South Korea from director Yeon Sang-Ho that introduced audiences to a type of zombie that is a far cry from other slow, unintelligent undead creatures that have permeated modern horror media.
The film was a smash hit in South Korea, then performed incredibly well with US audiences; the popularity was high enough to warrant it being up for a remake treatment - an American version of the film - from producer direct sequel is coming to South Korea in 2020.
There are many different types of zombies that have been explored throughout horror history, from George A. Romero's slow, brain-eating zombies to the decaying flesh bags that also engage at a slower pace and seem to be defeated rather easily in The Walking Dead. Some films and media have explored zombie creation as a viral outbreak, while others have treated it like a secondary form that happens to humans upon their death. Its origin stems from books like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and voodoo cults in Haiti who could supposedly resurrect the dead.
Train to Busan Zombie History
The outbreak since this happened near the aforementioned factory. While there isn't precise information regarding how the leak manifested, for example, whether it travels through air or by water or other such , it's clear that the biological waste is the key feature in the film's zombie outbreak.
Another outbreak is implied in Seoul - it's unclear how close the factory to Seoul or whether or not it's related - as the train to Busan is taking off the platform. The engers miss the brunt of this outbreak, but are doomed when one infected enger manages to get on board at the last minute. When the engers travel, there appear to be many stops along the way that are byed due to the spread of the infection, so it is implied that there are many happening simultaneously. A strong military and police presence is dictated along the route and news outlets are covering the event as well, showing mass chaos throughout the country.
Zombie Virus And Abilities Explained
There is a distinct difference in the Train to Busan zombies in their overall abilities when compared to zombies in other modern horror. First and foremost, these zombies are fast. They seem more like the ones depicted in films like World War Z and have rabid behavioral mannerisms. They also seem to be relatively intelligent, though they rely more on strength in numbers and strength in general than anything cerebral. Sight plays a big role in their overall ability, and it is discovered throughout the course of the film that they cannot see in the dark. They also seem to react to movement instead of seeing clearly; when newspapers were put over the windows on the train, they were unable to see the other engers because their movement was obstructed and a direct sight line wasn't available. This calmed the zombies, causing them to haphazardly mill around the train car they were trapped within instead of continually attacking.
Another key feature of this zombie virus - and it does seem to be viral - is how quickly it activates post-bite. When a person is bitten a zombie, the transformation happens within minutes, which is why the outbreak spreads so quickly. It also allows for, when people are infected within a large, populous area such as a city or train station, the zombies to form a massive horde and attack smaller groups, picking them off with ease.
