zombie," based on the popular webtoon of the same name. It takes the zom-com formula one step further by throwing earnest family melodrama into an already volatile mix. The story centers on Jung-hwan (Jo Jung-seok), a zookeeper and devoted single father raising his teenage daughter Soo-ah (Choi Yu-ri) through the familiar turbulence of adolescence. She's got the classic puberty playbook on display — rolling her eyes at her dad, brushing off his well-meaning questions, and delivering dry comebacks with teenaged flair. Their occasional moments of connection come through a shared love of dance. Jung-hwan, once an aspiring performer, now bonds with his daughter by helping her rehearse K-pop routines for her school talent show — including, rather quaintly, BoA's 2002 hit 'Number One.' But the everyday bickering comes to a halt when the zombie apocalypse strikes. The two watch in disbelief as their neighbors begin devouring each other in the street — mistaking the carnage at first for passionate lovemaking. The reality hits when a zombified neighbor crashes through their apartment window, and emergency broadcasts confirm their worst fears. Jung-hwan grabs Soo-ah and makes a run for his mother's home in the countryside, but the escape takes a devastating turn when Soo-ah is bitten during their frantic getaway. Despite its sunny title and cartoonish promotional materials, "My Daughter is a Zombie" doesn't shy away from legitimate horror tropes. Soo-ah's transformation sequence is surprisingly intense — bulging veins, clouded pupils, basically the full undead makeover. After a chaotic slapstick scuffle in the car that ends with Jung-hwan knocking his daughter unconscious, he straps her in and speeds toward his hometown, dodging military helicopters and roadblocks along the way. Once they arrive at grandmother Bam-soon's (Lee Jung-eun) house, Jung-hwan tries to keep the truth under wraps. But when Bam-soon discovers her granddaughter's condition, she's more irritated than alarmed. Wielding a wooden back scratcher like a weapon and armed with a sharp tongue, she instantly asserts dominance. The zombified Soo-ah, cowed by her grandmother's presence, behaves like a scolded puppy. Still, the question lingers: What now? After agonizing over whether to put his daughter down, Jung-hwan starts noticing glimmers of humanity in her behavior. Most strikingly, Soo-ah responds to familiar K-pop songs — reflexively moving through bits of choreography. Encouraged by a dubious YouTube clip suggesting that memory triggers can reverse zombie symptoms, Jung-hwan launches a desperate, increasingly bonkers rehabilitation mission: Retraining his daughter like one of the animals at his zoo. He's soon joined by childhood friend Dong-bae (Yoon Kyung-ho), a well-meaning but somewhat hapless pharmacist who offers comic relief and steady support. Things grow more complicated when Jung-hwan crosses paths with his childhood crush Yeon-hwa (Cho Yeo-jeong), now a middle school teacher. Yeon-hwa, still traumatized by her own zombie-related past, is now a militant anti-undead crusader determined to stamp out any infected survivors. As suspicions grow and the authorities close in, Jung-hwan is forced to go to greater lengths to shield Soo-ah — while confronting long-buried family rifts along the way. At its core, "My Daughter is a Zombie" traffics primarily in anodyne feel-good vibes, following a predictable emotional arc that trades logic for crowd-pleasing sentiment. It isn't chasing profound insights into humanity — and to its credit, it doesn't pretend otherwise. Its shortcomings are fairly easy to spot: The film occasionally loses momentum in meandering slice-of-life interludes that feel more like a webcomic vignette than a feature film. And for a film billing itself as a comedy, the humor can be hit-or-miss — the slapstick is plentiful, but not always sharp. Still, it would be a mistake to dismiss the film outright. Some movies manage to transform their clunkiness into charm, and "My Daughter is a Zombie" comes close to hitting that sweet spot. The key lies in its bold tonal shifts — gripping suspense undercut by slapstick gags, gut-punch drama interrupted by biting one-liners — which sound ridiculous on paper but click in practice. In an early escape sequence, Jung-hwan and Soo-ah avoid detection by mimicking zombie movements through dance — a stunt so over-the-top it becomes unexpectedly delightful. Elsewhere, a tense debate over whether to mercy-kill Soo-ah is derailed by a cultural in-joke about MBTI personality types. These sharp left turns, rather than feeling disjointed, become part of the film's distinct comic rhythm. And when the film drops the comedy to lean into sincerity — especially in its audacious finale — it does so with just enough conviction to land the emotional payoff. Much of this tonal balancing act works because of the cast. Jo Jung-seok, a reliable box office draw ("Pilot" drew 4.7 million viewers; "Exit" pulled in 9.4 million), is in his element here. As the awkward but fiercely loving father, he moves fluidly