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Train to Busan
Movie

Train to Busan

2016 • Action, Horror, Thriller

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Sok-woo, a father with not much time for his daughter, Soo-ahn, are boarding the KTX, a fast train that shall bring them from Seoul to Busan. But during their journey, the apocalypse begins, and most of the earth's population become flesh craving zombies. While the KTX is shooting towards Busan, the passenger's fight for their families and lives against the zombies - and each other.

Overall Series Review

Train to Busan is a South Korean zombie thriller that functions primarily as a potent critique of class division and the moral decay of corporate culture. The narrative establishes a clear, objective moral structure where characters are judged entirely by their willingness to sacrifice for the group versus their selfish drive for individual survival. The main villain is a greedy, wealthy businessman, but his vilification is based on his universal moral failure of egoism and cruelty, not on an immutable characteristic. The plot celebrates traditional familial bonds, masculine protectiveness, and the altruistic nature of the working class and children, positioning these as the highest virtues in a time of crisis. The story is devoid of identity-based politics, gender ideology, or anti-religious messaging, focusing instead on a timeless battle between good and evil.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The conflict is based on social class and moral choice, not race or intersectional hierarchy. The heroes and villains are judged solely by their actions of altruism or selfishness. The primary villain is a wealthy Korean businessman whose evil stems from corporate greed and egoism, which are universal moral flaws, not from an immutable characteristic.

Oikophobia3/10

The film launches a pointed attack on systemic corruption within the national corporate structure and the government's incompetent response to the crisis. This critique targets specific modern political and economic failures. It does not demonize Korean history, ancestors, or core cultural institutions like the family, which are instead presented as vital shields against chaos and the ultimate motivators for the heroes.

Feminism1/10

Gender roles are depicted as distinct and complementary. Masculine characters like Sang-hwa and Sok-woo find redemption through their embrace of protective masculinity and self-sacrifice for others. Female characters like the pregnant Seong-kyeong and the young daughter Soo-ahn act as the moral compasses and the reason for the men's heroic actions. Motherhood is a central theme that is protected and celebrated.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative centers on normative familial structures, specifically a father-daughter bond, a husband-pregnant wife dynamic, and a young heterosexual couple. No characters are centered around alternative sexualities or gender ideology, and the film includes no messaging about deconstructing the nuclear family.

Anti-Theism1/10

A clear, objective moral truth dictates the narrative: altruism and self-sacrifice are good, while selfishness and greed are evil. The movie is secular but does not portray traditional religion as the root of evil or feature bigoted religious characters. The moral law in the film is transcendent and absolute, rather than relative.