Overview
South Korean cinema has been thrust into the global spotlight in a big way over the past year, all thanks to the enormous success of Bong Joon-ho's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winning, Sydney Film Festival prize-winning and four-time Oscar-winning film Parasite. Of course, the country has been serving up stellar cinema for decades, which is great news for movie buffs — who can either revisit excellent flicks such as the 1960 standout The Housemaid, the Park Chan-wook-directed likes of Oldboy, Thirst and The Handmaiden, and even Bong's own hefty back catalogue; or watch all of the above and more for the first time.
Add Yeon Sang-ho's instant classic Train to Busan to the list, too. First hitting screens back in 2016, the frenetic zombie-filled thrill ride became an instant classic, following a father (Gong Yoo) and daughter (Kim Su-an) forced to fend off the shuffling hordes while in mid-transit. Not only did the movie flesh out its protagonists more than most undead flicks manage, but it also painted a probing picture of modern-day South Korean society. And, it's part of a franchise, with fellow 2016 release Seoul Station exploring another aspect of the outbreak in an animated prequel.
Now, as promised for years, a sequel to Train to Busan is coming to screens — set four years after the first film. While just when it'll hit theatres hasn't been announced (which is completely understandable given that cinemas around the world are currently shuttered), the action-packed first teaser trailer for Train to Busan presents: Peninsula has just dropped for cinephiles looking for more pandemic-based viewing options.
This time around, former soldier Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) is in the spotlight. With the Korean peninsula devastated by the outbreak, he has escaped overseas — but is given a secret mission to return to retrieve an object. Because that's the way these kinds of tales go, his trip back home throws up plenty of expected zombies, unexpected survivors and grim fights for survival in an abandoned, post-apocalyptic world. That said, with Yeon returning as the film's writer and director, it's unlikely that Peninsula is going to follow an easy formula.
Check out the trailer below — and if you need to catch up with Train to Busan, it's available to stream on Netflix.
Train to Busan presents: Peninsula doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced.
Images: Well Go USA Entertainment