between goofball gags and gut-punch emotion, grounding the film even in its wildest moments. Lee Jung-eun is equally convincing as Bam-soon, delivering a mix of crusty wit and tough love that's both hilarious and oddly touching — much of it reportedly improvised. And 16-year-old Choi Yu-ri gives a breakthrough performance, managing to project both feral intensity and lingering innocence from beneath layers of prosthetic makeup. Her zombie Soo-ah is part monster, part misbehaving pet — and somehow, still heartbreakingly human. Will "My Daughter is a Zombie" defy expectations and become one of the summer's surprise hits? While it's far from a genre reinvention, it's hard not to root for it. At a time when high-budget blockbusters are tanking one after another, a modest film with genuine laughs and heartfelt moments might be exactly what audiences need. "My Daughter is a Zombie" hits theaters July 30.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
20 celebrity cameos fans have spotted in Death Stranding 2
(Image via Kojima) Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is more than just a sequel; it's a full-blown celebrity playground. While Norman Reedus, Elle Fanning, and Léa Seydoux headline the main story, Hideo Kojima's world is also packed with subtle (and sometimes bizarre) celebrity cameos. Most appear as preppers —isolated NPCs living off the grid whom you encounter during deliveries. Here are 20 cameos that eagle-eyed fans have already spotted. 1. Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) Known for Train to Busan , Ma plays Samson Hook, a prepper at the F2 South Distribution Center. Expect muscle and heart in equal measure. 2. Kate Siegel The Haunting of Hill House actress appears as Olivia Westbury at West Fort Knot. Horror royalty in a hazmat suit? Yes, please. 3. Mike Flanagan The director of Midnight Mass is now Mike Northcoate, overseeing things at the Northern Environmental Observatory. 4. Molly Quinn She portrays La Madre at Villa Libre. You might remember her from Guardians of the Galaxy , but here, she's full of enigmatic wisdom. 5. Gen Hoshino Returning as himself at The Musician location, Gen is both a delivery point and a nod to Kojima's love for eclectic soundscapes. 6. Usada Pekora Yes, the Hololive V-tuber is in the game, as The Data Scientist. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo She's streaming data instead of games this time. S. S. Rajamouli Cameo in Death Stranding 2 Game #ssrajamouli #deathstranding2 #kojimaproductions 7. S.S. Rajamouli & S.S. Karthikeya The Baahubali director and his son show up as The Adventurer and The Adventurer's Son, tucked away at a location filled with cinematic vibes. 8. Cécile Brun One half of the art duo Atelier Sento, she plays The Dowser, a mystical presence guiding you through isolated terrain. 9. Olivier Pichard The other half of Atelier Sento, Pichard appears as Peter Gates at the Western Environmental Observatory. 10. Lauren Tsai The artist and model stars as herself , also known as The Artist. Her delivery point? Tucked away and easily missed. 11. Craig Malanka Sony's VP of Global Marketing enters the story as Glenn Rain, based in Rainbow Valley. 12. Colas Koola The co-director of Stray becomes The Lone Commander, found at—you guessed it—the Lone Commander outpost. 13. Vivien Mermet-Guyenet Also from Stray , Vivien appears as Leon Easton, located at East Fort Knot. 14. Swann Martin-Raget Yet another Stray connection, Swann becomes Ridge Frost, working out of the Eastern Environmental Observatory. 15. Errolson Hugh ACRONYM's fashion mastermind is now Alex Weatherstone, holding down the fort at the Former Geophysics Research Lab. Death Stranding 2 - IP Pizza Man Fight Scene (4K 60FPS) 16. Mamoru Oshii The legendary Ghost in the Shell director is now The Pizza Chef. Yep, he's back to serve hot slices and quirky conversations. 17. Patrick Claude A returning face from the original game, Claude reprises his role as Victor Frank, located at the F5 East Distribution Center. 18. Ray Khalastchi PlayStation XDEV's development director appears as Benjamin Rivera, found at the C1 South Distribution Center. 19. Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty & Iain Cook (CHVRCHES) The beloved synth-pop trio returns—playing themselves—at the Animal Shelter. And yes, the soundtrack slaps. 20. Jon McElroy Former Annapurna Interactive director now goes by The Inventor in-game. You'll find him at—you guessed it—The Inventor's location. From movie directors and musicians to game developers and VTubers, Death Stranding 2 once again blends fiction with reality in pure Kojima fashion. And knowing Hideo, there are probably more cameos still waiting to be discovered. Keep your eyes open, porters. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Love, and other bugs: Deepanjana Pal writes on Materialists
