SC-S28/W4 – Movie Highlights | Genre Flip (Train to Busan)

I do not leave my comfort zone very often, and in this case, it comes to movies. I am that kind of a person who prefers to watch something that helps me to relax, either romances, funny or relaxing family movies. One genre that I have never ventured into is horror. I do not enjoy loud unexpected noises, frightening expressions, or things that cause my heart to be full of blood.

However, the Steemit Challenge of this week centered on the genre Flip and it challenged me to venture into a completely different genre of what I watch. That was the reason why I decided to watch Train to Busan which is one of the most popular horror movies on YouTube.

Being quite candid, I had previously heard about the movie but the very mention of the word zombie made me flee. Nevertheless, I said to myself, “This is supposed to push boundaries, so I should go out of my comfort zone once. On that little encouragement I pressed the play button.

Why I Usually Avoid This Genre

I have been afraid of horror movies since I was a child. As a young child, I would get nightmares days after, because of any minor frightening incident. I did not like to see something that scared me in darkness.

To this day, as an adult, I would not want to do anything that will make me lose my peace of mind. Horror films are far too scary and I will never wish to spend an entire hour being scared. I do not want to read a story that would give me a fist grip on my phone.

This is why I have kept off the horror films throughout the greater part of my life. I did not want to be scared or even have disturbing images in my mind. That is why this challenge was a big risk to me.

The Experience of Watching Train to Busan

The film starts off in a regular fashion where a father, Seok-woo, and his young daughter, Soo-ahn, ride on a train to Busan to meet with her mother. All is well until a sick girl manages to enter the train and transform into a zombie right before our eyes. This scene was the turning point of the whole film.

I was appalled by the speed with which the story gained momentum. The zombies were not slow and quiet, and they were very fast and violent.

The sickness soon passed along the different carriages, and the entire train became a shambo. I continued to cover my face in certain scenes, however, I could not put off the movie since the plot was too captivating.

The thing that I found surprising was that the movie was human. Although it was full of horror, it had a lot of emotions as well. I also had no idea that a zombie movie can evoke an emotional response in me, but Train to Busan managed to do it.

Emotional Moments That Moved Me

It moved me with the father-daughter relationship. Initially, the father was too occupied at work and did not spend as much time with Soo-ahn. But as the threat grew he grew more protective and caring and loving. It was fear and confusion that tightened their relationship.

The other emotional side was the reactions of strangers in the train. Others became selfish and they did not want to assist others. Others even lost their lives just to save a stranger. It reminded me of the way that people conduct themselves in real life, some of them demonstrate their love, some of them demonstrate fear and selfishness.

A special sequence where a man was slaying the zombies with his bare hands only to save his pregnant wife led me to pause the movie. I had to breathe. The humanity, the sacrifice, the courage at that moment astonished me. This is not something I had anticipated a horror movie to do.

What Surprised Me Most About the Film

The most surprising was the emotional richness. I believed that the horror movies were based only on frightening monsters, blood, and suspense in it, but this film had a very important meaning concerning the family, sacrifice, and solidarity.

The other surprise was the level of engagement that I experienced. Although I was afraid, I still desired to find out what will occur next.

The plot was also so powerful that, occasionally I forgot that I was watching a horror movie. The film sucked me in and I actually responded emotionally to the characters and not only the fear.

Did the Movie Change My Mind About the Genre?

Yes, it did in some ways. I also believed that the purpose of horror movies was to scare. However, now I understand that some of them are powerful messages. The movie Train to Busan demonstrated to me that horror might be full of fear and serious narrative and moral lessons.

Did it make me fully get rid of my horror movie fear? Not at all. Even during the movie, I was still nervous. Yet it made my mind open up to the fact that avoidance is not always a good thing to do. At times, you get to learn something new by confronting it.

Would I Watch More Movies From This Genre?

I think I will, but gradually. I would not hurry to watch horror films on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, I will not totally avoid them as I did before. I may give it a chance in case it is a horror movie which is rated highly, popular and has a beautiful story as this.

This problem taught me that it is safe to stay in a comfort zone but it can make growth limited. One can open the heart and mind trying something different

Final Thoughts

It is a strong, frightening, and moving experience that I have had after watching Train to Busan. It helped me overcome my horror movie phobia, as well as to think differently about the horror that incorporates humanity into the narrative.

I am glad, that I forced myself to do something new, and now I feel more confident due to overcoming this challenge.

I invite @josepha, @stef1 and @mikitaly to drop a very constructive comments on this post and also to participate in this contest.

❤️I hope you enjoyed very much by reading my post. Thank you so much for reading till the end❤️

Best Regards By
@adese

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