Train To Busan Director’s New Zombie Thriller Colony Debuts To A Solid Rotten Tomatoes Score

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Train to Busan director returns to the zombie genre with his new movie.

Yeon Sang-ho’s 2016 horror film, Train to Busan, starring Gong Yoo, Don Lee, Jun Yu-mi, and Kim Su-an, received widespread critical acclaim. The movie stood out in the zombie genre by combining intense action with a compelling story about a father’s love for his daughter, all set within the confined space of a speeding train. Widely considered a top zombie film, Train to Busan has led to additional movies and now, Yeon Sang-ho is returning to the genre with a brand new thriller.

I just got a first look at Yeon’s latest, Colony, and it’s definitely intriguing. Starring a fantastic cast including Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Ji Chang-wook, the film premiered at Cannes and is starting to generate some buzz. Early reviews are in, and right now it’s sitting at a 70% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of a zombie smash like Train to Busan, which scored a whopping 95%, it’s shaping up to be one of Yeon’s strongest films to date – already landing in his top five!

Okay, so I checked out Colony, and it’s a pretty solid, fast-paced zombie thriller. It’s definitely fun if you’re looking for some action, but honestly, it doesn’t quite hit the same emotional notes as Train to Busan. A lot of reviewers – and I kind of agree – feel it’s missing that deeper human story and stylistic flair. But don’t let that turn you off completely! It’s still a clever and enjoyable ride. The plot centers around a bio-tech professor who gets stuck in a virus outbreak while at a conference. She and the other survivors are basically trapped inside the facility and have to fight for their lives against the infected.

Following the popularity of the 2016 film Train to Busan, several projects have tried to build on its success, aiming for a series of related movies. Seoul Station was the first, released shortly after the original, and while critics loved it (giving it a 100% rating), general audiences were much less enthusiastic, with a score of only 40%. This is quite different from Train to Busan, which received a strong 89% audience approval rating.

Four years after the success of Train to Busan, director Yeon released a follow-up film, Peninsula. However, it received a less enthusiastic response, earning mixed reviews from critics (a 55% approval rating) and a more positive, but still not overwhelming, reaction from audiences (76%). Common complaints about Peninsula included its focus on action over horror, unconvincing special effects, underdeveloped characters, and a decline in the suspenseful atmosphere that made the original so effective.

The filmmaker has been planning a third movie that would feel more like the original, but it hasn’t moved forward yet. In the last five years, however, Yeon has been busy with other projects, such as the Netflix films Revelations, The Ugly, and Jung_E.

The South Korean film Train to Busan boosted the profile of Korean cinema, and an American adaptation has been in the works since 2018. Titled The Last Train to New York, the film is directed by Timo Tjahjanto, with a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. Producer James Wan has confirmed the movie is still moving forward after more than four years of development, explaining that it won’t be a remake, but instead will expand upon the story established in Train to Busan.

Although it’s unclear what the future holds for the Train to Busan series, director Yeon Sang-ho is trying something new with zombies. His upcoming film, Colony, is set to be released in the U.S. on August 28, 2026.

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2026-05-21 07:10