I have a deep-seated aversion to AI-generated content. Even so, watching Chris Evans deliver his heroic monologue in Materialists (2025) made me wish there was a version of Celine Song's new film in which artificial intelligence had scrubbed Evans out and replaced him with Cary Grant. Or a young Shammi Kapoor. Or Gong Yoo (of Train to Busan). Or Richard Ayoade (of The IT Crowd). PREMIUM Even Pascal's crinkly-eyed smile can't plug the gaps. Materialists isn't nearly as heart-wrenching as writer-director Celine Song's last film, Past Lives (2023). Evans is the petard on which Materialists hoists itself. He plays John, the quintessential artist: short on money, but tall in every other way. He is a man of passion and sensitivity; a man who makes love seem easy. Unfortunately, when embodied by Evans, John has all the charm of melting vanilla ice-cream. He doesn't make one want to throw caution to the wind. Instead, he makes an excellent case for warily raising one's standards. It doesn't help that Pedro Pascal plays John's counterpoint, a capitalist Prince Charming named Harry. He lives in a $12 million penthouse in New York, works at a private equity firm. But, most importantly, he has Pascal's crinkly-eyed smile and gift for turning vulnerability into a pheromone trigger. One of the loveliest moments in the film is when Harry crouches to show what he'd look like if he was half a foot shorter, becoming smaller, sadder and more insecure with every lost inch. At the apex of the love triangle is Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a matchmaker who presents herself as an emotional calculator adept at cracking the math of romantic relationships, while also mournfully declaring early on: 'I'm going to die alone.' It's a line that makes everyone laugh, both in the film and outside it, because if someone as radiant as Lucy can't find love, well, what hope is there for any of us? Yet, as Song shows us over the course of Materialists, for all her slaying and sashaying, Lucy is floundering. She keeps repeating how important it is to be practical when looking for a match, but it soon becomes clear that the person she's trying to convince, first and foremost, is herself. Through the film, long-held conventions of gender and romance do little to empower either the men or the women. Meanwhile, even for those who appear to be thriving in the materialist world, marriage appears like the equivalent of a band-aid on a gaping wound: it can't heal the injury, but it can help cover it up. Writer-director Song's boldest play in Materialists is her bid to redefine marriage as an act of romantic agency, wrenching it away from its history as an economic and social contract that commodifies women. In the film, marriage ends up being the most impractical of decisions, taken by two people because they simply can't help themselves. It marks a compromise, not with one's dreams but with societal expectations. At the end of Materialists, Lucy 'settles' for a man whose greatest commendation is that he proposes to her with a ring fashioned out of a plucked flower. The 'loser' emerges as the prize catch. Or would have, if Evans hadn't played John so blandly that everything about him felt trite. Materialists isn't as heart-wrenching as Song's 2023 hit, Past Lives (2023), but it is full of beauty and hope. Much like its key characters, it doesn't check all the boxes, but it does serve as an antidote to cynicism. Song adamantly champions the idea that love at its sweetest and most impractical is a dream worth striving for. In a world full of grief and despair, its decision to celebrate unpretentious romance feels not just refreshing but like a necessary act of defiance. (To reach Deepanjana Pal with feedback, write to @dpanjana on Instagram)
Metro
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
9 skin-crawling zombie films to watch after 28 Years Later
Twenty-three years after we first saw the devastating effects of the Rage Virus, 28 Years Later has finally hit cinema screens. Rumours of a sequel to smash hit zombie films 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later have been rumbling following the release of the latter in 2007. And horror fans' prayers were answered when director Danny Boyle officially announced a third film was on the way with original writer Alex Garland returning. Not only that, 28 Years Later is part of a trilogy of films, so there's even more terrifying running undead moments to haunt our nightmares on the way. Released today in cinemas, 28 Years Later is set almost 30 years after the events of the first film (as the title would suggest), in which a group of survivors have found ways to live among the infected. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jodie Comer, it is undoubtedly one of the biggest horror films hitting the big screen in 2025. But before you check it out in cinemas, you can get in the mood for some brain-eating action with these nine zombie films streaming right now. Where to watch: StudioCanal+ via Prime Video You probably don't expect to end a zombie film in floods of tears, but we can promise that is likely to happen if you decide to watch Train to Busan. