The Best Zombie Horror of 2010s is Finally Available to Watch for Free

Summary

• Yeon Sang-ho has been working with Netflix for a while now, releasing high-octane projects for the service, but his 2016 magnum opus will soon be leaving the service.
• It's a zombie horror that impressed audiences worldwide with its unique setting and deep plot.
• However, the movie is available for free streaming on other platforms.

By 2016, Korean cinema had already carved out a niche in global pop culture, and the names of filmmakers such as Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho were on everyone's lips. However, that year saw the release of a film directed by Yeon Sang-ho that captivated those who were previously indifferent to the South Korean cinema industry and exposed many people to the Korean horror genre, full of morbid allusions to real historical events and poignant social commentary.

We are, of course, talking about Train to Busan, a zombie apocalypse action horror that has been wowing audiences since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Now it's an entire franchise of animated and live-action projects (two of which are in the works).

Yeon Sang-ho's international acclaim continues to grow, and his years-long collaboration with Netflix has been especially beneficial: last year, the streaming service released Jung_E, a full-length epic sci-fi action film praised for its emotional script and VFX, and two years before that, his dark fantasy series Hellbound became a huge hit.

Train to Busan is also currently available to stream on Netflix, but just a week ago we were faced with the deeply disheartening news that it would be leaving the streaming service's library on April 22. However, there's no need to be discouraged, as the modern action-horror classic is available to stream for free on many other platforms.

What Is This Zombie Horror Movie About?

Train to Busan was directed by Yeon Sang-ho, then little known outside of South Korea, who had previously directed two animated indie films, The Pig King and Fake, which received international acclaim, albeit relatively modest. The screenwriter is once again Park Joo Suk (Talchul: Project Silence). Also noteworthy is Young's assistant Min Hong-nam, who worked with the director for the first time and went on to write the script for his latest release on Netflix, the horror series Testament.

The film stars Gong Yoo, known from Korean Wave classic Coffee Prince to the worldwide hit Squid Game, Choi Woo Sik, made famous by Bong Joon Ho's Parasite, Sohee, Jeon Yoo-mi and Ma Dong-seok,

Despite the setting, it is essentially an allusion to South Korean society, exposing both the inaction of the authorities in the face of tragedy and disaster, and the blatant growth of individualism that alienates people from compassion and mutual aid. All in all, Train to Busan is an effective and searing allegory for the Korean national trauma caused by years of opposition and its brutal suppression by the government, both during the years of the authoritarian regime and well into the 2000s.

Where to Stream the Movie for Free?

Furst of all, Yeon Sang-ho's zombie apocalypse is available on most platforms that provide access to South Korean movies and TV series. These include Netflix (as we mentioned, the movie will be pulled from the service at the end of April), Kocowa, Viki, and Hoopla. However, they all require a paid subscription, so why bother when you can watch Train to Busan for free on many streaming services.

There are many platforms that do not require a subscription or fee to watch Train to Busan. These include Plex, Tubi, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Crackle, FilmRise, and ViX. Of course, while the movie is free on these services, many of them suggest ad-supported viewing. But it's definitely worth it!

However, if you're not comfortable with the idea of stretching the movie's 118 minutes to twice its length due to commercials, Train to Busan is also available for purchase or rental on most major platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV, Microsoft, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube.