Train to Busan vs World War Z

If thou openest not that I may enter I will smash the doorpost and unhinge the gate. I will lead up the dead, that they may eat the living.”  (Enheduanna). Excerpt from “Descent of Ishtar/Inanna to the Underworld.” Written somewhere between 3000 B.C. to 1900 B.C.

Train to Busan and World War Z: A Comparative Approach

Call them what you want: the undead, revenant (French word meaning come back or one who has returned), Zombi or Zombii in Haitian, or as many Western viewers know them, zombies. There are fast zombies (both of these movies) , slow zombies (George A. Romero’s classic 1968 filmNight of the Living Dead), zombies who are under mind control through nefarious black magic or sorcery, and many more. Zombies are a very important concept in pop culture and society. Specifically, lots of movies have been made about them. 

Two interesting films about zombies are World War Z (2013) and Train to Busan (2016). Even though World War Z is has more jump scares and fits into the horror genre more neatly than Train to Busan, Train to Busan is the better film because it has better character development and emotional impact. They each have their merits but Train to Busan is ultimately the superior film. Here’s why.

For a reminder in Train to Busan, Seok-woo and his daughter, Soo-an are taking the train to the city of Busan when it becomes the center of a zombie outbreak. Seok-woo, who is very distant and cold to everyone, both personally and professionally, must overcome his selfishness in order to ensure his daughter’s safety. World War Z is a American action horror film made in 2013 that stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane. Gerry Lane used to work at the UN. When a zombie outbreak ravages the globe, Gerry is forced by his superiors to leave his family, to travel around the world, and gather information to fight or otherwise defeat the zombies.

Zombie movies typically fall into two categories: suspenseful and “scary,” or satirical and intentionally comedic. The word “scary” means different things to different people. When applied to the horror genre, it can implement jump scares, a sense of dread and suspense, or shocking violence. Both movies are scary in their own ways. Train to Busan is limited in scope and environment, which allows the the movie to have less of a breakneck pace and more time to develop characters, but it lessens the scare factor somewhat because you know where the zombies are at all times. They’re in specific numbered train cars. They can’t jump out from every direction because they’re stuck in a restricted environment . World War Z on the other hand, explores the zombie outbreak on a global scale. The movie constantly switches locations which makes for a larger variety of scares. Whether the zombies are in cold and rainy South Korea, bright and sunny Jerusalem, or the cramped spaces of the WHO (World Health Center) virology center in Wales, World War Z has many different locations and tones and therefore has more chances to scare the viewer. World War Z wins this round .

Another point of judgment between the two film is believability. Now, dear reader, if you are thinking to yourself “Well, a zombie apocalypse is already pretty unbelievable,” then I agree with you. However I’m not judging the existence of zombies. I am considering how realistic the plot devices in both films are. As said before, World War Z takes a more global scope of the action and the chaos as various countries and governments are trying to figure out who or what is attacking them. Countries are engaging in nuclear warfare. It’s a very high action, high intensity, militaristic film. Gerry is an action hero, who is no stranger to danger, if you will. Also what are the chances a given protagonist has connections in the UN and can request military assistance to help with his problems? Not much I think. Train to Busan on the other hand, definitely doesn’t lack action but it is relatively more grounded, (as grounded as a zombie movie can be anyway.). Seok-woo isn’t a dashing heroic survivalist, he’s just an ordinary guy, a glorified accountant really. He initially doesn’t want to help people other than himself and Soo-an and that makes his character arc and growth that much more satisfying. I would say that Train to Busan is more believable than World War Z.

Emotional impact on the viewer is also very important for the success of a film.  Which movie tugs on the heartstrings more? Train to Busan doesn’t traipse around the globe and have such a fast tempo as World War Z and that allows the movie and viewer to explore and connect with the characters more. They are all well rounded and even the relatively minor characters have complex personalities and views on the world. This makes it more tragic if, and when, the various characters die.  It’s worth noting that both Train to Busan and World War Z have kind of similar endings. Both have the protagonist either attempting or actually succeeding in making the ultimate sacrifice. Seok-woo gets bitten while fighting off the zombified antagonist, and commits suicide by falling off the train so he won’t attack and infect Soo-an. Gerry knowingly injects himself with a deadly disease, because the zombies don’t attack infected or diseased hosts.  For me, Seok-woo’s sacrifice in Train to Busan is more meaningful because he knows he’s going to die and does it anyway to save his daughter, but Gerry infects himself with a disease that’s potentially curable so that cheapens the stakes in my view. Also the music during Seok-woo’s death scene is incredibly, heartbreakingly sad. Combine this with the absolutely phenomenal performances from Gong Yoo as Seok-woo and Su-an Kim who plays Soo-an, and what do you get? Tears. Lots of tears.  So Train to Busan comes out the strongest in terms of emotional impact.

Both World War Z and Train to Busan are both very good films but judged analytically Train to Busan takes the prize for being the superior of the two. Why does this result, and in extension, this review, ultimately matter? Because it teaches us to analyze examples in media and ignore our pre-existing biases and judge critically for merit. This is a very important life skill and especially for sifting out the good from the bad, the reliable from the unreliable, in our daily lives.

That’s it for now.

Thanks for reading!

Conrad Smith