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the 2016 horror film mostly takes place on a KTX train from Seoul to Busan when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in the city. Two of the passengers on the train are Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an), travelling to see Seok-woo's estranged wife and Su-an's mum, Na-young. Where to watch: Prime Video The opening scene of 28 Days Later is incredibly eerie, with Cillian Murphy's Jim waking up to find the world ravaged by the Rage Virus. 2018 film The Night Eats The World begins much the same, with musician Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) waking to find himself the lone survivor in a city hit by a zombie apocalypse. Trapped in an apartment, he barricades himself in and begins formulating a way to survive. Where to watch: Available to rent via Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the Sky Store Following in the footsteps of the 28 Days franchise, The Girl With All the Gifts is a refreshing and bleak take on the zombie film that questions the state of humanity. The film begins on a military base where children, who harbour a disease caused by a parasitic fungus, are held in the hope of obtaining the cure that turns humans into mindless zombies called 'hungries.' When the base is attacked, one child, Melanie (Sennia Nanua), escapes with teacher Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton), Sergeant Eddie Parks (Paddy Considine), Dr. Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close), and soldier Gallagher (Fisayo Akinade). Where to watch: Shudder via Prime Video Released last year, MadS quickly became one of the highest-rated horror films of 2024 according to Rotten Tomatoes, and it's easy to see why. Directed by David Moreau and told all in one, long take, it follows the story of French club kid Romain (Milton Riche), who wakes up from another night of partying to do it all over again. While driving, he encounters an escaped patient from a local medical facility who appears to be injured, drastically changing the course of his evening. Where to watch: Arrow via Prime Video Found footage films immerse us in the events onscreen, which is absolutely terrifying when you consider the events of REC. The 2007 film stars Manuela Velasco as reporter Ángela Vidal, who, along with her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso), accompanies a group of firefighters to an emergency call at an apartment building. Once inside, she discovers an infection is spreading among the residents, and all occupants must follow a strict quarantine, with the events of the night being captured in full, horrifying detail by Pablo's camera. Where to watch: JustWatch TV and FOUND for free Another chilling found footage zombie film is Savageland, which unfolds in one of the most unique ways of any pick on this list. The mockumentary explores the massacre of a small border town separating Arizona and Mexico, with suspicion falling on the lone survivor. However, the photographic evidence captured by the man shows the chilling details of what really happened. Where to watch: Available to rent via Prime Video and Apple TV+ The adage 'til death do us part' is proven very, very false in the 2014 horror comedy Life After Beth. Loosely based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Life After Beth follows Zach (Dane DeHaan), who is grieving the loss of his girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza). However, when she is reanimated as a zombie, he is now tasked with preventing her deterioration while giving their relationship another shot at happiness. Where to watch: Prime Video Many films on this list take place in limited locations with protagonists defending themselves against flesh-hungry zombies in a contained space. And 2008 psychological thriller Pontypool, based on the novel Pontypool Changes Everything, is no different. The film follows radio announcer Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), who finds himself trapped at his radio station during a live broadcast as a zombie outbreak begins, with Mazzy and the crew inside forced to fight for survival. Where to watch: Available to rent via Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the Sky Store More Trending Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in a zombie film, and what's more, it will absolutely devastate you to your core. It is unique in that it is set after the zombie apocalypse, but society has not completely fallen; rather, it is coming to terms with the devastating effects it has had on society. In the Midwest United States, Wade (Schwarzenegger) is enjoying his final weeks with his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) after she was bitten by a zombie and is slowly turning into one of them. 28 Years Later is in cinemas now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Incredible films that were shot on an iPhone including 28 Years Later and Netflix hit MORE: James Gunn confirms controversial scene from Superman trailer isn't in the final cut MORE: Jurassic World Rebirth embraces hardcore horror: 'I waited for the studio to say no'
