Zombie Thriller Train to Busan and Its Sequel Now on Netflix!

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Experience one of the most pulse-pounding zombie films ever made, as it’s now streaming on Netflix! Both the original and its sequel, titled “Peninsula”, have recently been added to the platform starting from May 2nd.

Train to Busan is a movie helmed by Yeon Sang-ho, featuring actors like Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi-Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee and Kim Eui-sung. The plot of this apocalyptic horror thriller unfolds as a zombie outbreak strikes South Korea, leaving passengers on a train from Seoul to Busan battling for their lives in a desperate bid to survive. In the story, workaholic fund manager Seok-woo (played by Yoo) and his daughter are traveling to meet her estranged father for her birthday when they get entangled in the fight for survival as hordes of zombie marauders approach.

In a unique blend of suspenseful storytelling and an innovative spin on zombie apocalypse tales, Train to Busan transcends typical action flicks by delving deeper into themes such as survival, sacrifice, and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of adversity. Furthermore, it highlights our inherent desire to unite during crises. When it debuted in 2016, this South Korean production was met with critical acclaim and attracted over 11 million viewers domestically, making it the highest-grossing film of the year there, earning $98.5 million globally.

95% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given high marks to the movie “Train to Busan”, and viewers’ reactions are equally positive, with 89% of more than 10,000 ratings being positive. The film’s success led to a series, including an animated prequel, “Seoul Station,” which was released in 2016. A standalone sequel, “Peninsula,” came out in 2020 as well.

Train to Busan’s Sequel is an Underappreciated Zombie Movie

As a dedicated cinephile, I must confess that “Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula” didn’t quite live up to its predecessor’s acclaim when it came out in 2020. This film, helmed by Yeon Sang-ho, follows the story of a former soldier on a mission to retrieve a truckload of cash from the post-zombie apocalypse wastelands of South Korea. Initially, this movie was set to debut at the 2020 film festival, but unfortunately, it never got its chance due to the unexpected interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the movie titled “Peninsula” was not distributed through conventional means in South Korea, instead being released directly in cinemas. Despite this unconventional method, it managed to earn $42.7 million globally on a production budget of just $16 million. Given the pandemic’s impact on cinema attendance, it’s understandable that “Peninsula” didn’t meet expectations, and those who did venture out to watch it didn’t seem as captivated by it. Critics, represented by a 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes, generally agreed that the sequel might provide enough thrills for fans of the original “Train to Busan,” but it failed to recapture the enchantment that the first film held.

Train to Busan and Peninsula are now streaming on Netflix.

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2025-05-03 22:20